Argentina coach Javier Mascherano described the chaotic ending to their game against Morocco at the Olympics as a “disgrace” and “a circus”.
Crowd trouble forced the first football match of Paris 2024 to be suspended for nearly two hours, as Morocco fans invaded the pitch and threw objects at Argentina players.
The violence came after Argentina looked to have scored an equaliser in the 16th minute of stoppage time and prompted the referee to order both teams into the changing rooms.
The crowd of about 35,000 were told to leave the stadium in Saint-Etienne, with the players returning to the pitch almost two hours later.
When they did, the goal was ruled out for offside by VAR and Morocco eventually won 2-1.
Before the game, the Argentina national anthem was booed in an apparent reaction to a racist and homophobic anti-French song sung by members of the country’s Copa America-winning squad.
“It is a disgrace that this should happen and poison the tournament,” said Mascherano (above, yesterday) of the chaotic ending. “This wouldn’t even happen in a neighbourhood tournament. It’s pathetic. Beyond the Olympic spirit, the organisation needs to be up to standard and, at the moment, unfortunately, it is not. I have not been a coach for long, but never in my career as a player have I seen a situation like that. It is a circus.”
The former Liverpool and West Ham midfielder added: “I told the boys that now we need to look forward, try to get the six points that will allow us to qualify and that all this should fill us with energy and anger for what we have ahead of us.”
