Sergio Aguero has dropped his plans to join Argentina's coaching staff at the Qatar World Cup after having discussions with captain Lionel Messi and manager Lionel Scaloni.
It was only in February that Aguero hinted at joining Messi and company in a coaching role at football's greatest show in the Gulf nation.
His suggestion came as a surprise to many, considering he had hung his boots only two months prior and that too because of a peculiar heart condition.
According to his doctors, Aguero was unfit to take any kind of stress as his heartbeat fluctuated drastically and hence, getting involved with football in any form was termed too risky for him.
Yet, health wasn't the reason behind his decision to backtrack on his plans.
He will still take a trip to the Middle East, but only as a fan, where he will be cheering on his national team.
"The invitation to be part of Argentina's staff was on the table", the 33-year-old told ESPN. "I spoke with Chiqui [Tapia, Argentina Football Association president] and I was clear with him about my goal to enjoy my time. I'm going to Qatar, but as a fan", he added.
Explaining the reasons behind his decision, Man City's all-time scorer said that he was simply not ready to get into coaching immediately after retirement and needed more time to pursue it as a career.
"I have a great relationship with everyone from the national team but I don't see myself in the coaching staff and with the players on a day-to-day basis. They are asking for a role that isn't for me right now", he continued.
Aguero mentioned that both Messi and Scaloni had told him about what they expected from him during his stint with the two-time World Champions, but he realised that such a job would be extremely tough to handle at this juncture.
"I had a talk with [Messi], he and Scaloni gave me an idea of what they wanted from me. I asked them for some time to think about it and then told Chiqui that I wasn't ready for that", the Buenos Aires-born football star stated.
"I will be available for any event related to the Argentina national team, as an ambassador but I don't want a day-to-day responsibility with the team", he concluded.
Despite Aguero not joining Argentina's backroom team, Messi and his colleagues are still being counted among the favourites for the title. If they manage to claim the tournament, it would finally give Messi the one title that has remained elusive to him during the course of his remarkable career.