Spain coach Luis de la Fuente criticizes how Argentina players acted
Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, has called the behavior of the Argentina players right after Sunday’s World Cup final “intolerable” and “unacceptable.” FIFA is now looking into what happened after Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina.
Right after the game ended, things got heated. Thiago Almada and Leandro Paredes tackled Gavi to the ground, just after Gavi had grabbed the neck of defender Eric Garcia. Nahuel Molina seemed to throw a punch at Rodri as he went to celebrate with his teammates. Argentina’s coach, Roberto Ayala, reportedly also had a run-in with Dani Olmo.
FIFA said earlier this week that they will investigate these incidents. Their statement said that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has assigned a prosecutor to look into possible rule-breaking after the match. They will share more details once the report is finished.
During a recent TV interview, De la Fuente shared his thoughts on what happened. “At the time, I didn’t notice because I was busy celebrating and hugging my teammates,” he said. “But what happened is unacceptable and can’t be allowed. These players and their coach are great, and I’m sure they felt bad about those reactions, just like we did.”
The 65-year-old coach also praised his players for staying calm. “I want to highlight how our team handled the aggression and provocation. They stayed professional and composed the whole time.”
If any player is found guilty of violent behavior, they could face at least a three-match suspension, according to FIFA’s rules. This includes things like punching, kicking, or hitting someone other than the referee. The Argentine Football Association might also be punished if their team is found to have behaved badly. Players and officials could face fines or other penalties too, and FIFA can take further action if needed.