Argentina offer Scaloni coaching job full time

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentina’s football association (AFA) said on Thursday it would offer interim-coach Lionel Scaloni a full-time deal through to next year’s Copa America in Brazil.

“It’s important to know what we want for all our national teams. We’ve seen Lionel Scaloni’s work and, by consequence, we’re going to ask him to continue to the Copa America,” said AFA president Claudio Tapia on social media.

Scaloni, 40, was named interim boss after Jorge Sampaoli was ditched following a disappointing World Cup in Russia, where Argentina crashed out at the last 16 stage against eventual champions France.

Former full-back Scaloni, who played for the likes of Lazio, West Ham United and Deportivo La Coruna during his career, has minimal coaching experience, although he was briefly in charge of the national Under-20 side.

He has guided the national team in six friendlies, winning four of those with one draw and a 1-0 defeat to fierce rivals Brazil.

However, all six matches were played without star player Lionel Messi, who had asked to be excused from international duty until the end of the year.