Lisandro Martínez has spoken to Olé about the criticism Argentina received after losing the World Cup final against Spain (1-0). The defender has rejected the accusations.
Argentina attracted little sympathy even during their run to the final, with controversy following the team throughout the tournament. Some claimed FIFA favoured them, while others argued referees made too many calls in Lionel Scaloni's side's favour. Martínez rejects all of it.
"I have mixed feelings about it. It bothers me, because this hatred is totally unjustified," he told the Argentine sports newspaper. "I see how my team-mates fought on the pitch and how our supporters made us feel as if we were playing at home."
Then he addressed another accusation directly. "People say we are arrogant, but that probably says more about them than about us," he says. "We have always treated our opponents with a great deal of respect."
Images from Spain v Argentina then spread online. During the trophy presentation after the World Cup final, it appeared the Argentinians had turned their backs on the Spaniards.
Martínez insists that was misleading. "We congratulated all the Spain players and coaching staff. If it looked as though we had our backs to them, it was because we were looking at our own supporters, who kept encouraging us. That was in fact a sign of respect for our fans."
Even in defeat, Martínez remains proud of his country. "I was fortunate enough to win the World Cup in 2022. Unfortunately, we did not manage it this time, but we achieved a great deal. We won by showing unity and respect and by showing the world what it means to be Argentinian. We brought Argentina to the top."