Argentina’s Olympic Nightmare: AFA Complain to FIFA Over Morocco Pitch Invasion
The Argentina Football Association (AFA) has formally lodged a complaint with FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee following the chaotic scenes that marred their opening match of the Olympics against Morocco.
The game in Saint-Étienne was delayed for two hours after Moroccan fans invaded the pitch, throwing bottles, cups, and firecrackers at Argentinian players. The incident was a far cry from the beautiful game, and AFA president Claudio ‘Chiqui’ Tapia has demanded that those responsible be punished.
"It was regrettable what we had to experience today as Argentinians in Saint-Étienne," Tapia wrote on social media. "Waiting almost two hours in the locker room, only for our players to have to go back out to warm up and continue playing a match that should have been suspended by the referee after the pitch invasion by Moroccan spectators and the violence suffered by the Argentine delegation, is truly senseless and goes against the competition rules."
The match eventually resumed, but not before Argentina’s Cristian Medina had scored deep in stoppage time, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside after review. The delay and controversy left the Argentinian team perplexed, with coach Javier Mascherano describing the events as "the biggest circus I’ve ever seen in my life".
Argentina’s senior captain Lionel Messi, who is not part of the Olympic squad, posted an emoticon of a face with wide open eyes and the word: "Unusual" on Instagram, summing up the team’s feelings.
The AFA has demanded that FIFA take "necessary regulatory measures" to prevent such incidents in the future. The association has also called for the captains of both teams to be heard on the matter, as they believed the game should not have resumed after the pitch invasion.
Argentina are back in action against Iraq in Saturday’s Group G game, and will be hoping for a smoother match after the chaos of their opening encounter.
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