Argentina’s assistant coach Roberto Ayala has apologised for his role in the chaotic scenes that followed the World Cup final but insists he did not throw a punch at Dani Olmo.
After the 2022 champions were dethroned by Spain in New Jersey last Sunday, there were confrontations between several sets of players.
There have been calls for Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes to be banned after he pushed Gavi’s head towards the ground, and a member of Lionel Scaloni’s backroom team even became involved.
Ayala, who represented Napoli, AC Milan and Valencia during his playing career, also winning 116 caps for Argentina, appeared to strike Barcelona’s Dani Olmo.
Replays showed Ayala hitting Olmo in the throat, but in an interview with Valencia Capital Radio, the former centre-back insisted that action was not intentional.
“Obviously, I am sorry. Given the position I hold, I cannot allow a feeling, or what I might receive from the other side, to change my mood and my actions,” he said.
“I am regretful; for me, these are things that stay there and that’s it. We have to cut things short and leave it there.
“It was more of a push than anything else, it wasn’t a punch as they want to claim, and it stayed there. It was a reaction to a remark, but that’s it.
“If I see him, obviously I will apologise to him in person.
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“I take full responsibility for what I did. My intention was to go and separate [the players], but sometimes you run into things when your heart rate is through the roof.
“That is no excuse. Given the position I hold, my behaviour has to be different, no matter what I receive.
“Eric Garcia was also there, and I simply told Eric that I came in only to separate people and to congratulate them, nothing more.”
Argentina have now finished as World Cup runners-up on four occasions (also in 1930, 1990 and 2014), the joint-most of any team alongside Germany/West Germany.
