Argentina's Sabella says talk of his future 'irrelevant'

>

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said on Saturday talk of his stepping down after the World Cup final was "irrelevant" given the importance of the impending showdown with Germany.

Sabella's agent told Argentine radio on Friday that he was planning to leave the job regardless of Sunday's result.

But the 59-year-old, who took over in 2011 and has led Argentina to their first World Cup final in 24 years, dodged questions on the subject in a news conference at the Maracana.

"That's irrelevant now. The most important thing is the match tomorrow," Sabella said.

Despite his representative Eugenio Lopez's assertions that he will be leaving the job, the coach said he had not talked about the matter with his family.

"First of all, I have not discussed anything with my family as regards my future," he said.

Should Argentina have to search for a successor, Sabella could deliver no better parting gift than winning the World Cup on the soil of their fiercest rivals Brazil.

Former Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino and Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone are being mentioned as possible candidates.

While state news agency Telam said Sabella's contract was due to expire after the tournament, the news of his possible departure has surprised some in Argentina.

"He's going. He's leaving whatever happens. Whether they are champions or not, a cycle is ending," Lopez told FM Delta radio.

WORK ETHIC

Argentina have been more workmanlike than wonderful under Sabella, despite the presence of four-times World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, but he has forged a formidable work ethic in the side and introduced much-needed tactical discipline.

The South Americans topped Group F with wins over Bosnia, Iran and Nigeria before earning 1-0 victories over Switzerland and Belgium in the last 16 and quarter-finals. They needed a penalty shootout to beat the Netherlands in the semi-final.

Sabella, capped eight times by Argentina, left River Plate in 1978 to play in England with Sheffield United and Leeds United before joining various club sides back home as well as playing in Brazil and Mexico.

"I thought I might have a bit more hair at this age!" Sabella quipped when a journalist from England asked him if, as a long-haired young player back then, he had ever imagined he might be preparing for a World Cup final decades later.

"I've never been one of those that think very much in the long term. If you ask me about the future, that's the upcoming training session. But we're talking about 35 years ago so obviously I never imagined this," he said.

After retiring from playing in 1989, Sabella worked beside ex-Argentina defender Daniel Passarella with the Uruguay national team and at Parma in Italy, and was part of the Argentina set-up at the 1998 World Cup.

He got his first head coaching job in 2009 at Estudiantes and led them to their fourth Copa Libertadores title. Two years later he was put in charge of Argentina, World Cup winners in 1978 and 1986 but who have not reached another final since 1990.

(Additional reporting by Alejandro Lifschitz and Peter Rutherford; editing by Ken Ferris)

• Tweet this
• Link this
• Share this
• Digg this
• Email
• Print
• Reprints