Tag: Argentina

Argentina will begin a trial this week into the medical team of late soccer icon Diego Maradona over homicide by negligence, a case that has charged up emotions in the country where the World Cup winner still commands almost God-like reverence.

The trial, expected to last for months, starts today, over four years after Maradona’s death in November 2020 from heart failure at age 60 after undergoing brain surgery days earlier. His medical team generally rejects the charges.

A court in San Isidro, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, will listen to nearly 120 testimonies. The defendants are charged with “simple homicide with eventual intent” in the treatment of the former Boca Juniors and Napoli player.

Maradona’s death rocked the South American nation where he was revered, prompting a period of mourning and angry finger pointing about who was to blame after the icon’s years-long battle with addiction and ill health.

Nicknamed “D10S”, a play on the Spanish word for god, and “Pelusa” for his prominent hair, Maradona battled alcohol and drug addiction, but was adored – including in tattoos, opens new tab – for his flawed genius that led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986.

That sharpened anger around his death, while a medical board appointed to investigate the circumstances concluded in early 2021 that the soccer star’s medical team had acted in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner”.

“I hope there’s justice because they killed him. Diego (Maradona) should be alive,” Argentina merchant Luis Alberto Suarez told Reuters in Buenos Aires. “They didn’t take care of him.”

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A medical board appointed to investigate Maradona’s death found in early 2021 that the soccer star’s medical team acted in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner”.

Not everyone was so sure, however.

“I can only speak from what I see from the outside. But we can’t say if they were wrong or not,” said self-employed worker Martin Milei.

“In hindsight, they got it completely wrong. But I think there are more people responsible than what’s being said.”

Unemployed Argentine Pablo Knopfler said he hoped that the trial would uncover the truth.

“I hope there’s a trial to know with more clarity what happened to Diego,” he said. “Perhaps there’s someone up above us or maybe Diego himself who wants to shed light on what happened to him so that the truth is revealed.”

A fan invasion in the opening match of the Olympic football tournament between Argentina and Morocco  yesterday caused chaos, with Argentina eventually beaten 2-1 following a VAR review after play was suspended with the score tied at 2-2.

Argentina’s Cristian Medina scored deep in injury time to salvage what looked like a 2-2 draw, but the decision ruling out the goal was delivered about two hours after play was suspended when the teams re-emerged on to the pitch to finish the match in an empty stadium.

The teams played for three minutes and 15 seconds after VAR completed its review and disallowed the goal.

After order was restored in Saint-Etienne and the teams had left the field following the fan invasion, they discovered that the match had not been completed but suspended by officials.

The venue manager told Reuters the game had been interrupted, adding that a decision about whether the match would be completed was being discussed.

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The teams re-emerged just before 7:00 p.m. local time and warmed up a second time so the final minutes could be played.

The gold medal winners in 2004 and 2008 were not at their best despite lining up with recent Copa America winners Julian Alvarez, Nicolas Otamendi and Geronimo Rulli.

Soufiane Rahimi put Morocco ahead after Achraf Hakimi set him up from the right following a superb passing move in the final seconds of the first half.

Rahimi doubled the advantage and netted his second from the penalty spot in the 49th minute before Giuliano Simeone pulled one back for Javier Mascherano’s side in the 68th.

Medina then found the net 16 minutes into stoppage time before fans stormed the pitch and objects were thrown at players as chaos erupted in the eastern French city.

Spain beat Uzbekistan 2-1 in their opening match of Group C at the Parc de Princes.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said he is constantly surprised by his team’s ability to carve out wins after their 1-0 extra-time triumph over Colombia in the Copa America final on Sunday.

The victory means Argentina become the first South American team to win three straight major tournament titles.

The Albiceleste followed up their 2021 Copa America title with the World Cup triumph a year later and successfully defended their Copa title in the USA.

Spain are the only other team in international football to have won a World Cup in between two straight continental titles when they clinched Euro wins in 2008 and 2012 either side of the 2010 World Cup.

