"It seems that Scaloni does not watch the Argentine league much." Angel Di Maria said it with a laugh, but Argentine journalist Flavio Azzaro isn't buying the casual delivery — and he's got a point worth taking seriously.
Azzaro, known for stirring the pot on his program El Tribunero, came out this week claiming there's a genuine rift between Di Maria and Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni. The argument? Di Maria has been in form in domestic football, wants back in the national team fold, and believes he's being ignored without reason.
More than a throwaway comment
"Di Maria is at odds with Scaloni. I don't think the other day's comments were a good-natured dig. He expected to be called up because of his good level in Argentine football," Azzaro said.
That reframes the quote entirely. What reads as a lighthearted jab starts to look like a player signaling his frustration through the press — the oldest move in football. Di Maria knows exactly how these things land.
Azzaro is a polarising figure in Argentine media and not everyone takes his claims at face value. But the underlying tension he's describing isn't far-fetched. A player of Di Maria's stature, still performing at a decent level, being left out of an Argentina squad ahead of a home World Cup — that's the kind of situation that breeds bitterness quietly before it surfaces loudly.
The bigger picture for Argentina
Argentina are preparing for two friendlies — Mauritania on March 27 and Zambia on March 31 — after the Finalissima was scrapped. Scaloni's immediate focus is keeping the squad sharp and cohesive ahead of 2026, a tournament that carries extra weight as what's expected to be Lionel Messi's final World Cup.
Internal noise around squad selection is the last thing he needs. A distracted Argentina camp, even in friendlies, can start shifting perceptions — and if punters are weighing Argentina's tournament odds with the assumption that team harmony is solid, the Scaloni-Di Maria situation is worth keeping an eye on as squads are finalised.
For now, Scaloni hasn't responded publicly. And Di Maria is still on the outside, laughing — or not laughing, depending on who you believe.
