By Joiner Martinez
18 Jul 2024, 20:27 PM EDT
The controversy surrounding the Argentina national team over its chants during the celebrations after winning the Copa América against Colombia has added a new voice: Hugo Lloris, runner-up with France in the 2022 World Cup, was scathing about his opponents in the Qatar final.
In an interview with BBC Sport, the former Les Bleus goalkeeper said: “The song is racially offensive and discriminatory. It is a direct attack on the French people, especially on French people who have African origins and family.”
Lloris, who was a teammate of Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso at Tottenham, was not shy about the state the Argentine players were in when they sang the chants: “It doesn’t matter if you are in a moment of euphoria because you have won an important trophy. It demands even more responsibility when you are a winner. We are all against discrimination and racism. I just think and hope that it is a mistake and that they learn from it.”
The French goalkeeper did not take away the merit of Argentina’s sporting achievement, but he did stress that success also brings with it greater responsibility: “They deserve a lot of recognition for what they have done on the pitch over the last four or five years. But that also becomes a responsibility as they are the face of football right now, in South America and in the world,” he concluded.
Actions of the French Football Federation
The French Football Federation (FFF) will file a complaint for “racial and discriminatory insults” after complaining to the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) about the video in which Argentine footballers mock French players.
The rivalry between France and Argentina began at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, when the Europeans eliminated the Albiceleste 4-3.
The World Cup final in Qatar, played on December 18, 2022, between Argentina and France, was decided on penalties in favor of the South Americans.
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