Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli may used to dishing out punishment to the senior side, but it looks like the 58-year-old got a taste of his own medicine while taking part in a rondo with members of the juvenil squad.
After having masterminded Chile’s 2015 Copa American win, Sampaoli was hired by Argentina in 2017 to lead them to their third World Cup trophy.
Sampaoli, like his predecessors, has a pretty solid squad at his disposal but undoubtedly the crown jewel has to be the superlative Lionel Messi.
La Albiceleste have come agonisingly short at several major tournaments recently, most notably in the Copa America and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Under their Chilean manager, they are among the favourites to secure world football’s biggest prize but much depends on whether Sampaoli can manage to find a way to unleash Messi.
And Argentinians will be hoping their team presses better than their manager, otherwise it may be curtains for them yet again:
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Already, his selection policies have proven to be controversial as he dropped the Serie A’s reigning top scorer and Inter Milan skipper Mauro Icardi from his 23-man squad in favour of Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain.
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They did brush aside Haiti 4-1 in a warm-up tie courtesy of a treble from Messi, but stiffer tests await the South Americans in Russia.
They have one final friendly tie, against Israel on June 9, before their World Cup campaign kicks off on June 16.
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La Albiceleste have been drawn in Group D, along with Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria.