Argentinian fans are not giving a good representation of their country in Russia as videos of violence and sexist comments have gone viral on the internet this week.
To add to the mix, a video recorded yesterday showed a group of Argentine fans brutally attacking two Croatian supporters following the match between the two countries on Thursday.
Shortly following Argentina’s 3-0 defeat against Croatia, a group of five Argentinians began hitting and kicking two Croatian fans while they were on the floor in the Nizhni Novgorod stadium, reported Los Tiempos. The event was captured on a phone camera and shortly after was shared widely across social media sites, inciting widespread repudiation.
The 3-0 defeat against Croatia along with the unexpected draw with Iceland means that Argentina’s hopes of moving forward to the next round are severely limited. Team Manager Jorge Sampaoli also came under attack yesterday as it was clear that his new team tactics and player placement wasn’t having the desired effect.
La Vanguardia reported that Argentine fans sitting close to where Sampaoli was watching the match from the sidelines started singing obscene chants insulting him after Croatia’s second goal. As the third goal was scored, a fan threw a bottle of water at his head to express his anger and disappointment.
Martin Liberman, an Argentine sports commentator on Fox News tweeted his disappointment in his compatriots’ behaviour.
“This is unacceptable,” his tweet read. “We are the most aggressive society on the planet. We can’t accept losing. How sad.”
Argentina, along with many other Latin American countries, has a history of violence when it comes to football. In 2017 a 22-year-old Argentinian died from head injuries after being pushed off a stand by an angry fans who thought he was from a rival team.
