Paris Olympics on channels 26.7.–11.8. Go to the competition website here. You can find the entire program of the games here.
Men’s football is not usually one of the sports that arouse the most emotions at the Olympics. Perhaps the biggest reason is that the teams play under the age of 23, because Fifa wants to keep its own prestigious competitions as top products. Teams may have three overage players.
However, it has happened and happened in Argentina’s matches at the Paris Olympics. Even the opening match against Morocco became a confusing circus.
Argentina tied the match 2–2 Cristian Medina goal, when extra time had already been played for 15 minutes. It sent Morocco supporters into a frenzy. These threw pints on the field and the stupidest ones ran onto the field themselves.
The referee quickly directed the players to the locker room for protection. The match was thought to have ended in a 2-2 result, when the official result services showed it as well. Even in Areena, the broadcast was interrupted and the announcer Mikko Aaltonen faded away.
Later it turned out that the match was only suspended. After long explanations and a break of a couple of hours, the players returned to the field. Argentina’s equalizer was disallowed after a VAR review, so the situation was 2-1 to Morocco.
Then the last few minutes were played to empty stands. The match ended 2–1. In a report from the Olympic website it was stated that the match was suspended due to “a small stampede by the spectators”.
Argentina head coach Javier Mascherano found the final solution ridiculous and shameful.
– It was a circus, but we can’t influence it. It’s a shame that this is happening. In addition to the Olympic spirit, the organization must be up to standard, and at the moment, unfortunately, it is not.
A very hot quarter-final
On Friday evening, Argentina then faced France in the quarter-finals. To the delight of the home crowd, France won Jean-Philippe Matetan 1–0 with a hit in the fifth minute.
According to ESPN, a “hostile home crowd” booed the Argentines throughout the match. During the Argentine national anthem, the French spectators had shouted, laughed and whistled.
When the quarter ended, a mass fight started on the field. Goal scorer Mateta celebrated the victory captain Alexandre Lacazette with when they suddenly rushed into the fray.
France head coach Thierry Henry and Argentine pilot Javier Mascherano tried to prevent their own background troops from participating. France was the only one to receive a red card Enzo Millotwho had been substituted off the field earlier.
French media According to L’Equipe the reason for the fight was the frustrated Argentinians who “wanted to fight”. The newspaper wonders how Millot got a red card, but no Argentine even gives a warning.
– I went to shake hands with the opponent’s coach and suddenly I saw a lot of things happening. I don’t like seeing this. It wasn’t necessary, Henry lamented.
As the French fans continued to celebrate, riot police formed a ring around the Argentina fans. The purpose was obviously to prevent the situation from escalating between the spectators.
Emotions on the field have been heated several times before. Mascherano received a yellow card for his protest, prompting the French crowd to cheer. The fans chanted: “Ils sont où les Argentins?” (where are the argentinians?).
In the other quarterfinals, Egypt beat Paraguay hard, Spain beat Japan 3–0, and Morocco beat the USA 4–0. The semi-final pairs are Morocco-Spain and France-Egypt.
In the background, there is a big noise of racism
In the background, France’s stinging defeat to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final and especially the events after this summer’s Copa America have an impact.
When Argentina won the Copa America in July, a questionable video of the championship celebration began to spread. Star player Enzo Fernandez filmed a video considered racist on his Instagram account.
The video sings, among other things, that the French players represent France, but are actually from Angola. The song also contains slurs about transgender people.
Argentina fans made a song in the aftermath of the 2022 World Cup.
Many French players have condemned the chant. For example Wesley Fofana marveled at the “uninhibited racism” of Argentina’s players. Fofana is Ferdandez’s teammate at Chelsea. Chelsea also condemned the video.
– It doesn’t matter if you are in a moment of euphoria when you have won an important trophy. Even more responsibility is required from the winners. This is not something you want to hear or see in football. We are all against discrimination and racism. I’m thinking and hoping it’s a mistake. We all make mistakes sometimes and hopefully they learn from it, said the French goalkeeper legend Hugo Lloris.
The commotion also took on huge proportions in Argentina. Undersecretary of State responsible for sports in the Argentine administration Julio Garro suggested that the Argentine captain Lionel Messi would like to apologize for the video. As a result, Garro was fired.
Argentina’s presidential office released a statement saying that no government can say what the national team should say, think or do.
Vice President of Argentina Victoria Villarruel defended Fernandez and the team in fierce terms. He said that he does not accept the actions of the colonialist state.
– No colonialist country scares us because of a song or because we tell truths they don’t want to admit.
– Argentina is a sovereign and free country. We have never had colonies or second-class citizens. We have never forced others to live as we do. We will not accept that now they are trying to do that to us. I’m rooting for you, Enzo. Messi, thank you for everything!
Mascherano, the head coach of the Argentine Olympic team, also strongly defended Fernandez in his country’s media. He praised Fernandez as a fine man and claimed that videos are often taken out of context.
– You have to understand the culture of each country and know that sometimes what we consider a joke can be misinterpreted in other places.
Fifa announced that it had started an investigation into the video. Chelsea also initiated disciplinary action, but ended it when Ferdandez apologized to his teammates.
– The song contained very offensive language, and there is no excuse for these words, Fernandez wrote on his social media and apologized.