At 00:00 UTC on October 1st (CEST), Argentina will host Bolivia in a friendly match. On the eve of the match, Argentina's head coach Scaloni attended a press conference. This is the first part of the press conference.

Hello, Lionel. Since I'm asking the first question, you probably know what I'm heading toward – your contract renewal. Although you said a few days ago that you would announce news when it's ready, the FA released a photo showing that you've at least started face-to-face talks. Is there any progress on this? If not, what's still missing? Also, considering tomorrow's match, can you confirm the starting lineup in advance this time? Sorry, the microphone volume is a bit too low...

The microphone volume is indeed too low. Aside from that, we haven't talked much before, but we had a brief chat this time to see if we can move forward and reach an agreement. Both sides have good intentions, and we've just started talking. To be honest, we'll try to communicate again in the coming days. Right now, we have a match to play, and ultimately, it's about reaching an agreement. Both sides having good intentions is the most important thing. I repeat, when there's something to announce, we will communicate it. What's important is that everyone has the desire to continue working together.

As for the starting lineup, I generally have it in mind and it's already decided. The problem is, if the press conference were after training, I would tell you directly. No, seriously, it's definitely decided this time, but we're going to train soon, and the players don't know yet. They'll certainly know after training.

Hello, can you give us some guidance? At least in the few minutes of open training, we saw Nico Paz and Mastantuono. Is there a possibility of them playing together? Have you decided who will wear the Argentina national team's No. 10 jersey? In these two matches without Messi, is it necessary to designate a No. 10?

Regarding whether they can play together... In principle, only one of them will start. I think that's a good clue for you, right? But they can indeed play together; in fact, we've tried it in training. We're not short on ideas, and we'll definitely try it at some point.

Your other question was about who wears the No. 10? No, as far as we know, we are not under any mandatory obligation to assign the No. 10 for these matches. So, we won't give the No. 10 jersey to anyone until Leo returns to play. After that, we'll see from which match it will be assigned. Fortunately, the numbers in the World Cup qualifiers are not fixed, but our idea is for one person to eventually take it, as wearing the No. 10 is an incredibly beautiful thing. We haven't made a decision yet.

Hello, Lionel. Good afternoon. I apologize, but I'd like to return to the topic of your contract renewal. What are the core considerations weighing on your personal decision?

I said after the World Cup final that I needed to think carefully. It's obvious that after such a moment, emotions are often very complex, so I had to calm down, observe, and analyze the sporting aspect. The competitive aspect is crucial, because ultimately, competition is fundamental. Of course, the economic aspect cannot be ignored, but the competitive aspect is the core of my analysis: what we have, and what we will face in the future.

To be honest, we are full of expectations and aspirations for this. This is the most important thing, and it's what drives me to sit down and try to reach an agreement. Conversely, frankly, if I didn't see the possibility of continuing to compete, or couldn't assemble a team as good as before, I wouldn't even start the negotiation process. That's the truth.

Hello, Lionel. Inevitably, people are starting to think about the Argentina national team without Messi. He announced his departure, and you won't have him for these two upcoming matches, and possibly not for this cycle either. Do you feel the national team needs to be restructured due to his absence? Or is the foundation you've built strong enough for you to continue performing at the same level without the No. 10?

Without a doubt, when he's not on the field... any team in the world with a player of his caliber finds him indispensable, and so do we. But fortunately, in the matches he's missed, the team has responded positively. Fortunately, we have a group of young players who can step up and contribute, and we will look for other ways to play, why not?

These matches are for testing and experimenting. We can try different tactics: two forwards, three forwards, three central defenders – all sorts of experiments can build experience for the future. This is what we will do, while never forgetting that our football is built on ball possession and assembling talented players. I believe this will not change, at least as long as we are coaching here; this is our identity. Based on this, I will then see how to adjust specifically.

Hello, Lionel. I wanted to ask about the contract renewal. If you ultimately sign the renewal, will Walter Samuel remain part of your coaching staff? There's been a lot of discussion about this. Have you talked to him? Has he made a decision?

"Big Head" showed us last year how important he is to this national team. At the time, he received an offer from Inter to work with Cristian Chivu, but he showed great generosity by choosing to stay with us until the end of the World Cup, which speaks volumes about his character. Without a doubt, besides his extremely important work, he is also a good friend of mine, and I only wish him the best. If, like any coaching staff member, he wants to make a certain choice at some point, that is his right.

Currently, I don't have any updates. The door is certainly always open for him. Because last year when he told me he would stay until the World Cup, it was clear that after the World Cup he might make other decisions, so there's absolutely no problem with that. Of course, if he leaves, it would be a very significant loss for us, and we'll see what happens then. But first and foremost, he is my friend, and I always wish him the best.

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