“I don’t think it’s possible” | Relief
“Finalissima” turned out to be a lie. Or at least it seems so. Lionel Scaloni, coach of the Argentina national team, openly spoke at a press conference about the possibility of his country meeting with Spain in this tournament, which is as high-profile as it is problematic on the calendar. And, in his words, everything indicates that the intention to play it will remain unheeded: “It’s stuffy. Due to the current calendar I don’t think this is possible. This is a topic that gets talked about a lot. We’ve been playing a lot since June“.
In short, none of the people best informed about the schedule his team will face has the slightest hope that the game will be played. In case of any doubt, the Finalissima is the match between the champion teams of the America’s Cup and the European Cup and is considered official.. It lasted for some time and in 2021 UEFA and Conmebol signed a Memorandum of Understanding renewing the government’s position on the issue.
The format fits relatively easily into the complexity of the calendar: one match of 90 minutes without extra time, directly from penalties. But it seems there is no way out. It was played in 1985 between France and Uruguay in Paris. Then there were years of hiatus until his return in 1993. Argentina faced Denmark, a last-minute visitor after Yugoslavia’s exclusion.. The nostalgia so present these days prompted her to return with Argentina’s three-goal win over Italy in 2021.
The intention was to build on this tournament over time, especially given the popularity of its return. However, the calendar forced them to face reality. Last July, Spain and Argentina were confirmed to qualify for the big match on the same day.thanks to the European Cup and America’s Cup titles respectively. Months and months have passed since then, and no one has been able to find a solution on how to schedule the tournament.
Features of Finalissima
The Finalissima will no longer be held in 2024. We are in the final international break with Spain playing in the Nations League and Argentina qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The best time would be to hold it in 2025, the most logical year since continental tournaments have been identified. in 2024. The first opportunity is the March window. Another minus: Spain plays there in the quarterfinals of the Nations League, while Argentina continues to play in the South American windows.
In June and September we continue on the same path: Spain can play in the Final Four of the Nations League and the Albiceleste continue to fight for a place in the World Cup. We are already targeting the end of 2025 and there is no alternative. You can, of course, change your calendar or make a mistake scheduling a meeting.something that doesn’t seem to be on the table right now.
Next season, new FIFA windows will open in October and November, where the national team will play for participation in the World Cup. Unthinkable. And don’t postpone games to play them in March, because that’s where the playoffs come. And we are already in 2026… In short, if Spain-Argentina (or Argentina-Spain) playwhen that happens, it won’t look like a rivalry of champions, but almost like a friendly one. A failed project that was discussed without thinking about the pressure of the calendar.
All you have to do is see that the Valencia-Real Madrid match, postponed due to the ravages of DANA, is scheduled to take place on January 2nd.despite the fact that the players’ agreement prevents this. If you can only fit in one suspended match in a calendar year, then how can it not happen with national teams that can only meet five or six times a season.
Meanwhile, they continue to fantasize about the possibility that everything will go as usual. Argentina are very interested in hosting the grand final in Buenos Aires, as the 2022 final was held at Wembley. For now these are nothing more than rumors. Because even the most official routes, such as Scaloni, start with Finalissima. An attempt that remained an anecdote, a wonderful memory, and ultimately turned out to be a lie. A tournament that couldn’t be solved no matter how hard he tried.