Sampaoli: "We weren’t at the level the Argentina people expected of us"

Agentina boss Jorge Sampaoli has admitted it’s not Lionel Messi’s fault to face possible elimination after a 3-0 loss to Croatia. The Argentine squad head coach has conceded that Messi’s performances are being hindered by those around him. “I think that because of the reality of the Argentine squad, it sort of clouds Leo’s brilliance,” he said. “Leo is limited because the team doesn’t gel ideally with him as it should. As coaches we need to realise these things and try to deal with them. I’m the one that needs to accept it.” “I definitely feel pain,” he replied. “As a coach it’s been a long time since I’ve gone through this experience and obviously it’s much more painful when I’m wearing the jersey of my country. “We have no other alternative. There’s pain because we weren’t at the level the Argentina people expected of us.”

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