Lisandro Martinez explains why Argentina players turned their backs on Spain’s World Cup lift

Lisandro Martinez says Argentina players only had their backs turned on Spain’s World Cup lift as they were ‘showing respect’ to their own fans behind the goal.

Unsavoury post-match scenes threatened to overshadow Spain’s celebrations after what was a scrappy and bad-tempered final in New Jersey.

Argentina midfielder Leandro Parades was at the centre of an especially ugly skirmish involving Gavi and Eric Garcia, in which he was seen kicking and shoving the Spanish duo on the ground.

A separate altercation saw Argentina coach Roberto Ayala punch Spain’s Dani Olmo in the neck area, with the Barcelona midfielder showing commendable restraint not to react before being led away by Luis de la Fuente.

The controversy and drama did not cease as Spain’s jubilant squad walked up to the podium to collect the coveted trophy, though, with Argentina’s despondent players refusing to watch.

Footage of the extraordinary reaction drew a ferocious backlash from the wider football community and made headlines for all the wrong reasons, as Lionel Scaloni’s players were branded ‘sore losers’ and ‘classless’.

Meanwhile, the one Argentinian who did front up to Spain’s celebrations, Jose Manuel Lopez, was applauded for his dignified behaviour in defiance of those team-mates stood around him at MetLife Stadium.

Speaking after the final, Argentina head coach left fans stunned as he argued that his players had set ‘great example for our people and country’ while ‘showing how to lose’ .

‘We accept that we lost, we gave everything, we arrived at a very crucial moment, but if they leave everything on the field like they did today, it’s a great example for our people and country,’ he said.

‘You lose and you have to get back up again. Today we showed that we know how to lose.

‘It’s incredibly hard to get there, you have to acknowledge that. We would have liked to win, but I only have words of gratitude.

‘You can play well or badly, but when you give your all like that, it’s hard to find fault.’

A week on from the New Jersey spectacle and Martinez has ‘mixed feelings’ about how Argentina’s World Cup defence came to an end.

The Manchester United centre-back has been ‘angered’ by the negative reaction Argentina have faced in the days that have followed and is adamant he and his team-mates treated all opponents with the utmost respect.

‘I have mixed feelings. It makes me a little angry because they have no basis for generating that hatred,’ Martinez said after receiving a hero’s welcome on his return to his hometown Gualeguay.

‘They say we’re arrogant but maybe it says more about the people who say those things than about us.

‘We have always been respectful to our opponents.’

Martinez went on to refute claims that Argentina’s players had turned their backs on Spain as a show of disrespect to the opposition.

‘After the final, we greeted all the Spanish players and coaching staff,’ he added.

‘The image where we appear with our backs to the camera was because we stayed singing with our fans.

‘It was a show of respect towards the Argentine fans, we couldn’t leave.’

FIFA have confirmed there will be an investigation into Argentina’s conduct after the final.

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