"I want Bielsa to carry on, but it's going to be a question of talking to see what possibilities we have, but the decision is his," Argentine Football Association (AFA) president Grondona said.

"We have to bear in mind what's happening in the country," Grondona told an Argentine radio station from Japan, where he has been with the national team.

Before the start of the World Cup, the AFA revealed they owed Bielsa a large sum in past wages and bonuses. Argentina is submerged in a serious economic and social crisis.

But Bielsa said those (money) matters would have little bearing on whether he stayed at the helm.

"We'll have to see what happens but we must bear in mind that the work started bore its fruits... There are things we cannot just put aside," said Grondona, a vice-president of world body FIFA.

Argentina, pre-tournament favourites, went out after they managed only third place in group F following a 1-1 draw with Sweden in Miyagi on Wednesday. England, who beat them 1-0, went through behind Sweden despite only drawing 0-0 with bottom team Nigeria.

"The World Cup finished only an hour ago for us, it's not the time to speak with Bielsa about it, there'll be an opportunity later on," Grondona said.

Bielsa told a post-match news conference his contract expired at the end of June and he would not speak about it unless there was good reason to.

RED EYES

Grondona said the Argentine dressing room, from which he was speaking, resembled a funeral.

"There is general consternation here, there are red eyes on all the faces present in this dressing room. We are trying to understand how something we had close slipped out of our hands," he said.

"Argentina were a dignified team who gave their all in pursuit of a better result than they got. Football's like that, there's no point in turning the thing over and over.

"It's impossible (to make a balanced view of the team's performance) half an hour after the match has ended," he said.

"But the least one can do is to go and say they gave everything they could to stay in the tournament."

Rumours doing the rounds in Buenos Aires have charismatic former captain Oscar Ruggeri, a member of Argentina's 1986 World cup-winning side and a man who is close to Grondona, taking over if Bielsa resigns.