 “I don’t know if it marks an era, but it’s true this team never ceases to surprise, they overcame the difficulties of a very difficult match, with a very complicated opponent and without a good first half,” Scaloni said.

 “In the second half I think we improved and deserved to win and then always in extra time, in the long run the team always finds something extra, so it’s gratifying to see them play and I’m eternally grateful for the way they give their all,” he said.

Scaloni said he drew great satisfaction from seeing the country’s fans celebrating once again.

 “I’m very happy because the people are happy, they have a moment of happiness and that’s what the players play for, that’s what those of us who manage the national team are here for, for the people to identify with the team,” he said.

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The game marked the end of an era for winger Angel Di Maria, who announced he would retire after this tournament although Scaloni suggested he would like him to make one final appearance on home soil.

 “Di María has had some spectacular matches, but today’s was one of his best. As well as playing well, he had the attitude to press at a time in the match when his legs weren’t working and he started running as if he were 25 years old.

 “He’s a legend, there’s no way to convince him (to stay on) but maybe at least play one more and say goodbye to his fans because he deserves it. His story is like a movie because of how it ended,” Scaloni said at a press conference.

Scaloni, whose wife Elisa is Spanish, said the win for her country over England in the Euro final in Berlin had made it a day of double joy.

 “To have my family here, well, it’s the best. They’re twice as happy because Spain are also champions . so we’re doubly happy and it’s been a special Sunday” he said.

Lionel Messi may sit out Argentina’s next Copa America game against Peru to rest a sore thigh with his team already qualified for the next round after two wins.

Messi, who turned 37 this week and has been suffering muscle niggles, required brief medical treatment on his thigh during Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Chile at the U.S.-hosted tournament.

But he completed the 90 minutes, shaving the post with one long range shot and was at the heart of Argentina’s attacks.

“It bothers me a bit, but I was able to stay on until the end. I hope it’s nothing serious … I wasn’t able to move properly because of the bother,” he said, acknowledging it might be wiser to sit out the Peru game on Saturday.

“Let’s see how the next few days ago, how I recover. We’ve taken an important step to qualify and be relaxed. It’s a lot of games, a lot of travelling,” added Messi, saying he had also suffered from a sore throat and fever before the Chile game.

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With a 2-0 win over Canada also under their belt, world champions and tournament favourites Argentina are looking comfortable in the early stages of the Copa America even if not at their scintillating best.

They top Group A with six points, ahead of Canada on three after their victory over Peru.

Argentina are happy to have started the Copa with routine wins after the unwanted drama of their last major tournament when they opened the World Cup in Qatar with a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in one of the all-time shocks.

Lawmakers of both parties slammed WADA’s handling of the situation, calling it unacceptable.

Victory at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Tuesday, thanks to a late Lautaro Martinez goal, helped Messi bury one of the worst moments of his career at the same stadium eight years ago.

His penalty shootout miss helped condemn Argentina to an agonising loss to Chile in the 2016 Copa America final, leaving an inconsolable Messi vowing to quit international football after yet another failure with his national side.

Lionel Messi has said Argentina will have to play better than ever and must not rest on their laurels if they are to win a second straight Copa América.

The 2022 World Cup champions begin their Copa América title defence against Canada on Thursday in Atlanta, Georgia. They will also face Peru and Chile in Group A.

“Today, we can say that we are the best because we are the world champions. But that does not make us believe that we are going to win this Copa América by walking,” Messi said.

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“It is going to be very level, all the teams are complicated. Ecuador has a generation of very good youngsters, who know well what they want, they are intense with the ball, they are clear about what they do and they are physically strong. And like them, you also have Colombia, Uruguay, not to mention Brazil. That’s why I say it will be even and our team is aware that we are going to have to continue doing the same and more to win again.”

Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 at the Maracana stadium to win the Copa América three years ago, the country’s first major title in 28 years.

The Albiceleste have since been in spectacular form, lifting the 2022 World Cup and winning five of their six World Cup qualifiers.

Meanwhile, Argentina’s long -time rivals Brazil go into the Copa América under new coach Dorival Junior but without their men’s all-time leading scorer Neymar, who is injured.

