France and Argentina stars FIGHT on the pitch in 30-man brawl after hosts won Olympic quarter-final before clashes continue down the tunnel – as grudge match descends into farce amid racism storm
Friday’s quarter-final between France and Argentina in the men’s Olympic football tournament was followed by a huge melee on the field.
Hosts France, managed by Thierry Henry, won the game 1-0 to set up a clash with Egypt in the last four thanks to an early goal by Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The game was the latest chapter in a fierce rivalry between these two great footballing nations.
Tension between the two has been high since Argentina beat Les Bleus in a penalty shootout to win an epic FIFA World Cup final in December 2022.
Some of Argentina’s fans celebrated that victory by creating a derogatory chant about France that has been widely condemned as racist, homophobic and transphobic.
Both sets of players clashed with each other after France beat Argentina 1-0 in Bordeaux
That song was sung again – including by a group of players – after Argentina won this summer’s Copa America in the USA.
Before the match, Argentina’s national anthem was widely booed by the crowd at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux.
What happened after the final whistle also drew jeers from the stands.
Things appeared to spiral out of control very quickly.
One moment, the French substitutes and staff were pictured jogging from the bench to celebrate with the players on the pitch. The next, a 30-man brawl was underway.
A circle of angry players then moved towards the touchline, before eventually swarming down the tunnel, where more disorder took place.
More to follow.
