As we know, this is a rivalry that has grown enormously since the last World Cup final. And the recent controversies related to the racist chant sung by several Argentinian internationals during the Copa América victory have logically accentuated this rivalry. On Friday, France and Argentina will face each other again, in the quarter-finals of the football event at the Olympic Games.
A duel that promises to be tense. On the French side, there will be a desire to take revenge, in a way, for this racist controversy. “Argentina are the last world champions, a team that always ends up in the final of the tournaments it plays. But for now, we’re going to celebrate the qualification and then we’ll get into this match slowly. With what happened recently, all the French are affected. We’ll see what happens in the quarter-finals.”said Jean-Philippe Mateta on Tuesday evening, after the 3-0 victory against New Zealand.
Danger in the stands?
A duel that also risks being tense in the stands… As the newspaper reveals The Weekly of Junina local newspaper in the city of Junin, the Argentine Federation will bring barras bravas – sometimes very violent ultra groups – from several clubs to Paris for this match, including some from Sarmiento (the local club), but also from River Plate, Boca Juniors or San Lorenzo, among others. Some of these supporters are very violent and are the cause of many of the excesses that have become frequent in Argentine football, in addition to participating in other illicit activities alongside football.
A frequent practice on the AFA side, which is used to having these people travel brava bars all over the world to support the Albiceleste, all expenses paid and as the only condition to have an up-to-date passport to be able to travel. But it is also a massive movement of Argentinians which inevitably entails major security risks, especially in this climate of tension between the two countries. A plane chartered by the AFA filled with supporters should therefore arrive in Bordeaux on Friday before the match. To be continued…
