The fight broke out after France beat Argentina to reach the men’s soccer semis at the Olympics

The first goal was enough for France to beat Argentina1-0, and reached the men’s soccer semifinals at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday, in a match in which a fight broke out between the players immediately after the final whistle.

There was a few minutes of pushing before the players broke. Some French players were seen running down the tunnel moments later. But they came back after a short time and did a lap of honor.

Argentina’s players were cheered on throughout the game by a hostile crowd, who celebrated earlier when striker Jean-Philippe Mateta headed home in the fifth minute for the coach. Thierry Henry’s team will face Egypt in the last four on Monday in Lyon.

Mateta was celebrating with captain Alexandre Lacazette when they saw a fight. Lacazette rushed to help break it up, as did Henry and teammate Javier Mascherano, who appeared to block one of his own staff from entering.

“I grabbed the opposing coach’s hand and suddenly I saw a lot of things happen,” Henry said. “I don’t like to see this kind of thing. It was unnecessary.”

As the French fans continued to celebrate, the stewards and a handful of riot police formed a circle of Argentina fans inside the stadium.

Racism scandals added to the tension before the game, after video of Argentine players singing an offensive song about French players of African heritage as they celebrate theirs America’s Cup victory last month.

Henry was furious that Enzo Millot – who had been substituted – received a red card for his part in the fracas.

“We didn’t want to lose a player (to suspension) but it was useless, he wasn’t even playing (at the final whistle),” said Henry. “I’m not really happy about that. We were all together, the only problem is getting a red on the bench.”

Henry is the winner of the World Cup and the European Cup with France, as well as the all-time record player of the English club Arsenal. He praised the firm attitude of his team.

“Sometimes in competition you win with pain,” he said.

It was a night of final damage from two-time Olympic champion Argentina, which was summed up when Luciano Gondou was on fire at the break.

But to miss the game – and perhaps the championship – went to striker Giuliano Simeone. He somehow got away from meters in the first half which was evenly contested.

There was a brief moment of tension during the first-half break when Mateta went to check on a team-mate receiving treatment in the Argentine penalty area and was pushed away. Lacazette quickly made things right and Argentina goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli rounded him.

There was a lot of booing when Mascherano was shown a yellow card and, as the second half progressed, the jubilant home lashed out at their opponents with chants of “Ils sont où les Argentins? ” (Where are the Argentines?)

They weren’t on the score sheet.

The Argentinian player, Julián Álvarez, shot and threw his head in disbelief. World Cup champion, Copa America and Premier League double winner, Alvarez failed to score in this tournament.

France thought they had won again with a few minutes left in regulation time, but Michael Olise’s effort was disallowed when replays showed Maghnes Akliouche had narrowly missed the Argentinian player. earlier.

France won its only Olympic title in 1984, the same year it also won the European Championship.

Argentina, the 2004 and ’08 Olympic champions, were given a hard time by the Bordeaux crowd.

Several of Argentina’s first-team players were out for pre-match looting. Then the stadium music system ended the many laughs.

Argentina’s national anthem was also met with boos and boos, and fans booed Argentina’s players after the kick when they touched the ball.

Earlier Friday, Argentina’s handball team were jeered when they entered the South Paris Arena. Last week, Argentina’s men’s rugby sevens players were heckled and booed by a Stade de France crowd of 69,000 during a quarter-final against the home team.

Despite off-field clashes leading up to quarter-time football, security measures were not increased and the local police district said security forces were sticking to the original plan.

More than 400 police and officers were deployed for the match, including 100 soldiers, and security forces used drones to make the event safe.

However, the atmosphere outside the stadium was unstable. Fans of both nations mingled without signs of hostility, some with flags or Argentine jerseys with the name of soccer player Lionel Messi on the back.

The match itself was the revenge match that French fans had been waiting for since Argentina the victory of penance in the finals of the 2022 World Cup. But since it is an under-23 competition, stars like Messi and Kylian Mbappé did not play.

The French fans are the majority of the crowd of 42,000. Bordeaux are six-time French champions who have now been relegated by two tiers to the fourth-tier league by French football’s funder, DNCG, after a bid of bankruptcy.

The great French player Zinedine Zidane burst onto the scene in Bordeaux, known as “Les Girondins” by football fans around France.

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