When watching Argentina play, it’s impossible to miss exuberant head coach Lionel Scaloni. He’s constantly pacing the coach’s box, throwing his hands in the air after a questionable challenge on any of his players and, when Argentina scores, he celebrates like a man possessed.
But behind him, on Argentina’s bench, is someone who tends to go unnoticed, yet whose influence on the squad — and most importantly, on Lionel Messi — is immeasurable.
While Scaloni is ranting at the referee and shouting instructions to his players, his assistant, Pablo Aimar, sits quietly in the background, studying the flow of the game.
It’s long been known that Aimar, the former River Plate, Valencia and Argentina national team star, was Messi’s childhood idol and a massive influence on his own game.
