Dos tourné au podium, silence total devant la presse... le gros manque d'élégance de l'Argentine après sa défaite en finale
Argentina's players turned their backs on the podium during the World Cup trophy presentation to Spain on Sunday after their 1-0 victory in the final. They also all skipped the media appearance, sparking outrage and strong criticism.
A lack of class in both victory and defeat. Three and a half years after their vulgar and insulting celebrations following their victory against France at the 2022 World Cup, the Argentinian players didn't fare much better on Sunday after their defeat against Spain (1-0, after extra time) in the 2026 World Cup final. After the final whistle, deplorable scenes unfolded on the pitch, including a blatant assault by Leandro Paredes against Gavi and Eric Garcia. Prior to this, Nahuel Molina had punched Rodri in the sternum at the final whistle, while Roberto Ayala, a member of the Argentinian coaching staff, slapped Dani Olmo. Finally, Nicolas Otamendi launched a vicious attack on Rodri, accusing him of having "cried" all week with Aymeric Laporte.
"They too must be an example."
But that's not all. During the trophy presentation, all the Argentinian players turned their backs on the podium to face their fans, whereas decorum and respect dictate that the losers should look at and applaud the champion. Especially since the Spanish had given them a guard of honor just moments before. "In the end, it doesn't matter much to us," Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo confided after the match. "I believe that the values you want to pass on to others are just as important. We are role models for several generations, for many children, and I believe they too should be role models."
The Argentine players also provoked the ire of the media. After waiting for reactions for hours, not a single member of the Albiceleste appeared before the press after the match. The players left the stadium without speaking two hours after the final whistle. Much anticipated, particularly regarding his future with the national team, Lionel Messi followed his teammates' lead by avoiding the media. Only the coach, Lionel Scaloni, spoke at a press conference that he cut short due to the intense emotion and tears that overcame him.
"It was a dream for everyone, we tried until the very last minute," he commented about the final, which Spain lost 1-0 in extra time. "It's very painful, I'm truly sorry," said the 48-year-old coach before abruptly leaving the podium. A World Cup winner in 2022, Scaloni is under contract until December, but according to press reports, a verbal agreement had been reached with the federation to extend his contract until after the 2030 World Cup.
"I already have an idea of what I want to do, I'm going to honor my contract and then we'll see. I need to think about it, because I don't know if it's possible to achieve something as big as this," Scaloni said, before bursting into tears, during the post-match press conference at MetLife Stadium.
Commentaires (15)
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter, TikTok ou Instagram pour l'afficher automatiquement.
Se connecter
Commentez avec votre profil, votre photo, et soyez averti des réponses.