Lionel Scaloni explains why Argentina don't play top opponents in friendly matches

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said he was satisfied with his team’s performance in Saturday’s 7-0 thrashing of a weak Burkina Faso side, but admitted he would prefer to face more demanding opponents.

“We don’t have many options. There are only a few teams available. It’s not as if we can choose. Everything is already closed or blocked,” Scaloni said at a press conference on Saturday, acknowledging the difficulties of arranging elite international fixtures.

“We will probably go abroad to play. Obviously, I would like to face strong opponents, but there aren’t many alternatives,” he added.

For Scaloni, the difficulty of a match does not necessarily depend on the reputation of the opposition.

“We reached the highest level without facing those opponents,” he said. 

“At the World Cup, the match we suffered most in was against a team that was theoretically low level, so it’s relative,” he insisted.

“You always draw conclusions from these matches. You have to look at the way the players approached the game. We didn’t see a relaxed team, and we have a lot to lose in these matches,” the coach said.

Scaloni was also pleased to see several new players in Argentina’s two friendlies, the previous one having been against Bolivia, and stressed that “all the young players are bringing freshness and the desire to be here”.

“We mustn’t burden them with responsibility when they wear the Argentina shirt. There are already others who carry that responsibility and they have to help them.”

Regarding Tuesday’s match against Benin, which will mark Lionel Messi’s farewell to the national team after 21 years in the Albiceleste shirt, Scaloni highlighted “the emotion of everyone – including Leo."

“It will be an unforgettable day for everyone. Everyone wants to be in that match and all that remains is to enjoy it,” he said.

“Having him on the pitch is something unique, and what he conveys on the field, to his team-mates and to his opponents, I have never seen in anyone else. That is what we will miss most about him.”

Asked about his own future, which is well advanced but has yet to be formally signed, Scaloni said that “there is no obligation here”.

“When something is done, it is because you want to do it. Nobody puts a gun to my head to continue.

"There are things you learn along the way and it is important to be able to experience them, because this job involves a lot of responsibility. And beyond my passion for football, I continue trying to do things in a way that means this doesn’t consume you and turn you into a slave,” he concluded.