Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni won't travel to Chile for World Cup Qualifier game
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni won't be in the dugout in the upcoming game against Chile in the South American 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. Assistant coaches Roberto Ayala and Walter Samuel will be in charge of the team.
Argentina may have clinched a Qatar 2022 berth, but the South American Qualifiers are far from being over. On Thursday, January 27, La Albiceleste will make the trip to Calama to take on Chile - but they'll do so without manager Lionel Scaloni.
This international window was already strange for them given that they have already qualified for the World Cup and Lionel Messi won't be part of the squad for the next two matches. Now, things got even more awkward as their head coach won't be in the dugout.
Assistant coaches Roberto Ayala and Walter Samuel will be in charge of the team aiming to extend Argentina's unbeaten run. Find out here why Scaloni is not traveling to Chile for this game.
Lionel Scaloni won't be in the dugout in Chile vs. Argentina WC Qualifier game
Even though they have a Qatar 2022 ticket under their belts, the game against Chile doesn't come in great timing for Argentina. Besides Messi, La Albiceleste will suffer a number of casualties.
Lionel Scaloni won't travel to Chile because he has tested positive for Covid-19, just like Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. Besides, assistant Pablo Aimar and Emiliano Buendía - who was expected to start - will also stay in Argentina for being close contacts.
Martin O'Donnell is a bilingual sports writer fluent in English and Spanish, with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Since joining Bolavip in February 2021, he has extensively covered soccer, NFL, and NBA, specializing in real-time coverage of major events such as the World Cup, UEFA Champions League finals, and the Super Bowl. Martin’s prior experience includes managing social media for the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana in English and reporting on Brazilian football for Sambafoot. At Bolavip, he is known for his meticulous coverage during critical sports seasons—covering trades, playoffs, and finals—and for keeping a close eye on soccer icons Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. His attention to detail and ability to capture breaking news have made him a valuable asset to the team.