“People don’t want us to win”: Argentina coach responds to allegations of FIFA favouritism

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has rejected suggestions that FIFA is favoring the defending champions in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, insisting that such claims are nothing new and instead serve as an additional incentive for his players.Speaking before Argentina’s quarter-final match against Switzerland on Sunday, Scaloni said that the criticism surrounding his team strengthened the team’s resolve in its quest to win the World Cup title for the second time in a row.Controversy escalated over Argentina receiving preferential treatment from FIFA during the tournament, especially on social media.The discussion gained momentum after Argentina’s victory over Egypt in the round of 16, where an Egyptian goal was disallowed after a VAR review, while another penalty kick from Egypt was waved away.

These decisions sparked criticism from the Egyptian national team’s technical staff and sectors of fans who questioned the arbitration.Some fans have also argued that FIFA has a commercial interest in keeping Lionel Messi and Argentina in the competition. However, these claims remain just opinions and not verified facts.Scaloni denied the accusations and suggested that the scrutiny stemmed from Argentina’s status as world champions.

“The thing is that we may have a lot of people who don’t want us to win because we won the last title, and well, we take that into account. And yes, it reaches the players. We use criticism or comments to rebel. To organize a rebellion and make the players play better,” Scaloni told reporters on Saturday.The Argentina coach also noted that similar allegations had followed his country for decades, including during their 1986 World Cup victory.

“It’s been a long time, 40 years as you just said, since 1986, right? They used to say we were favorites then too. So it’s nothing new. As far as I can remember, Argentina has always been one of the teams that always raises the tournament. And in a way, as you rightly pointed out, it’s used to show players that there are people who don’t want Argentina to win. But that’s normal, just as there will be people who don’t want another national team to win,” Scaloni said.The 47-year-old also defended the role of VAR, saying the technology leaves little room for manipulation.He added: “I think with VAR and all these things, it is very difficult for them to help you. Very difficult, very difficult. There is no double interpretation with VAR. Plus, they made it very clear to us in the course they gave us before the World Cup started. They showed us all the footage. This is how it will be, and it will be like this, like this. And it was followed to the letter.”Argentina will continue its title defense when it faces Switzerland in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday, July 12.