Luis de la Fuente Condemns Argentina's Unacceptable Conduct After World Cup Final
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has condemned the “unacceptable” conduct of several Argentina players and members of their coaching staff in the aftermath of the World Cup final in New York.
Spain edged a tense, bruising contest 1-0 after extra time last Sunday, a result that delivered the world title but also sparked ugly scenes at the final whistle. As the Spanish players began to celebrate, some Argentina players and staff moved toward their rivals, triggering confrontations that were quickly picked up by cameras and have since been replayed across social media.
Among those involved were Atletico Madrid defender Nahuel Molina and former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Leandro Paredes, both seen in the footage amid the post-match flashpoints.
De la Fuente admitted he did not initially grasp what was happening.
“At the time, I didn't realize it. I was celebrating, hugging teammates,” he told Spanish television. Only later, watching the images back, did the scale of the clashes become clear.
His verdict was blunt.
“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 coach highlighted what he described as “acts of aggression” and “provocations” from the Argentina side and underlined that the situation could easily have spiralled into something far worse on a night when emotions were already running at fever pitch.
He reserved special praise for his own squad, insisting their restraint under pressure had been “exemplary” in the face of those flashpoints.
The images, filmed from multiple angles and shared widely, have not yet led to any formal punishment for the Argentina players involved. The story, though, is far from closed.
FIFA has opened an investigation into the incidents to assess whether Argentina’s players or staff breached the governing body’s disciplinary code. The world champions on the pitch may now find themselves defending their actions in a very different arena.
