Lionel Scaloni is going through a painful loss: his mother, Eulalia Marzetti, has died, who had been in poor health for several years. The passing occurred this Tuesday in Pujato, the Santa Fe town where she lived.
Her name had appeared many times in the words of her son. Sometimes in a dedication; other times, in a reply that interrupted questions about football and revealed a family worry. Even in the happiest nights of his career, Scaloni found a moment to speak of his parents.
Behind the coach whom millions of Argentines have followed in every match stood also the son who wished to share with them what he was living through.
Who Was Eulalia Marzetti, Lionel Scaloni’s Mother
Lali, as those close to her called her, had formed her family with Ángel Omar Scaloni, nicknamed Chiche. Together they had Mauro, Lionel and Corina and built their life in Pujato. There, Eulalia worked at the Peace Court, an aspect of her story that TN also revisited in an investigation into the coach’s family origins.
That reconstruction allows us to know a little more about her history: she was born on February 9, 1952 and was one of the three daughters of Deolindo Marzetti. Her family roots traced back to Italian immigrants who settled in Argentina, where subsequent generations built their homes.
Pujato remained a gathering place for the family even when Lionel’s career took him to Europe. A scene from the beginning of this year showed him at the doorstep of the family home with his parents, sharing New Year’s greetings with the neighbors. Journalist and biographer Diego Borinsky circulated that moment: a simple celebration, between car horns and village customs.
A Dedication That Still Moves Us Today
Eulalia’s health had concerned Scaloni for years. In 2021, when Argentina won the Copa América against Brazil, the coach kept her in his thoughts particularly.
“I want to dedicate it to my mother, who a few days ago had a fairly grave problem and is fighting it,” he expressed then.
Months later, on October 15 of that year, he again referred to the family situation during the post-game press conference after the victory over Peru. His concern for his mother also touched those days when the national team was advancing toward the World Cup in Qatar.
His statements showed how professional joy and personal uncertainty lived side by side. The results arrived, but his family’s well-being continued to hold a central place.
“I Am What I Am Thanks to Them”
On June 1, 2022, after Argentina won the Finalissima against Italy at Wembley, Scaloni was moved again when speaking about his parents.
“I am what I am thanks to them,” he said in an interview with ESPN, acknowledging the values they had transmitted to him. In the midst of the celebrations, his gratitude had a very concrete recipient: his mother and father.
The same gratitude appeared after the Qatar 2022 final. Still at the edge of the pitch and with one of his children in his arms, he recalled that his parents had taught him to persevere. In one of the most important moments of his life, he returned to the teachings he had received at home.
The Wish That They Could Enjoy His Happiness
In September 2024, during an interview with Juan Pablo Varsky for Clank, Scaloni shared an intimate concern: he did not know to what extent his parents, due to their health problems, could grasp the Conmebol achievements of the national team.
He recalled the effort that both had made for their children and expressed how much he wished they could enjoy those achievements. “I hope they’re proud,” he said then.
Today, those words recover a special emotion. In Lionel’s dedications and in his acknowledgments, the place that Eulalia occupied in his life is recorded. A bond that he chose to name again and again, even when it cost him to hold back tears, and that he summarized with a simple phrase: he was who he was thanks to his parents.
