Argentina Olympic football team booed after racism scandal

Argentina's Olympic football team were given a hostile reception by fans in their opening match against Morocco on Wednesday, after a recent racism scandal following their senior side's Copa America triumph.

AFP , Wednesday 24 Jul 2024,

Argentina
Water bottles thrown by Morroco's fans litter the pitch as Argentina's midfielder #08 Cristian Medina (C) celebrates after he scored his team's second goal in the men's group B football match between Argentina and Morocco during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne on July 24, 2024. AFP

 

The players were met with boos and whistles when they entered the field in Saint-Etienne, while the Argentinian national anthem was also jeered.

The vast majority of the 35,000-strong crowd, most of them supporting Morocco, continued to whistle at Argentina's players during the game.

FIFA has announced an investigation into the chants sung by Argentina players, including Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 23, after they won the Copa America with a 1-0 final victory over Colombia.

The song targeted France's star striker Kylian Mbappe among others and included racist and homophobic insults.

The Group B Olympic meeting ended 2-2 after two-time gold medallists Argentina fought back from two goals down to snatch a point with a header from Cristian Medina in the 16th minute of added time.

The fans responded to that equaliser by raining down projectiles, including plastic bottles and cups, onto the pitch where the Argentinians were celebrating.

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)

Short link: