ARGENTINA COACH HOPEFUL ABOUT TALKS WITH PLAYERS

The new national team coach of Argentina Edgardo Bauza is reported to have travelled to Spain to meet with national team players.


The new manager is hoping to convince Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi to return to the national team side, ahead of their games in the World Cup qualifiers. The player said he will quit the national team side after the team lost to Chile for the second straight year at the Copa America. Messi lost his penalty kick and felt bad as he felt he had tried enough to get a trophy for his country. The 29-year old talent also added the excuse of the poor treatment meted out to the team by the Football Association as part of the reasons he wants to leave the team.

Bauza says he is keen on convincing Messi to return to the team. The coach seems very confident he would be able to lure the player back to the fold. He told media people that were at the El Prat airport that he was optimistic that he would be successful. He said he was in Spain to see Messi and his national teammate Javier Mascherano at the Barcelona.

“That talk will lead to a decision but I’ve not come to convince Messi, I’ve come to talk about football. He can tell me his frustration and I can express to him the idea that I have of the national team, so he feels comfortable.

“I’m here to talk to both Messi and Javier Mascherano and if I have time I’ll be travelling to another destination. I’m optimistic by nature,” Bauza said.

Mascherano is yet to decide if he would continue with the national team, as with another Argentine star Sergio Aguero. The coach might go to England, depending on the talks in Spain.