Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala has moved to play down his involvement in a series of heated post-match confrontations with Spain players following the World Cup final.
Lionel Scaloni’s team came agonisingly close to defending the crown they won in 2022, only to suffer a 1-0 defeat by Spain on Sunday at the end of a tense, scrappy contest.
Argentina played with the same combative edge that had marked their semi-final win over England, but the atmosphere boiled over after the final whistle.
Enzo Fernandez had already been shown a red card late in normal time for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsi, before Leandro Paredes grabbed Eric Garcia by the throat and shoved Gavi to the turf with a hand to the Spain midfielder’s face.
Nahuel Molina was also seen striking Rodri in the torso as the Spaniard ran past to celebrate the victory, while Thiago Almada became involved in the disorder as well.
Paredes appeared to throw punches during the chaotic exchanges, and Ayala, Scaloni’s assistant, was filmed holding Garcia around the throat before later appearing to strike Dani Olmo.
Argentina coach Roberto Ayala has tried to downplay his clashes with Spain’s players
Ayala clashed with Eric Garcia before he appeared to strike Dani Olmo after Sunday’s final
Then, as the Spanish squad lifted the trophy, Argentina’s players faced away from their opponents in what was viewed by many as a poor show of sportsmanship.
FIFA have since launched an investigation into their behaviour, which could have serious consequences for those involved.
However, Ayala has attempted to defend what happened, insisting his clash was ‘more of a push than anything else’.
Addressing the incident for the first time, he told Esports Migdia on Valencia Capital Radio: ‘Obviously I’m sorry. Because of my position, I can’t allow a feeling, or what I might receive from the other party, to change my mood and my actions.
‘I’m sorry, but for me, these are things that stay there and that’s it. For me, things need to be put behind us and left there.
‘It was more of a push than anything else, it wasn’t a punch like they’re saying, and that’s it. It was a reaction to something he said, but that’s it. If I see him, I’ll obviously apologise to him in person.’
Ayala then tried to add further context to the general ugly scenes on the pitch at the MetLife Stadium as he added: ‘It’s a shame, and you have to accept the facts and the things you’ve done on the field.
‘When the game ends, what I see is a fight in the middle of the pitch, and we rush to go after our players, and it ends up like that because that’s not who we are.
‘I take responsibility for what I did. My intention was to go and separate them, that was my intention, but sometimes things happen and emotions run high, but that’s no excuse.
‘And given my position, my behaviour has to be different, regardless of what I receive.’
Ayala (right), a former Argentine international, serves as assistant to boss Lionel Scaloni
Announcing their probe into what had gone on in the aftermath of Sunday’s game, FIFA said: ‘Following an assessment of the relevant match reports for the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, and in line with article 36 of the FIFA disciplinary code (FDC), the FIFA disciplinary committee has appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to investigate potential breaches of the FDC with regard to the post-match incidents.
‘Further details will be communicated by the FIFA disciplinary committee once the prosecutor’s report has been completed.’
Despite the nasty scenes, Spain midfielder Gavi, who was pushed to the ground by Paredes amid the chaos, surprisingly defended his Argentine counterparts.
During Spain’s celebrations back home, Gavi was asked for his take on what had gone on and said: ‘No, to tell you the truth, I don’t think he (Leandro Paredes) should be suspended.
‘I understand it’s not a good image for children, but I think there’s also that side to football, which is a bit more physical, more aggressive.
‘The most logical thing would have been to send him off during the match, and that’s it. In the end, I think it’s all football, and it has to be that way.’
