The rivalry between Argentina and France took yet another turn on Friday evening in the middle of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Two weeks after the scandalous racist chant sung by Lionel Messi’s teammates to celebrate the Copa América (we are still waiting for an exemplary sanction from Fifa), the quarter-final between Thierry Henry’s Les Bleus and Abiceleste was played in a tense atmosphere. The final whistle, which sealed the French qualification for the last four of the football tournament (1-0), offered a huge general altercation.
During the match, the Eurosport commentators in France took to task some Argentinian players, notably Nicolas Otamendi. Lionel Charbonnier, the 98 world champion who became a consultant on RMC and Eurosport, did not mince his words against the 36-year-old defender, 2022 world champion and captain of this Argentinian Olympic team. While his colleague launched a “Otamendi attacks everything he moves” After a foul by the defender, “Charbo” continued: “I don’t know if he attacks his wife when he comes home in the evening.”The TV sequence was relayed in the land of tango.
Racist comments after France-Argentina
At the end of the match, Otamendi distinguished himself in a bad way. Enzo Millot had a fight with Argentinian players right from the final whistle and this created a huge crowd. The referee of the match (who sent off the French midfielder), the staff of the French team (including Jérémie Janot and Gaël Clichy) and Rayan Cherki tried to push back the Argentinians and Millot. But Nicolas Otamendi made his way towards Enzo Millot to try to slap him. Enough to make the situation worse. “Otamendi, that’s all he did, he’d better learn to play football”Charbonnier got carried away again.
After the match, while racist comments from Argentinian fans multiplied on a publication by Loïc Badé on Instagram, the former AJ Auxerre goalkeeper (number 3 in 98 behind Fabien Barthez and Bernard Lama) hammered home X. Like OTAMENDI!!! “World Champion” INSTIGATOR OF ALL THIS. WE MUST REACT!!!! UNACCEPTABLE!!!! Yes I persist and sign. Learning to play football is also learning ethics!!!! No offense to those who think they can do anything!!!”wrote Lionel Charbonnier. The 98 world champion suddenly made a name for himself in Buenos Aires.
