At 08:00 CEST on October 1st, Argentina will host a friendly match against Bolivia. Before the match, Lionel Scaloni, head coach of the Argentine national team, held a press conference. This article covers the first part of the press conference.

Hello Lionel. Since I'm asking the first question, I'm sure you know what I'm going to ask about: your contract extension. Although you said a few days ago that you would make an announcement when there's news, the football association released photos a few days ago showing that at least you've started one-on-one negotiations. I'd like to ask if there's been progress on this? If not, what's still missing? Also, given the match tomorrow, can you confirm the squad list in advance this time? Sorry, the microphone volume is a bit low...

The microphone volume is indeed low. Besides that, we hadn't spoken much before, but this time we had a brief conversation to see if we could make progress and reach an agreement. Both parties have good intentions, and we've just started talking seriously. We'll try to communicate again in the coming days. For now, we still have matches to play, and ultimately, we need to reach an agreement. The willingness of both parties is what matters most. I want to reiterate that when there's something to announce, we will inform you. What's important is that everyone wants to continue working together.

As for the squad list, I usually have it in mind already. It's been decided. The issue is that if the press conference is held after training, I'll tell you directly. No, this time it's really decided. But we'll be training soon, and the players don't know yet. They'll find out for sure after training.

Hello. Can you give us a hint? At least in the first few minutes of the open training session, we saw Nico Paz and Mastantuño. Is there a possibility they could play together? Have you decided who will wear the number 10 shirt for the national team? In these two matches without L. Messi, is it essential to assign a number 10?

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

Your other question is who will wear number 10? No. As far as we know, we have no obligation to give the number 10 to anyone for these matches. So we won't assign number 10 to anyone until Leo returns. After that, we'll see who gets number 10 from which match onwards. Fortunately, shirt numbers in World Cup qualifiers aren't fixed, but our idea is that eventually someone will take on this role, because wearing number 10 is something incredibly special. We haven't made any decision yet.

Good afternoon, Lionel. Sorry, I still want to go back to the contract topic. On your personal scale for decision-making, what are the main factors you weigh when considering the pros and cons?

I said after the final (World Cup) that I needed to think carefully. Obviously, after such a moment, emotions are usually very complicated, so I had to calm down, observe, and analyze from a sports perspective. The competitive aspect is crucial, because ultimately competition is the foundation. Of course, we can't ignore the economic side, but the competitive aspect is the heart of the analysis: what we have left and what we'll face in the future.

To be honest, we're full of hope and desire about this. That's what's most important, and it's what drove me to sit down and try to reach an agreement. On the other hand, to be honest, if I didn't see the possibility of continuing to compete or couldn't build a good team like before, I wouldn't even start the negotiation process. That's the truth of it.

Hello, Lionel. People are inevitably starting to think about Argentina without L. Messi. He's announced his departure, and you won't have him in these two upcoming matches, and possibly not in this cycle. Do you feel the national team needs some restructuring due to his absence? Or is the foundation you've built strong enough to maintain the same level of play without the number 10?

There's no doubt that when he's not on the field... any team in the world with a player of his caliber would find him indispensable, and so do we. But fortunately, in 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'll look for other ways to play too. Why not?

These matches are for testing and experimenting. We can try different formations: two strikers, three strikers, three midfielders in the back – all kinds of experiments can build experience for the future. This is what we'll do, without ever forgetting that our football is built on ball possession and assembling excellent players. I believe this won't change as long as I'm the coach here. This is our identity. Going forward, I'll see how we can adapt specifically.

Hello, Lionel. I'd like to ask about the contract extension. If it's finalized, will Walter Samuel remain part of your coaching staff? There's been a lot of talk about this. Have you spoken with him yet? Has he made a decision?

"Big Head" showed us last year how important he is to this national team. At that time, he received an offer from Inter Milan to work with Chivu, but he showed great generosity by choosing to stay with us until the end of the World Cup, which clearly demonstrates his greatness. There's no doubt about it. Beyond his incredibly important work, he's also a good friend of mine, and I wish him only the best. If he, like other members of the coaching staff, needs to make some decisions at some point, that's his right.

I don't have any updates at the moment, but the door is always open for him. Because when he told me last year that he'd stay until the World Cup, it was clear that he might decide something different after the World Cup. So there's no problem with that. Of course, if he leaves, it would be a big loss for us. Then we'll see what happens. But what's most important is that he's my friend, and I always wish him all the best.

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