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What happened against England and Spain?
FIFA announced the opening of disciplinary proceedings against Argentina’s football association and several of its players amid several alleged violations during the World Cup, notably the use of a sporting event to promote political positions.
The decision comes in the wake of Argentina’s semi-final win over England in Atlanta, when some of the team’s players held up a banner reading “Falkland Islands Argentine”, a direct reference to the historic dispute between the two countries over the islands’ sovereignty.
He confirmed FIFAIn an official statement, he said the use of sporting events to convey non-sporting messages was a clear breach of disciplinary rules, noting that the incident was not the first as he had previously fined Argentina £20,000 in 2014 for a similar flag before a friendly against Slovenia.
The allegations were not limited to the flag incident, but included a long list of infractions during the tournament, including discriminatory chants and gestures, game delays, failure to follow safety and security protocols, in addition to inappropriate messages from the team and its fans and throwing projectiles from the stands in more than one game.
The investigation also extended to the events of the final, which Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time in New Jersey. A brief scuffle broke out after the final whistle after midfielder Leandro Paredes shoved Spain star Xavi to the ground before Spain’s substitutes stormed onto the pitch to celebrate.
Paredes faces three charges of assault and his teammate Nahuel Molina faces two charges, while Molina, Thiago Almada, former referee and technical staff member Roberto Ayala, in addition to Xavi, each face one charge of unsportsmanlike conduct.
FIFA concluded its statement by emphasizing that “According to the Disciplinary Code, the accused have been given the opportunity to present their position, after which the Disciplinary Committee will announce its decision at the appropriate time.”
