Argentina Dream Team | Guardiola and Messi
Having failed to light up the world stage with his national team Argentina, Lionel Messi still craves the ultimate accolade that has eluded him so far – a World Cup winners medal.Despite winning numerous domestic, European and world club football trophies with Barcelona and just this week his third consecutive Ballon D’or, the mercurial midfielder has yet to find an international manager that understands the best way to utilise his sublime skills, thus he cuts a forlorn figure whilst trying to cope with and overcome the this curious dilemma.
Following the departure of Diego Maradona as international coach, Argentina have hired two coaches in as many years and to date, Messi still cannot emulate his success with Barca for “La Albiceleste”. He is an international enigma, but one man who thinks he has the perfect solution for this predicament is Argentina FA president Julio Grondona. During an interview he suggested that Ona Pep Guardiola holds the key to Messi’s international success.
Grondona revealed his desire to hire Guardiola stating “If the Argentina FA had the financial possibility, Guardiola would be the coach of the national team,”
“It would be a dream to appoint him as coach.”
It’s well documented that the relationship between Guardiola and Barcelona President Sandro Rosell is strained. The former Barca captain has suggested he could leave Barcelona at the end of next season, possibly taking a one year sabbatical from the game. But the challenge of turning Argentina into a dominant force ahead of the World Cup final’s in Brazil and teaming up with Messi on this new adventure could be to tempting to turn down.
For now this remains an interesting pipe dream, as every big club will seek Guardiola’s services should he decide to leave the Nou Camp, but the big question is what club job could fulfil his desire following his record breaking tenure at Barca?
Money would be the main stumbling block for the Argentinean football association. Grondona’s proposition does not sound so crazy when you consider Sir Alex Ferguson has just committed himself to another three years at Manchester United and also ruled out the possibility of Guardiola becoming his successor, leaving him to mull over his options to look elsewhere, Chelsea, Milan or the Spanish national team perhaps.
None of these however would compare to the chance teaming up again with his prodigy in Argentina, they have a rich history of success together and I truly believe that only Guardiola can succeed where the previous Argentina national coaches have failed.
It would definitely be a mouth-watering proposition and one no doubt that Messi would embrace as he tries to pursue the ultimate prize, winning the World Cup with his compatriots. As Grondona explained “It would be very important that Messi won a World Cup with Argentina,”
“There is no doubt that, although Argentina have not won a World Cup title (with Messi), we have one of the best players in the world.”
Having failed amidst so much fanfare in their quest to unlocking the sublime attacking talents of Messi, Argentina are desperate to solve the riddle in time to qualify and prepare for 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The possibility of luring Guardiola to oversee and coach a team bursting with talent and inspiring stars such as Tevez, Pastore and Aguero fulfill their potential. This could be the start of a captivating new chapter in Argentinian football.
Current Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella will not share this view, but what better way to achieve their first World Cup final victory since 1986 than forging an international relationship between the Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker of football – Guardiola and Messi?
In this world of fantasy football, we can but dream!
By Eoin Mundow
