FIFA opens legal proceedings against Argentina for disrespectful behavior towards Netherlands staff members at 2022 FIFA World Cup


FIFA opens legal proceedings against Argentina for disrespectful behavior towards Netherlands staff members at 2022 FIFA World Cup

Lionel Messi

After the heated 2022 FIFA World Cup- quarterfinal fixture between Argentina and The Netherlands, where the Argentines took home the nervy victory on penalties, FIFA has opened an investigation against the South American national team after they breached multiple World Cup rules, as mentioned in the official statement released by the apex organization. The match saw a record of 18 yellow cards issued by the referee.

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Leandro Parades kicked the ball at the Netherlands dugout, which fueled a massive brawl that resulted in the player being studded to the ground by the physical contact of Virgil Van Dijk. The Argentine goalkeeper Emi Martinez accused the referee of “wanting them(Netherlands) to score” in his interview after the match, where Lionel Messi urged FIFA to drop the match referee altogether. Lionel Messi’s official statement, “We were afraid before the match because we knew how he was, and I think FIFA has the review this, you can’t put a referee like him for these matches.”

Recently, FIFA dived into allegations and accusations by both parties and opened an investigation against the Argentine FA and the Dutch FA. In an official statement released on Saturday, the apex organization stated, “The FIFA disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against the Argentine football association due to potential breaches of articles 12(Misconduct of players and officials) and 16(Order and security of matches) of the disciplinary code during the Netherlands v Argentina FIFA World Cup,.

The referee’s decisions were nonetheless controversial and unexpected by both the fans and the Argentine players; the fuming Argentine players and the Netherlands giants were fighting even after the final whistle of the nail-biting penalties cemented by Lautaro Martinez, who took the last shot at the goal. Lionel Messi was seen hitting sarcastic celebrations and getting in the face of officials and the Netherlands coach.

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Argentina dragged itself out of hell against the Netherlands in the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Netherlands Wout Weghorst & Argentina's Lionel Messi
The Netherlands vs Argentina

The South Americans kept their World Cup dream alive after a restless night as they defeated Netherlands 4-3 on penalties to reach the semi-finals on Saturday. They will now face the last world cup’s runners-up Croatia, who sent Brazil out of the tournament after a penalty shootout on Friday, in the previous four stages on Wednesday. The second Netherlands goal came as late as in the 111th minute. After the extra time, the score remained level at 2-2, paving the way for a dramatic penalty shootout at the Lusail stadium.

South American keeper Emi Martinez saved the first two Netherlands penalties to give Argentina a 2-0 advantage in the shootout. Enzo Fernandes, the fourth penalty taker, missed his chance to seal victory for Argentina to provide the Netherlands with a glimmer of hope before Lautaro Martinez finally scored the winner for the South American side. It was the little magician again for Argentina in regulation time, after setting up the first goal for them with a brilliant pass to Nahuel Molina leading the first.

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