The Argentinian media were furious after the remarkable Olympic match between Morocco and Argentina over the decision to disallow a goal two hours after the match ended. They called it 'an embarrassing display' in Paris.
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The Argentinian La Nación called it 'an Olympic scandal.' What happened on the field was already scandalous.
A huge bomb fell centimeters from Júlian Alvarez. But what happened after the match was a total scandal. The Argentinian players were visibly completely irritated by the absurdity of what happened here. Anyone who thought they had seen all the ridiculousness in this world at CONMEBOL was sorely mistaken. This is the biggest nonsense you can remember in this discipline of the Games. The decision to disallow a goal two hours after the match ended is unprecedented and undermines the integrity of the sport. It reflects poorly on the officials and raises serious questions about their competence and fairness.
Olé called the end of the match 'an embarrassing display.' 'Even the most successful writer couldn't imagine such a mess. We will remember this for years. It will evoke the feeling of pain and helplessness again. But also, the safety was a catastrophe. Those responsible for ensuring safety treated the event as 'just a sport,' without considering the passion and excessive enthusiasm that exists in this particular sport. The lack of proper security measures was evident, as chaos ensued both on and off the field, putting players and fans at risk. This gross negligence adds another layer of shame to an already disgraceful situation.'
'This is an unparalleled event in football,' concludes Clarín. 'It was a scandalous match and no longer resembled a football game. And even less so the Olympic Games. The field was a chaos of people running everywhere, crying footballers, and celebrating fans. But the real drama took another two hours to unfold. It was an unprecedented mess in Saint-Étienne. The post-match events, where a goal was disallowed long after the final whistle, are unheard of and have tainted the spirit of the competition. The organizers and referees have a lot to answer for, as their decisions have brought the sport into disrepute.'
The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) has since announced that it has filed a complaint with FIFA. They are calling on the world football federation's disciplinary committee to intervene. The International Olympic Committee is also looking into whether there will be any consequences for this match. This incident has not only affected the teams involved but also the credibility of the Olympic football tournament as a whole. The AFA's complaint emphasizes the need for transparency and accountability in officiating, urging FIFA and the IOC to take decisive action to prevent such controversies in the future. The global football community will be watching closely to see how these governing bodies respond to this unprecedented situation.
Updated: 11:21, 25 Jul 2024
