Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has blasted Argentina’s actions as “intolerable and unacceptable” as Fifa investigate the brawl that broke out following the World Cup final.
Fifa appointed a disciplinary prosecutor to look into the feisty post-match altercation between players following Spain’s 1-0 extra-time win, courtesy of Ferran Torres’ dramatic winner, which saw them dethrone the defending champions.
Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes throttled Spain’s Eric Garcia and hurled Gavi to the ground by his bib, after La Roja captain Rodri was hit in the stomach as he ran past Argentina defender Nahuel Molina.
“It cannot be allowed,” De la Fuente told Spanish public broadcaster TVE on Thursday, adding he did not see the incidents at the time while “celebrating with other people.”
“In any case, I find it intolerable and unacceptable from players of that caliber, whom I had been praising in the days before and who have a magnificent coach.”
Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala apologised on Wednesday for his own confrontation with Dani Olmo, which he described as a shove and not a punch.
Gavi, meanwhile, said he does not want Paredes to be suspended for his part in the altercation, after it emerged the midfielder did not see red while still on the pitch - as was reported at the time.
De la Fuente has also hailed his players for how they handled the incident, praising them for their restraint.
“I want to highlight our behavior in the face of that kind of aggression and provocation,” he added. “Our players always kept their composure and behaved like true professionals.”
Fifa have provided no timetable for the investigation into the brawl and it is unclear when any potential bans for Argentina players would apply as the team does not have competitive games scheduled in the coming months.
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