Argentina files FIFA complaint following pitch invasion during Olympic opener vs. Morocco
The Argentina Football Association (AFA) have filed a formal complaint with FIFA's Disciplinary Committee after fans invaded the pitch and objects were thrown at players during Argentina's 2-1 loss to Morocco in the Olympic men's soccer opening match.
After Cristian Medina scored what was believed to be the game-tying goal in the 16th minute of stoppage time for Argentina, fans ran onto the pitch and items such as bottles and firecrackers were thrown at players during the celebrations. That led to the referee suspending the match, leading to a nearly two-hour delay.
After fans emptied the stadium, play was set to resume, but not before a VAR review showed that Medina was in an offside position when he headed in his goal. The goal was overturned and the teams then played out the final three minutes with Morocco holding on for the win.
UPDATE: After a delay of over an hour, Cristian Medina's late equalizer was DISALLOWED. Morocco won the match 2-1. 😵pic.twitter.com/0sBD3PRrSrhttps://t.co/9qsDYRMncZ
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) July 24, 2024
The AFA released a statement on Thursday saying, in part, "It is imperative to guarantee the safety of the protagonists for the peaceful development of this beautiful sport that is football and from the home of Argentine Football, we will do what is necessary to make this happen."
Argentina head coach Javier Mascherano said afterward the match was the "biggest circus I have ever seen in my life." He added that he wished the referee allowed play to go on following the pitch invasion rather than go through a long delay.
“The game was suspended for security reasons. When we had no news, we started to notice things," Mascherano said. "We don’t like this kind of thing to happen either. We don’t want to be favored or made fun of. Now we have to turn the page and look for the two victories that we will need to qualify.
“What happened on the field was a scandal. We have to focus on our own. Obviously it is confusing but now we have to look forward, this is over, it is over. We have to focus on the two games. Keep the anger and use it in the next games.”
Claudio Tapia, president of the AFA, released a statement on X backing up Mascherano's frustrations.
"It was regrettable what we had to experience today as Argentinians in Saint-Étienne," Tapia wrote. "Waiting almost two hours in the locker room, only for our players to have to go back out to warm up and continue playing a match that should have been suspended by the referee after the pitch invasion by Moroccan spectators and the violence suffered by the Argentine delegation, is truly senseless and goes against the competition rules.
"Furthermore, the opinions of the captains of both teams, who believed the game should not have resumed, were not heard.
"From the Argentine Football Association, we have already submitted the complaint to FIFA's Disciplinary Committee so that the relevant regulatory measures can be taken and a sanction imposed on those responsible."
Mascherano claims Argentina players robbed during training
Adding to a frustrating start for Argentina's men's soccer team is the claim by Mascherano that players had items stolen during a training session this week.
"Yesterday they broke into the building," Mascherano said after the Morocco match. "They stole things from [Thiago] Almada. They ask us for credentials for everything, but then these things happen. They stole Almada's watches and rings."
"We don’t like these things happening," he added. "We’re not asking for favors, but we also don’t want to be treated like fools, which is exactly what happened today."
According to the Associated Press, the prosecutor’s office in nearby Saint-Étienne said a police complaint has been filed in Lyon.
Argentina finishes play in Group B with matches against Iraq on Saturday and Ukraine on July 30.
