Jorge Sampaoli accepted a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Spain took him by surprise, the Argentina coach saying his team had been slapped .
The joint-worst defeat in Argentina s history came with Sampaoli s men unravelling after the interval, Isco scoring a hat-trick at Atletico Madrid s Wanda Metropolitano.
Argentina without talisman Lionel Messi due to injury had beaten Italy 2-0 in Manchester on Friday but found Spain far too strong on Tuesday.
And Sampaoli conceded there is a lot of work to do to ensure Argentina do not suffer similar embarrassment at the World Cup in Russia.
We have to take charge of this game, these things cannot happen to us at the World Cup, Sampaoli said.
Spain have slapped us, we have to keep working.
They a…
Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores has confirmed the club are close to signing Mario Suarez from Fiorentina.
Reports in the British media have indicated the Premier League club are on the verge of bringing the former Atletico Madrid midfielder to Vicarage Road.
A fee of £4million is said to have been agreed with the Serie A side as Watford look to add more quality to a team that has impressed on their return to the Premier League.
Speaking after his side s late FA Cup fourth-round 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest, Flores said: There are little details [to be done] but Mario Suarez is very close to being in our squad.
I think it is practically done. There are little details but I consider him a player of Watford.
It [Suarez s signing] shows …