Violent excesses and coach statements torment Argentina
World champions Argentina inflict the first home defeat of the World Cup qualifiers on Brazil - there were unpleasant scenes in the stands. The stars are shocked. Meanwhile, world champion coach Lionel Scaloni surprises with thoughtful comments about his future.
The excesses of violence in the stands left Lionel Messi stunned after the historic victory at his arch-rivals. "This is unacceptable. It is madness. It has to stop immediately," said the Argentine superstar with a blank look on his face. It is not the 1:0 (0:0) of the world champions in Brazil that will be remembered, but the terrible images of bleeding fans, beating police officers and sheer hatred in the stadium.
Yes, said Messi, "we made history" - and yet "it was another evening marked by the oppression of the Brazilians against the Argentinians". Shortly before kick-off at the Maracana, riots broke out and the police used batons and sheer violence against the fans.
The riots also drew the attention of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. "There is absolutely no place for violence in soccer, neither on the pitch nor off it," the 53-year-old wrote on Instagram and appealed to the relevant authorities to increase security: "All players, fans, staff and officials, without exception, must be safe and protected."
"It's not goodbye", but ...
But it wasn't just the madness in the stands that got people talking, successful coach Lionel Scaloni suddenly voiced his thoughts about a possible retirement - and put the world champions on alert. "It's not goodbye," he said, but then followed up with a big but: "The bar is very high and it's difficult to keep going and keep winning." This team, said Scaloni, "needs a coach who has all the energy he can get and who is doing well."
It has long been proven that Scaloni is good for Argentina. In Qatar, he led the team to the World Cup title, and before that he won the Copa America. "I have to think seriously about what I'm going to do," said the 45-year-old: "I'll tell the president and I'll tell the players."
The match was kicked off 27 minutes late due to the rioting, with Nicolas Otamendi's header (63rd) sealing Brazil's first home defeat in World Cup qualifying. For the hosts, ex-Hoffenheim player Joelinton (83) was sent off with a red card. In sporting terms, this victory was "one of the most important that this team has achieved", said Messi.
"From the point of view of the result, it was very bad"
And so the defending champions remain on course to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada, with Messi and Co. leading the table with 15 points from six games. They are followed by Uruguay (13), who celebrated a 3:0 (2:0) win over Bolivia. Colombia (12) won 1-0 (1-0) in Paraguay thanks to a penalty from Bremen's Rafael Borre and are third. The situation is completely different for record world champions Brazil (7), who, after their third defeat in the current competition, still have just one of the six direct tickets to the finals in their hands.
"From the point of view of the result, it was very bad, but from the point of view of the process for the future, it was extremely valuable," said Brazil's interim coach Fernando Diniz. Next July, he will hand over the baton to Italy's iconic coach Carlo Ancelotti. However, the successful Real Madrid coach has not yet confirmed an agreement with the CBF.
After the heated match, Lionel Messi expressed his concern about the riots, stating, "The violence in the stands was unacceptable and it needs to stop immediately." The incident also caught the attention of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who urged for increased security at soccer events.
Despite Lionel Scaloni's surprising comments about his future, Messi remains focused on the team's success, saying, "This victory against Brazil was one of the most important for this team, but the riots overshadowed our achievement."
Source: www.ntv.de
