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Ricardo La Volpe has taken aim at compatriot Diego Simeone, tearing into the Atletico Madrid boss for a playing style built on counterattacks while heaping praise on Lionel Scaloni's work with the Argentina national team.
Speaking to "D Sports" radio, La Volpe, part of the Argentina generation that lifted the World Cup in 1978, said: "If Simeone's team is playing, I change the channel or go to have coffee with my friends. I don't like coaches who focus on counterattacks. Simply put, I don't watch their matches."
Bad blood between the pair goes back years to the Argentine league. Simeone was in his second spell at Estudiantes de La Plata when he claimed the Torneo Apertura title in 2006, beating a Boca Juniors side coached by La Volpe in a historic knockout-round tie.
Scaloni, by contrast, earned nothing but admiration. La Volpe wants him to stay on with the three-time world champions and said: "I would like Scaloni to continue. He came in and had to change the approach of an entire generation. He built a team, and most important to me is that he built a footballing philosophy. His team played well, and that is what I like about him."
The veteran coach also turned to Lionel Messi and his international future, marvelling at the level the Argentina captain still hits despite his advancing years.
"He showed his professionalism through his participation in the World Cup," La Volpe said. "In the match I watched him play against Cruz Azul in the Champions Cup, I was amazed by his skill and intelligence. I couldn't believe that at this age he still has that lightning speed and that immense strength... There are things about him that are simply innate."