At 00:00 UTC on October 1, Argentina will host Bolivia in a friendly match. On the eve of the game, Argentina's head coach Scaloni held a press conference. This article covers the fourth part of the press conference.

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Hello Lionel, I want to ask about a topic that might not be brought up often: the youth development program. After events like the South American Games, have you had a chance to talk with Diego Placente? Also, a few days ago you expressed a wish to play a game in Rosario in the future. Have you shared this idea with Chiqui Tapia or other high-ranking officials?

I haven't spoken with Diego yet. We went to watch the match against Uruguay, and we had planned to watch another one on Friday, but we couldn't make it because our training session was moved to the afternoon. We had hoped to be there in person. I really like his working style and his composure; it's excellent, and it reflects the vision of bringing these young players into the senior national team in the future. We are very happy with their work; their philosophy aligns with ours.

As for playing in Rosario, of course, I'd really like to, mainly because my family is close by and wouldn't have to travel far. This time, the FA decided to play in Córdoba. I hope that if we play a home game in Argentina again in the future, it can be in Rosario or at Newell's Old Boys stadium. It's all the same to me. But for the people of Rosario, it would certainly be wonderful to welcome the national team.

Good afternoon, I have two questions: First, when will Messi arrive? Do you know when he'll arrive and if he'll make it for the game on the 6th? Is it possible for him to play on the 3rd? Second, regarding your contract renewal, I can imagine your personal sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, because when you first arrived and took this position, the football world was full of doubts about your ability to coach the national team, and now everyone is hoping you'll renew...

Which one? I guess satisfaction?

Yes, satisfaction, sorry if I wasn't clear enough...

In principle, Leo will arrive the weekend after the game on the 3rd, but if he wants to come and play on the 3rd, that's also fine, no problem. He will arrive here on Sunday.

As for the sense of accomplishment or satisfaction you mentioned... honestly, I don't see it that way personally. As I've always said, the criticism or doubts from the outside back then, I even found them reasonable, because I truly hadn't coached any senior team before taking on the Argentina national team directly. If I were a journalist, I might have had the same questions, perhaps expressed differently, but still wondering if this young man was truly capable.

I think this is normal. I don't harbor any ill will towards anyone; on the contrary, it's part of the position I hold and part of journalists' right to express opinions. Just as when the team wins or loses, journalists evaluate whether they played well or badly – that's your job. We can certainly discuss courtesy and communication methods, as politeness is key to analyzing a situation, but at that point in time, who could guarantee anything? Doubts were logically completely normal and reasonable.

Lionel, four of the last five warm-up matches have been against African teams. In your opinion, which is more beneficial for the Argentina national team: inviting African teams or other national teams to play in Argentina, or traveling to places like Asia to play, as other national teams do?

Honestly, I don't know which is more beneficial. What's clear is that staying at home with family and local fans allows players, after intense league play in Europe, to view returning to the national team as a break and a release from club duties. However, the decision is not in our hands; ultimately, it depends on whether opponents want to come. If we have to travel for away games, we have no problem with that. We will definitely travel abroad to play in November, so that won't be an issue. If we had a choice, everyone would of course prefer to stay in Argentina, because we feel very comfortable here.

Hello Lionel, in this squad list, eight players have yet to make their national team debut. During your tenure as coach, you have given 65 young players their debut, many of whom have now become core players for the team. What does this mean to you as a coach and developer? Are you aware of this statistic?

I believe the role of a national team coach is to call up the best players. If at some point there's an opportunity like now to bring in young players, we must decisively call them up. Otherwise, as years pass, the same group of players will age, and team regeneration is inevitable and necessary. Therefore, in this situation, we see the young players behind pushing the ones ahead with all their might, and we will continue to do so.

We have no concerns, but we always keep a clear head: we will never give anyone a chance to play for free. Anyone who makes their debut must genuinely deserve it and perform as brilliantly as they have shown in training this week. To be honest, I don't have exact statistics in my head, but if these young players maintain this training attitude, the number of players making their debut will continue to increase.

Lionel, someone just mentioned the South American Games to you, and you went to Rosario. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the fans' reaction during the derby, with some insulting the national youth team players in the stands...

I didn't see it; I have absolutely no knowledge of this. Sorry, I truly didn't see it.

Because the fans in the stands insulted those young players during the game, preventing them from playing normally, so I wanted to ask for your opinion...

I really didn't see it, sorry.

I'd like to ask you, compared to four years ago, how are your energy levels and current form? Aside from contractual factors, are you optimistic about starting a four-year long-term plan towards the next World Cup? Second, someone just asked about Cristian Romero as a captain candidate. What qualities do you or the team value in an Argentina national team captain?

Yes, I'm in good form right now. I think I've answered similar questions before; we analyze many things. It's clear, as I said after the World Cup final, that being in this position comes with immense pressure and many demands, and that is indeed the case, I can assure you of that.

As for Cuti, besides being an excellent player, what other qualities does he need? He must accept this responsibility. He has accepted it, and we believe he can handle it. From now on, he must demonstrate the commitment of wearing the captain's armband. His words and actions will be scrutinized, because everyone will look up to him as an example, so he clearly needs to improve in many aspects.

Everyone knows that Cuti is a player who sometimes is too hot-headed. As captain, the whole world will be watching him, and he must improve on that. I spoke with him a long time ago when we listed him as a captain candidate; we believe he has this ability. Most importantly, he is a top player, and we trust that he will always be on the field defending this national team jersey.

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