Argentina’s conspiracy theory about the World Cup final has been branded a “lie” by FA president Claudio Tapia. Spain defeated the previous holders in overwhelming fashion last weekend, despite only winning 1-0, sparking a lot of controversy over what happened ahead of this encounter.
Lionel Messi’s bizarre pre-match speech sparked theories that something happened that may have distracted Argentina’s players. Lionel Scaloni also mentioned the potential problem, but avoided delving into the situation, with Tapia speaking out on any suggestion that Argentina had not lost fairly.
In a statement posted on social media, he said his supporters should not “fall for the lies.” He added that supporters “must not be swayed by plans that only aim to destabilize.” But that is unlikely to please Argentina supporters. They then started a petition calling for a rematch of the World Cup final.
Tapia also appears to subtly criticize the actions of some individuals in the aftermath of the defeat before praising the country’s efforts. His full statement is below: “In sports, you also learn by accepting defeat with the same grace that you celebrate victory. Yes, we lost in the final.”
“But it is also true that this group has brought immense joy to this country. Argentina was celebrating the match just now, because it proved once again why this team means so much to its people. It hurts to lose. “It hurts because we are competitive, we are the most successful team in history, and second place will never be enough.
“It hurts because we are used to fighting until the end and we remain one of the two best teams in the world. But let’s pause for a moment and think about the sacrifices of these players, the coaching staff and all those who took more than 50 days away from their families to work for the sole purpose of representing Argentina in the best possible way. We are Argentines.”
“We will compete with grit, passion and heart. We will give our all in every training session and every match. We will also represent all of America with great pride. We will defend our colors, our flag and our country on every pitch around the world. That is why we should not be swayed by lies and conspiracies whose sole purpose is to destabilize. We have had enough of trying to turn our backs on those who have contributed so much to our football.”
“Today is a time to thank, support and recognize our players who once again gave their all for the uniform. Plans change, but the dedication, hard work and heart of our national team will remain forever. There are no excuses here.”
