Axe looms for Bielsa as Argentina bow out
June 12, 2002
Marcelo Bielsa's future as Argentina coach is in the balance after the 1-1 draw against Sweden saw the South American team eliminated in the first round for the first time in 40 years. The team refused to talk to the press after they were knocked out.
Onefootball
Gabriel Batistuta is another player whose international career could have ended on Wednesday. The tearful Roma forward watched on from the bench as the full-time blew.
Embattled coach Bielsa is expected to give his reason for Argentina's failure in a press conference shortly.
Argentina came into the tournament as overwhelming favourites, having won their South American qualifying group at a canter, but instead, like champions France on Wednesday, they bow out at the first hurdle.
Bielsa has been criticised for overlooking highly-rated youngsters Juan Roman Riquelme and Javier Saviola, preferring instead to stick with an experienced squad although many of his players, Claudio Caniggia and Juan Sebastian Veron among them, came into the competition carrying injuries.
Argentina won their opening Group F fixture over Nigeria 1-0, but were unable to break down a resilient England defence last Friday, eventually losing out to a David Beckham penalty.
That result heaped the pressure on Bielsa's side, and although confidence in the squad remained high, it proved misplaced as once again Argentina came up short against Sweden.
On Wednesday, Anders Svensson put Sweden ahead with a free kick on 59 minutes before Hernan Crespo scrambled home Ariel Ortega's miss penalty four minutes from time.