Jorge Sampaoli's adventure as head coach of Argentina starts today. His stint at Sevilla lasted only a season. Now he is tasked with guiding the "albiceleste" to international glory. First though, Argentina must qualify for next year's World Cup in Russia. This is no easy task. Argentina is 5th in CONMEBOL qualifying with four games left. "I've fulfilled a lifelong dream", says Sampaoli. "There were reasons why I needed time to take this position and I thank the President of the Federation for his patience. We have to build a squad that honors the tradition of Argentinian football. I'm scouting about 100 players. We want those who wear these colours to show their quality on and off the pitch, who work hard. Qualifying will be tough but we have the capability to qualify. This isn't just a football team, they represent 40 million Argentinians."
Sampaoli's contract runs until after the 2022 World Cup. Sampaoli went on to say, "I spoke with Messi yesterday and he's ready to go all out. It's important that the best player in the world feels happy here. Icardi? His call up will depend on how he performs with his club."
