ZCZC
BSP-23
FBL-WC-2018-ARG-ISR-SAMPAOLI
Argentina coach complains about Israel trip before World Cup
BUENOS AIRES, May 30, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli has
complained that his side have to play their final World Cup warm-up match in
Israel.
A hat-trick from Lionel Messi gave Argentina an easy 4-0 win over Haiti on
Tuesday in Buenos Aires and the squad will fly to Barcelona on Thursday to
continue their preparations.
The match in Jerusalem against Israel will be their last before travelling
to Russia.
“I’m not the one who decides when we play and who we play,” Sampaoli said
after the victory against Haiti at La Bombonera.
Sampaoli stressed he did not want to get drawn into any comment on the
tension between Israelis and Palestinians.
But he said: “From a sporting point of view, I would have preferred to play
in Barcelona. But that’s the way it is, we have to travel on the day before
the match, play Israel in Israel and then from there go on to Russia.
“That is the schedule that the AFA (the Argentinian football federation)
have given us.”
All 20,000 tickets for the friendly in Jerusalem sold out in 20 minutes,
the company handling the sales said.
Argentina, who were the beaten finalists in 2014, play their first World
Cup match against Iceland on June 16. They will also face Nigeria and Croatia
in Group D.
BSS/AFP/RY/1805 hrs