Spain manager lashes out at ‘intolerable and unacceptable’ Argentina in furious statement after World Cup

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Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has slammed the behaviour of Argentina players in the moments after his side’s World Cup triumph.Various tussles took place on the pitch at MetLife Stadium after the final whistle, marring Spain’s 1-0 victory over Lionel Scaloni’s side.Leandro Paredes aggressively hit out at Gavi after the final whistleGettyBut Spain had the last laugh by claiming their second World Cup successAFPArgentina stars Nahuel Molina and Leandro Paredes were seen to be in the thick of the melee as they targeted Spain duo Rodri and Eric Garcia.The South Americans did not take kindly to the defeat nor Spain’s celebration in the aftermath with Paredes also seen squabbling with Spanish midfield ace Gavi.What did De La Fuente say about the incidents?Speaking for the first time about the post-match incidents, De La Fuente hit out at the conduct of Argentina’s stars.“At the time, I didn’t realise it. I was celebrating, hugging teammates,” De La Fuente told Spanish television.“But in any case, it is intolerable, unacceptable, it cannot be allowed. “Players of that stature, whom I praised in the days leading up to the match and continue to praise, who are great players with a tremendous coach, surely they must have felt just as bad as we did seeing those reactions.”The Spain boss paid tribute to the behaviour of his players who kept their cool in the face of intense ‘aggression’ and ‘provocation’.De La Fuente believes the skirmishes could have escalated into more serious incidents.Argentina are yet to face any disciplinary action despite various angles of the scenes being shared across social media platforms.FIFA has opened an investigation into the incidents to assess whether Argentina had breached their disciplinary code.Argentina players allowed their frustrations to boil over at full-timeGettyLuis De la Fuente hit out at the conduct of Argentina’s starsGettyIt comes after a petition was launched to inflict a lifetime World Cup ban on Argentina.In under a week, the petition has garnered a whopping 23 million signatures from 170 countries across the globe.Fans had become fed up with the South Americans’ antics while accusing FIFA and match referees of ‘bias’ towards Argentina and captain Lionel Messi.A new era approaching Argentina are set for a huge shake up in the wake of last weekend’s World Cup final defeat.Messi has been tipped to announce his retirement from international football at the age of 39.Goalkeeper Emi Martinez hinted that he could soon follow suit having played a key role in the past two World Cup campaigns.There will be plenty for Messi to ponder in the coming days and weeksGettyVeteran defender Nicolas Otamendi went one better by already announcing his international retirement.Argentina boss Scaloni’s future is also uncertain after telling reporters that he could call it quits when his contract expires at the end of 2026.