Olympics 2024: Offensive video gave France soccer players extra motivation to beat Argentina
France players say they used an offensive song about their heritage as motivation to beat soccer rival Argentina at the Paris Olympics. Players from both sides clashed on the field immediately after France's 1-0 quarterfinal victory. To many observers, the fracas seemed inevitable.
Friday night's game was played amid high tensions in the wake of a racism scandal following a video showing Argentina's senior-team players celebrating after winning the Copa America last month and singing an offensive song about the African heritage of France's players.
«A great rivalry has been created between two great soccer nations. But given what's been said in the past few weeks our victory is there, on the field and off it,» France captain Alexandre Lacazette said.
«We had in mind what was said (in the video). We had to stay focused on the Olympic Games, but maybe it did give us a little bit of extra motivation for us — and for France.»
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The chief provocateur on Friday was France midfielder Enzo Millot, who admitted that he goaded the Argentines with an element of payback for that video.
«I went to celebrate the victory in front of their bench, yes, it was to wind them up a bit,» he said. «We were thinking about it (the video), it spurred us on.»
Striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored France's goal with a powerful early header, concurred.
«The controversy? Yes, maybe that did serve to