They lost on penalties to Croatia in the quarterfinals of the World Cup and have won just two of their World Cup qualifiers.

“It [Neymar’s absence] is a shame, but they have a million players,” Messi said. “Brazil always has plenty of players because they are continually different. They have a very strong, very competitive team. Brazil is like Argentina: it’s a candidate and wants to win the Copa América.”

Messi, 36, said he plans to enjoy the Copa América that will be staged in the United States and is not thinking about his future.

“I value all those moments [with the squad] very much because I know that there is less and less time left until everything is over and that in some way I am going to miss all of that,” the Inter Miami forward said. “The truth is that it was very difficult for me at first to take the step and leave European football to come here [United States], but once I was here I adapted very quickly and live day to day and think in the moment. Today I feel that I am still fine, that I can continue competing, I continue training, I continue taking care of myself just as I always did, or even more, and I live for the moments. For now I don’t think about the future.”

Cesar Luis Menotti, who led a dashing Argentina team to victory in the 1978 World Cup, has died aged 85, the country’s football federation  has announced.

Menotti, who was born in Rosario, Argentina, in 1938, won 11 caps for Argentina in the 1960s and then managed 11 clubs, some more than once, and two national teams in a coaching career that lasted 37 years.

He is best remembered for leading Argentina to the 1978 World Cup and the under-20 title the following year and for his commitment to a romantic ideal of football at a time when Argentina had developed a reputation for a cynical approach straying into violence.

In the 1978 World Cup final hosts Argentina defeated the Netherlands 3-1 after extra-time with flamboyant man of the tournament Mario Kempes scoring twice against a Dutch side shorn of Johan Cruyff, who had refused to play in the tournament.

The triumph was accomplished with flair but was surrounded by controversy. Many felt Argentina’s repressive junta made it an unsuitable host.

Menotti also opted not to pick 17-year-old phenomenon Diego Maradona, who had made his international debut the year before.

 “I did what I thought I had to do. To take care of him more than anything else, I was infatuated with Diego,” Menotti told El Grafico. “He was so young, so small.”

In the second group phase, Argentina kicked off their last game shortly after the final whistle in Brazil’s victory over Poland, knowing they needed to beat Peru by at least three goals to reach the final.

They won 6-0 with Kempes and Leopoldo Luque each scoring twice. Even though Argentina played well, the victory has long attracted suspicion.

Menotti, fondly known as the “Thin One”, presented a memorable figure on the touchline, smoking and staring impassively from under his shaggy mane.

 “I never go to the barber. I cut my own hair,” he said.

Even though his father died of cancer when Menotti was 16, he too became a heavy smoker. It was “my friend in loneliness,” he said. He quit after a lung operation in 2011.

In 1979, with Maradona in the squad, Menotti led Argentina to the under-20 World Cup, beating the Soviet Union 3-1 in the final.

His reign ended after the 1982 World Cup in Spain, which kicked off just before Argentina surrendered in the Falklands War. Argentina were eliminated by Brazil 3-1 in a second-round defeat that ended with Maradona being sent off.

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Menotti won two cups in two seasons with Barcelona, the last trophies in a coaching career that took him to Italy, Mexico and Uruguay and back to Argentina.

He maintained a lifelong feud with coaches in the more pragmatic Argentine tradition and believed football styles are political.

 “Left-wing football is generous and committed only to the public,” he told German magazine Kicker in 2006. “It is sincere and does not put the result above everything.”

Menotti, a striker, started his playing career with the club he supported, Rosario Central.

He moved to Boca Juniors, where he won an Argentine title, then to the New York Generals and from there to Santos in Brazil where he played alongside Pele.

He became an assistant coach at Central’s city rivals Newell’s Old Boys.

In 1973, he led Huracan to their only league title since 1928. He became national manager in 1974 and, despite being a member of the Communist Party, stayed on when the military seized power in 1976.

In 2018, he told El Grafico, an Argentine sports magazine, that “it was better to fight from the inside than from the outside”.