Jorge Sampaoli: Messi Could Be the World Champion

DBasia.news – No news since the firing from Argentina, Sampaoli raised his voice and talked about Messi’s possibility to be a world champion.

The former Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli believed Lionel Messi could realize his biggest dream to be the champion of World Cup if Argentina national team could keep the process.

Messi has joined four World Cup, but the ambition to be a world champion with La Albiceleste was always vanished. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar would be his last chance to seize the dream, considering his age.

In the recent 2018 World Cup in Russia, Argentina under Sampaoli were kicked in the round of 16 after defeated by France. Sampaoli was fired and never talked to media ever since until Tuesday (9/10) when he also discussed about Messi.

“Of course yes, but this needs a process, for everything that has happened up to now,” Sampaoli revealed.

“And you don’t break the process; you correct it. For the next World Cup or Copa America, you need organization, unlimited confidence and knowing that everything requires a process. If you don’t win the Copa America, you have to keep the process, not break it.”

 

Lionel Messi

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“Enough of this madness that if you do not ‘win’, ‘you’ are a loser. It’s not like that: if you believe, you can win even later. But you have to believe,” he added.

The former coach of Chile national team and Sevilla also told his experience while coaching Messi. Even though it’s just 13 months, Sampaoli admitted that he was impressed with Messi, not only due to his talent, but also the commitment and sacrifice.

“The best player in history was very committed. Leo suffered more than anyone the impossible task. Not being able to stand weighed on him the hardest,” he continued.

“Having the best in the world in your team forces you to demand more. The rest of us have to match his level. But sometimes you can do it, sometimes you cannot. That was our struggle every single day,” he explained.

Messi, who collected 128 caps and 65 goals for Argentina, is now resting from the international break until further notice.

Asked about that, Sampaoli denied, “These are very personal decisions. Only he knows what he needs and we must respect it.”