France Criticises ‘Abnormal’ Argentinean Celebrations

The president of the French Football Federation (FFF) wrote to the Argentina Football Association (AFA) to express his displeasure at the “strange” and “shocking” World Cup celebrations, which included teasing of star striker Kylian Mbappe.

The Albiceleste defeated the reigning champions France in a nail-biting penalty shootout to claim their third global championship at the Qatar 2022 tournament.

Goalkeeper Emi Martinez suggested a mock minute of silence for the defeated French star Mbappe, whose hat-trick still wasn’t enough to win a game that ended 3-3 after extra time. This is where Argentina’s celebrations began.

The Argentina team led by Lionel Scaloni was greeted like heroes on Tuesday in Buenos Aires, where an estimated four million fans lined the streets before the team had to be evacuated by helicopter.

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When Martinez won the shootout, he celebrated with a baby doll that included Mbappe’s face, which prompted FFF president Noel Le Graet to file a complaint with the AFA.

We have launched different procedures. It is very shocking,” Le Graet explained in an interview with Ouest-France.

“These are boys who have given the best of themselves for the France team to succeed. It is important that we support them.

“I wrote to my counterpart from the Argentine Football Association.

“I find these excesses abnormal in the context of a sports competition, and I find it difficult to understand. It goes too far. Mbappe’s behavior was exemplary,” Le Graet further claimed.

TV personality Piers Morgan was one of several to criticise Martinez’s actions. He also took the opportunity to call Argentina captain Lionel Messi’s moral character into question.

“Why is Messi letting Martinez mock and humiliate Mbappe like this?” Morgan asked.

“They’re teammates at PSG, [it’s] just so weird and graceless.”

The fact that Martinez went out of his way to comfort Mbappe after his nation lost has been disregarded by both Morgan and Le Graet, who have also omitted to explain the backdrop of why South Americans have taken issue with the 24-year-old.

Mbappe asserted that South Americans were less prepared for the World Cup than their European counterparts because they play less “high-level matches” earlier this year in an interview with TNT Sports Brazil.

“He never played in South America. When you don’t have this experience, it may be better not to talk about it. But it doesn’t matter. We are a great team, recognized as such,” Martinez fired back.

Le Graet also shared his opinions on Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who missed the competition due to a thigh injury before appearing to announce his retirement from international competition on Monday, the day after his 35th birthday.

“He probably intends to focus 100% on his club after having several small injuries,” Le Graet remarked.

Le Graet commented on rumours that France will fly Benzema in for the championship game: “To my knowledge, he returned to training very recently, in no case could he have played.”

“The staff did the right thing, they wanted him to leave very quickly to see his doctors in Madri.”