Scaloni breaks silence on Argentina 'special treatment' claims

Social media is never short of rumours surrounding Argentina — claims of special treatment from FIFA or biased refereeing are often raised by rival supporters. The topic came up at Argentina's own press conference during the ongoing World Cup, and coach Lionel Scaloni made his position clear.

Argentina face surprise package Cape Verde in the Round of 32 in Miami at 4:30 am Bangladesh time on Saturday, July 4. At the pre-match press conference, Scaloni was asked about the so-called 'biased treatment' allegations circulating online.

According to Argentine media outlet TYC Sports, Scaloni gave a direct answer without anyone. He also revealed how the team stays away from such rumours: "By not reading what's on social media. Don't look at social media, that's all. If you don't see it, you won't know about it."

In an age of likes, comments and shares, Scaloni knows how baseless talk can overshadow reality. "Nowadays, anyone can post anything baseless and make a mountain out of a molehill. I think we should not give any importance to these issues," he said.

The Argentina camp believes their success is not a gift from anyone but the result of hard work. Scaloni said everyone has contributed to this successful chapter, from star Lionel Messi to kitman Mario De Stefano.

"The thing about social media is that it has its good sides, but also some bad sides. Unfortunately, anyone can post any nonsense and it goes viral within moments. It spreads everywhere in a second. We simply don't pay attention to any of it," Scaloni said.