The Argentine captain, speaking to RSA radio station on arrival in Italy for a holiday after his country was knocked out of the World Cup, said his former coach at Lazio had played a bitter trick on him.

""But in the great sadness I am happy for Sven," the Manchester United midfielder said of the Swede. "He is a very correct person and I hope he goes as far as possible, he deserves it."

England, after beating old foes Argentina 1-0 in the group stage, reached the quarter-finals of the tournament on Saturday after beating Denmark 3-0.

They will play either Belgium or, more likely, Argentina's old rivals Brazil in the last eight.