Lionel Scaloni, Argentina’s young world-cup winning coach, was feted at his hometown Pujato by its 4000 residents. A street will be named after him, the community head announced, and an emotional Scaloni shared news about his ailing father.
“With the only hand that can be raised, he made the gesture of raising the Cup,” the 44-year old Scaloni talked about his father Angel, who was also his first football coach. “He was confident that it was going to happen, for a month and a half he had been doing it,” Scaloni shared on stage, flanked by his childhood teacher.
“I thought that I had already cried for everything,” Scaloni said. “Walking the streets of the town and seeing so many people that you might not have seen as a child, crying for the National Team, it’s the best, it’s gratifying and that fills us with pride,” he said.
Scaloni told a large gathering of kids who too were present that he would take pictures with all of them. Pujato is 40 kms from Rosario, Messi’s hometown.
In 2018, amid much debate over his limited experience as a coach, Scaloni took charge of the national team. The side has been hit by a last-16 exit at the World Cup in Russia and the departure of his predecessor, Jorge Sampaoli.
” It is a victory for all, we would have loved to go through all of Argentina with the collective , because the North, the South, the East and the West deserve it. Unfortunately it has not been possible, but I hope that everyone has been happy, because what we did will live in our hearts forever, we created an unforgettable moment in our lives.
” This team played by and for the people . Now we realize a little more of what has been achieved, we were aware of what was going on here, but not such a magnitude. Now that we live it, the truth has no words,” Scaloni said.