Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli was gutted after crashing out of the FIFA World Cup 2018 following a 3-4 defeat to France at the Kazan Arena on Saturday. Lionel Messi was largely ineffective as the 2014 World Cup runners-up bowed out in a thrilling encounter.
Teenager Kylian Mbappe scored two goals in four minutes to send a youthful France charging into the World Cup quarter-finals. Messi’s Argentina, who were held to a 1-1 draw by debutants Iceland, lost to a rampant Croatia 3-0 and squeezed past Nigeria 2-1 to enter the round of 16, will go back home utterly disappointed.
Sampaoli’s tactics were questioned throughout the tournament and reports of a rift in the Argentina dressing-room made matters more difficult for La Albicelestes.
“This is very painful, especially because the players have made a huge effort. It was a very difficult game but we have not achieved our goal here in Russia,” Sampaoli said after Argentina’s exit. “I am sad, I’m frustrated – I think that’s quite normal. For me, the fact of being here and being able to be where means I won’t decide my future today.”
Moreover, Sampaoli expressed regret his players could not create enough opportunities for Messi. The 31-year-old missed a penalty against Iceland and scored only once in the failed World Cup campaign.
“I think that we adapted to necessity, rather than having a clear idea. We had a clear need and we had to win, that was our main goal. That was maybe stronger than our football concept. We have the best player in the world and we had to try to create collective situations to really use that player who can have many brilliant moments.”
“We tried many different tactics, surround him, create space for him, so we tried to use everything we had to allow him to do what he can do. Sometimes we managed it, sometimes we didn’t.
“[The players] fought until the end and they nearly equalised at the end and that’s what I really, really value. They worked very hard and I want to say thank you.”
On Saturday, Messi provided assists for two goals but he was otherwise subdued in the “false nine” role and his fourth, and possibly final, crack at winning the World Cup was destined to end in disappointment