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NEW DELHI: Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala has apologized for his altercation with Spain midfielder Dani Olmo after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, admitting his actions were unacceptable. The ugly scenes unfolded after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time on Sunday to lift the World Cup title. FIFA has since launched an investigation into the brawl after the match.
Chaos after the final whistle
Tensions boiled over immediately after the final whistle when players and staff from both teams engaged in heated clashes.Spain captain Rodri was seen arguing with Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi. Leandro Paredes was shown a red card for a tackle on Gavi, who ran onto the pitch to celebrate Spain’s victory.Ayala also got involved in the incident. Television footage showed the former Argentina defender approaching Dani Olmo before making contact with the Spanish midfielder. Olmo decided not to retaliate.
Ayala apologizes for her actions
Speaking after the incident, Ayala admitted he made a mistake and said he regretted losing control.“Obviously I’m sorry. Because of my position, I can’t let the feeling, or what I might get from the other side, change my mood and my actions. I’m sorry, but for me, those are the things that stay there and that’s it,” Ayala said in an interview with Valencia Capital Radio.“For me, things need to be put behind us and left there. It was more of a push than anything, it wasn’t a punch as they say, and that’s it. It was a reaction to something he said, but that’s it. If I see him, obviously I’ll apologize to him in person,” he said.Ayala said his emotions got the best of him during the chaotic scenes and he accepted full responsibility for his behavior.“It’s a shame, and you have to accept the facts and the things you did on the field. When the game ends, what I see is a fight in the middle of the field, we attack our players and that’s how it ends because it’s not us,” he said.He added that his original intention was to stop the conflict, not to become part of it.“I take responsibility for what I did. My intention was to go and separate them, that was my intention, but sometimes things happen and emotions run high, but that’s no excuse. And given my position, my behavior must be different, regardless of what I receive,” he said.FIFA launched disciplinary proceedings for the brawl after the match.The governing body’s disciplinary committee has appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to investigate incidents involving players and coaching staff.
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