{"id":253784,"date":"2026-07-20T01:12:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T01:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/20\/thats-the-truth-coach-breaks-down-in-gut-wrenching-presser-as-tactical-blunder-laid-bare\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T01:12:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T01:12:00","slug":"thats-the-truth-coach-breaks-down-in-gut-wrenching-presser-as-tactical-blunder-laid-bare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/20\/thats-the-truth-coach-breaks-down-in-gut-wrenching-presser-as-tactical-blunder-laid-bare\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018That\u2019s the truth\u2019: Coach breaks down in gut-wrenching presser as tactical blunder laid bare"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni admitted Spain were the better team following his team\u2019s 1-0 extra-time defeat in the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Substitute Ferran Torres scored in the second period of extra-time as Spain finally broke down 10-man Argentina to win 1-0 at the MetLife Stadium.<\/p>\n

The South American champions, led by Lionel Messi, had been seeking to become the first team since 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey were the better side – that\u2019s the truth – but I\u2019ll cherish the memory of them (his team), of what they achieved, and of the value of making it this far,\u201d said Scaloni, who later broke down in tears at his post-game press conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to place immense value on this because it takes so much effort.\u201d <\/p>\n

Scaloni\u2019s comments follow a disappointing performance from Argentina, whose bid for a second consecutive title came to a crashing halt at the hands of a suffocating Spanish performance.<\/p>\n

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Lionel Messi was severely restricted as La Albiceleste became the first team in World Cup history to not have a single shot on target in the first 90 minutes of a final.<\/p>\n

Reduced to 10 men by Enzo Fernandez\u2019s red card in the 93rd minute, Scaloni\u2019s decision to attempt to hold on for penalties backfired when Ferran Torres fired an 106th-minute winner past Emi Martinez, whose heroic performance in goal counted for nought.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe Tucheled himself,\u201d BBC commentator Guy Mowbray quipped, referencing England manager Thomas Tuchel\u2019s criticised decision to park the bus when 1-0 up in the Three Lions\u2019 semi-final loss to Argentina.<\/p>\n

Scaloni said his team must accept defeat with the same grace they had shown when celebrating recent successes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are gracious in victory, and we must be gracious in defeat. Today, we are showing that we know how to lose,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe lost the match and we accept it, but that doesn\u2019t mean we stop living or forget everything we did to get here.\u201d <\/p>\n

The remark came after the manager had to break up an ugly skirmish after the final whistle that involved Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes.<\/p>\n

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Argentina’s head coach Lionel Scaloni talks to his players. (Photo by MAURO PIMENTEL \/ AFP)<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Scaloni thanked the fans for their incredible support throughout the 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the people, my players, and the country, I want to say that we gave it our all,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe arrived here facing a realistic situation, but if the players leave everything on the pitch, as they did today, it sets a great example for our people and our country.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to pick ourselves up again, there is no other way,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

Scaloni, 48, said Argentina\u2019s achievement in reaching a second successive final should be appreciated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI certainly value the runners-up spot because it takes so much to get here, and I think it deserves huge recognition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaturally, we would have liked to win, but ultimately I feel gratitude. That is the only word I have, along with sadness, of course.<\/p>\n

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A runner-up medal did little to improve Lionel Scaloni\u2019s mood after Argentina\u2019s loss. (Photo by Carl Recine\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cBut when you give everything like that, regardless of whether you play well or poorly, it\u2019s very hard to find fault.\u201d <\/p>\n

Scaloni later cast doubt on his long-term future as Argentina coach, suggesting he may choose to step down when his existing contract ends in December.<\/p>\n

Reports in Argentina have said he has already reached a verbal agreement to continue through to the 2030 World Cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cI already have an idea of what I want to do,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI will honour the contract and then see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel the need to think, because I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s possible to achieve something as big as this,\u201d he added at his press conference, before breaking down in tears.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni admitted Spain were the better team following his team\u2019s 1-0 extra-time defeat in the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday. Substitute Ferran Torres scored in the second period of extra-time as Spain finally broke down 10-man Argentina to win 1-0 at the MetLife Stadium. The South American champions, led by Lionel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":253785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6807],"tags":[156],"class_list":{"0":"post-253784","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leagues-cups","8":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253784\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}