Luis de la Fuente Condemns Argentina's Unacceptable Conduct

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has condemned what he called the “unacceptable” conduct of several Argentina players and staff after the World Cup final in New York.

Spain had just clinched a 1-0 victory after extra time last Sunday when tempers flared at the final whistle. Members of the Argentina squad and coaching team confronted their Spanish counterparts in angry scenes that spilled across the pitch.

Among those involved were Atletico Madrid defender Nahuel Molina and former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Leandro Paredes, both seen in the thick of the post-match flashpoints.

De la Fuente admitted he did not immediately grasp what was unfolding.

“At the time, I didn't realize it. I was celebrating, hugging teammates,” he told Spanish television.

The footage, replayed across social media in the days since, left him with a very different feeling.

“In any case, it is intolerable, unacceptable, it cannot be allowed,” he said. “Players of that stature, whom I praised in the days leading up to the match and continue to praise, who are great players with a tremendous coach, surely they must have felt just as bad as we did seeing those reactions.”

The Spain boss highlighted what he described as exemplary restraint from his own squad in the face of what he called “acts of aggression” and “provocations”, insisting the situation could easily have spiralled into something far worse had his players reacted.

The images have ricocheted around the football world, yet no sanctions have so far been imposed on any Argentina player or staff member. The governing body has stepped in, though: FIFA has opened a formal investigation to determine whether the behaviour breached its disciplinary code.

The final word now rests not with the champions on the pitch, but with the officials in the corridors of power.