Argentina accused of ‘organising a dirty plan’ before Croatia clash

Argentina and Lionel Messi train ahead of Croatia

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Argentina have been accused of ‘organising a dirty plan’ for the World Cup semi-final by the most prominent sports newspaper in Croatia. La Albiceleste’s quarter-final win over the Netherlands was a tense affair with arguments regularly breaking out between players, benches and coaching staff and Croatian media believe a similar plan could be in place for the last four. 

Argentina go into today’s semi-final as favourites after Lionel Messi’s inspired performances helped the nation progress in the World Cup. However, Croatia will not be an easy opponent, having beaten Brazil and Japan on their way to a second consecutive last-four appearance. Zlatko Dalic’s men have taken eight of their last nine knockout games to extra time and you wouldn’t bet against them doing at least the same again. 

Yet, if some parts of the Croatian media are to be believed, Luka Modric and co could face a more difficult match thanks to the antics of their South American opponents. Drazen Antolic suggests Argentina have hatched a ‘dirty plan’ to get the team ‘out of rhythm while writing for Sportske Novosti, the most-read sports paper in the country. 

“The Argentines are preparing something rotten for us!” he exclaims. “Three of the players are a target, Dalic has also discovered everything. 

“To write that the Argentines know how to use dirt in the game would not be a bombshell, as this has been witnessed by many who have faced them for decades in world championships, but on the eve of the semifinals, scandalous news arrives about their preparation for Croatia. and the methods they intend to use.

“A footballer from Argentina admitted to his teammates from his European club that they were entrusted with the task of provoking and giving instructions on how to get Croatia out of rhythm. That same player, who is the permanent starter for Argentina, in addition to the jokes and comments seen so far in the stadiums of Qatar, he expressed that they will break and defeat us in 60 minutes.

“We can’t say exactly what they intend to do, but we know how anyone behaves when they want to annoy their opponent and influence him to start making mistakes, arguing, drawing cards. This is a tactic that was already seen with Argentina in the match against the Netherlands, in a high-tension match, and then they did not stand out due to his behaviour. What’s more, they are not afraid to do what they think will help them succeed.

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“Argentinians believe that our people, especially some of them, have weak nerves, that they will not be able to keep their wits about them when they are trampled on, cursed at, “I slept with your wife”, pinched and the like. According to the expectations of that player in an hour at most… It will take them that long for someone to be sent off or to score at least two goals. The three Argentinian players allegedly received special instructions on how to provoke the three Croatian players whom they consider the weakest links of the team in this matter.”

Argentinian media have hit back at the suggestions with TyC Sports stating: “The truth is that what is written in the article sounds completely crazy, added to the fact that no type of evidence is presented to support it.” 

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni, meanwhile, has shot down the idea that his side use the dark arts to win games. Speaking ahead of tonight’s match, he said:  “The previous game was played the way we had to play it from both teams, the Netherlands and Argentina, and that’s football. In football, sometimes you have to defend, attack and some games, you know, things can happen like the previous game.

“There can be arguments, more challenging times but that’s all. That’s why there is a referee to make justice. And we need to just put an end to this idea of, you know, thinking Argentina is just that and we usually have that sort of behaviour.

“We lost to Saudi Arabia, we didn’t say anything. We won the Copa América in Brazil and we experienced the most sporting behaviour with Messi, [Leonardo] Paredes and Neymar. They were all sitting together in that tunnel at that Maracanã Stadium, so I’m really not convinced of this idea of unsporting behaviour.

“We need to show our pride and we just played the game the way we had to play it. And then there is a referee in charge of making decisions. Things end in the moment the referee blows the final whistle. So, we respect all the teams, the Netherlands, Croatia now and all the opponents we face. That’s one of our main characteristics and features of our personality since the first game.

“We need to put an end to this idea of us not being good winners or losers – that’s very far from who we actually are as a team, as a squad and as the way we represent this nation.”

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