Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has lodged a complaint with FIFA, alleging his side has been placed at an unfair disadvantage ahead of Sunday's World Cup final against Spain. The defending champions secured their place in the final with a dramatic comeback win over England on Wednesday night, while Spain enjoyed a more straightforward 2-0 victory against France 24 hours earlier, granting them additional recovery time.
Scaloni criticises training schedule and heat
Scaloni expressed frustration over FIFA's insistence that his squad train in sweltering temperatures on Friday afternoon in New York, just hours after their arrival. 'We're just now resting because we arrived last night around 11.00,' he said. 'Today they forced us to train at a time we didn't want. But with the press conference and everything, we had to do a strange, quick training session, and we hardly got to try anything out.'
He added: 'We are focused on rest and based on that we will see how they arrive, because there are players who are not at 100%. We will evaluate how they are. We play thinking about ourselves, but being mindful of the good things that the opponent has.'
Fan support driving Argentina's quest
Scaloni also highlighted the incredible support from Argentine fans over the past six weeks as a key motivator. 'You see your people, how they celebrate, how they are happy, that gets you, it's impossible for it not to touch your heart,' he said. 'At the end we play for them, the team plays for the country, for their family. The fans of Boca and River hug and celebrate together in front of the TV – how can that not affect you?'
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez echoed those sentiments, stating: 'The fans are absolutely crazy, different to other countries, seeing them celebrate at 2am in the cold Argentine weather means a lot.'
