Lionel Scaloni held his shortest interview as Argentina coach in emotional fashion.
The reigning champion saw his side come back from 2-0 down against Egypt to win 3-2 in stoppage time.
The tournament has already been rather chaotic for the defending winners who needed extra-time to beat Cape Verde in the last 32.
On top of that, all-time icon Lionel Messi keeps providing moments of brilliance to provoke the emotions.
So when Scaloni stopped to speak post match, he was overcome.
Scaloni breaks down in tears
Asked how he was feeling, he responded: “I can’t look up. I’m sorry. I’m very emotional.”
He paused, and then said: “Well, that’s it. I have to go.”
Later, in his official media conference, he commented: “I always get emotional, sometimes tears come out, they even came out in the locker room.
“I’ve been called “La Llorona” (crybaby), but I don’t care because experiencing this emotion… For Pablo (Aimar), Ratón (Ayala) and Walter (Samuel). For all of us who played football for 20 years, being able to feel what we felt today is incredible.
“I don’t know what other coaches think, but I think most of those who played football want to be coaches because of what happened today, because of the adrenaline of trying to turn a game around. That’s what we pursue our whole lives.”
Scaloni loved Argentina’s emotions
He added: “We went through difficult times, even though we didn’t play badly; we had many chances.
“But that’s football, that’s why I became a coach: I wanted to experience those emotions.
“I suffer like all of you, but the emotions a football match provides are incomparable.
“Recreating those emotions is incredible, that’s why I’m a coach. We weren’t in a final, but the magnitude of today’s victory is comparable to the great achievements we’ve already experienced.
“This is a team that, no matter what happens, never stops fighting and playing its game.
“Tactics and strategy are important, but without them, we would have been eliminated. The fans must remain strong. We will not abandon them, as Leo said in Qatar.”
Scaloni also got emotional earlier on in the competition when a 91-year-old reporter asked him if Messi would be arrested against Jordan.
He responded: “Enrique, it’s a pleasure, a pleasure that you asked me the question, a pleasure to see you here.
“Thank you for coming. I think we were just talking about how many World Cups you’ve been to: 18 World Cups, incredible.
“It’s truly a pleasure to be able to answer your question, especially because we’ve known each other for so long.
“When I played in Argentina, I watched him constantly, and every time he spoke, for those of us who lived through that era, he was a legend, and he still is.”
Scaloni then did indeed answer the question.
He continued: “So I’m going to answer your question: Leo will be on the bench, but I’m answering it because it’s you; otherwise, I might dodge it.
“I’m answering because I sincerely believe you deserve it.
“The best decision, so that his teammates can play and so that he can play for a while, which is good for him and the rest of the team. We’ll see how many minutes.”
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