England vs Argentina: Falklands at center of fierce football rivalry Football News
LONDON: The FBI has labeled Wednesday night’s semi-final between England and Argentina in Atlanta as the highest-risk match due to the fierce and long-running rivalry between the two sides.Forty years ago, England were enraged when Argentina beat them 2-1 in the quarter-finals of Mexico ’86 at the Aztec Stadium. “He cheated,” England goalkeeper Peter Shilton said. “He has shown no remorse.”Argentina’s first goal was scored by Diego Maradona, who punched the ball past Hilton and into the net. Despite England’s protests, the referee claimed he did not see it and allowed the action. Minutes later, Maradona scored the greatest goal in World Cup history. Argentina later lifted the World Cup, with Maradona describing his first goal for England as “the hand of God”.Maradona later admitted in his autobiography that he did use his hands, saying it was “some symbolic revenge against the British” for the 1982 Falklands War, which resulted in the deaths of 649 Argentinians and 255 British soldiers. When then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher authorized the sinking of the Argentine naval ship ARA Belgrano, 323 Argentines were among those killed on the ship.“All I want to do is honor the dead,” Maradona said. “To wipe England off the map of the world – the map of world football.”On Wednesday, Maradona’s son Diego Sinagara urged fans to remember those who died, telling Spanish newspaper Marca: “For all Argentines and Maradona fans, this will be a different kind of match, one that reminds everyone of the Malvinas and all our brothers who died there…”Last week, Argentina’s national soccer team released a video of players celebrating in the dressing room to the Argentinian World Cup fan song “La Cuarta Estrella,” which includes the lyrics: “I am Argentinian from the cradle to the grave, for the Malvinas, for Diego.”“Las Malvinas” is the Argentine name for the Falkland Islands. This week, Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno published an article in the Argentinian newspaper El Pais, describing the Falkland Islands residents as an “artificially implanted” population and demanding that Britain enter negotiations and hand over the territory. He claimed the 2013 referendum was illegal.The Prime Minister’s official spokesman countered: “The residents of the Falkland Islands are British and have the right to determine their own future. The UK’s position is clear. Islanders have repeatedly expressed a desire to remain a British Overseas Territory. “However, this intense rivalry extended even before the Falklands War. In the 1966 World Cup quarter-final between the two teams at Wembley, Argentinian players used violent tackles, spitting, hair pulling and severe intimidation tactics. England manager Alf Ramsey branded them “animals” and Argentina captain Antonio Ratin, who died at the weekend, was sent off after an altercation with the referee. Police had to be called to remove him from the pitch.The two teams met at the 1998 World Cup in France, and Beckham was sent off for kicking Argentine midfielder Diego Simeone. Simeone later admitted that he had gone out of his way to provoke the England midfielder. England lost on penalties. “The English player was more naive. We tried to destroy him,” former Argentina captain Roberto Perfumo told The Guardian in 2002.While Argentinian football culture seems to be all about fomenting anti-British sentiment, ironically football was introduced to Argentina in 1867 by the Hogg brothers, Englishmen from Skelton, Yorkshire.Pubs across the UK are decked out in flags for the biggest night of the year. England fans believe England can win. They also believed the game was revenge for Maradona’s “Hand of God.”
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