Argentina’s World Cup squad is in revolt after a failed coup attempt against coach Jorge Sampaoli. Lionel Messi and Co are understood to have demanded the head of the former Chile coach in the wake of the humiliating defeat by Croatia.
The 2014 finalists were given a lifeline by Nigeria’s win over Iceland and would be odds on to reach the last 16 if they can beat the Africans in St Petersburg in Tuesday.
But that was the prompt for senior players to tell Argentine FA chiefs in crisis talks they had lost any trust in the coach.
The crunch meeting on Friday night saw the 23 squad members demand a meeting at the team hotel with Sampaoli, his coaching staff and Argentine FA President Claudio Tapia.
Javier Mascherano was said to have been the leader of the attempt to force out Sampaoli, with the midfielder demanding change at the helm as part of a “pact for life” before the Nigeria game.