PARIS: French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera on Friday accused Argentine players of being “inelegant winners” and “vulgar” for mocking her country’s star Kylian Mbappe after winning the World Cup final.
“As much as our French team knew how to lose with panache, so the manner in which this Argentine team acted after this victory was not worthy of the match we saw,” the minister told French radio station RTL.
Oudea-Castera singled out goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who was seen in the victory parade in Buenos Aires holding a baby doll its face covered with a photo of French star Mbappe.
Immediately after the match had been heard in the Argentina changing room demanding: “A minute of silence... for Mbappe.”
Mbappe scored a hat-trick as France twice fought back to take the game to a shootout and then beat Martinez with the opening kick.
“I find it pitiful,” said Oudea-Castera.
“It’s just vulgar, inappropriate, really not up to the occasion,” she said
“This Emiliano Martinez is not distinguishing himself. It is rather pathetic.”
The minister said she was pleased that the president of the French Football Federation (FFF) Noel Le Graet had written to his Argentine counterpart to complain of “abnormal excesses“in the celebrations.
The FFF has also said it intends to file complaints against French fans who posted racist comments on social media after Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni missed in the shootout and Kolo Muani squandered a chance late in extra time.
FIFA World Cup: French minister calls Argentina ‘inelegant winners’
https://arab.news/6urq9
FIFA World Cup: French minister calls Argentina ‘inelegant winners’
- Sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera: ‘It’s just vulgar, inappropriate, really not up to the occasion’
- ‘This Emiliano Martinez is not distinguishing himself. It is rather pathetic’
Bayern demolishes Wolfsburg 8-1 to go 11 points clear in Bundesliga
- Bayern hasn’t lost a Bundesliga game since March and remains the only unbeaten team in any of Europe’s five biggest leagues
Michael Olize scored twice as Bayern Munich started the new year by routing Wolfsburg 8-1 with six second-half goals to move 11 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
Olize, Harry Kane and Luis Díaz picked apart the Wolfsburg defense on Sunday in a display of dominance which leaves Bayern firmly on course to defend the title in only the 16th game of the 34-game season.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany was pleased his players didn’t let up.
“It’s these moments where it’s five, six, 7-1, and they keep running, they keep pressing and keep trying to score goals,” he told broadcaster DAZN. “I have to say, I like that.”
In freezing temperatures for Bayern’s first game since the winter break, Olize got a brace and Kane and Díaz one apiece, along with goals for substitutes Raphael Guerreiro and Leon Goretzka, and two Wolfsburg own-goals.
Bayern only had two nervous moments all game. The first was Dzenan Pejcinovic’s goal for Wolfsburg in the 13th, which leveled the score at 1-1 after right back Konrad Laimer missed an interception.
The other was a brief injury scare for Kane, who needed treatment after being caught on the ankle by defender Moritz Jenz midway through the first half but was soon back in action.
It was Bayern’s biggest margin of victory in a Bundesliga game since Kompany took over ahead of the 2024-25 season. His team has scored a remarkable 63 goals in 16 league games this season, nearly four per game, and conceded only 12.
Bayern hasn’t lost a Bundesliga game since March and remains the only unbeaten team in any of Europe’s five biggest leagues. Wolfsburg is 14th, three points above the relegation zone, as a troubled season hits a new low.
Bayern’s closest rivals all had difficulties this weekend as second-place Borussia Dortmund drew 3-3 with Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen lost 4-1 to Stuttgart and Leipzig’s game was postponed due to snow.
Wolfsburg’s American midfielder Kevin Paredes entered in the 77th minute, his first match this season after recovering from foot surgery in August.
Also Sunday, United States full back Joe Scally scored his first goal since 2023 as Borussia Moenchengladbach beat Augsburg 4-0. Gladbach moved up two places to 10th after winning at home for only the second time this season.
