Spain coach De la Fuente says Argentina’s conduct after World Cup final was ‘unacceptable’

“In any case, I find it intolerable and unacceptable from players of that caliber, whom I had been praising in the days before and who have a magnificent coach,” the Spain coach said.

FIFA has given no details of the remit for its investigator, or if witness statements could be sought from Spain players and staff.

Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala apologized Wednesday for his confrontation with Dani Olmo, which he described as a shove and not a punch.

Coach praises Spain’s restraint

De la Fuente praised his players in the TVE interview for how they handled the situation at MetLife Stadium.

“I want to highlight our behavior in the face of that kind of aggression and provocation,” the coach said. “Our players always kept their composure and behaved like true professionals.”

The Spain squad stood in a guard of honor for Argentina players walking to the podium to get their medals from U.S. President Donald Trump. Minutes later, when Rodri lifted the trophy, most of the Argentina squad turned their backs on the ceremonial moment.

Unclear timetable for FIFA action

FIFA disciplinary rules allow a special prosecutor to “request the opening of disciplinary proceedings and propose that disciplinary measures be imposed on member associations, clubs and individuals.”

FIFA gave no timetable for any cases, and it is unclear when any potential bans for Argentina players would apply as the team does not have competitive games scheduled in the coming months.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

Spain coach De la Fuente says Argentina’s conduct after World Cup final was ‘unacceptable’

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