Argentina coach Javier Mascherano described the chaotic conclusion to his team’s 2-1 loss to Morocco in the men’s Olympic football tournament as a “disgrace” and “a circus.”
Crowd trouble caused the first football match of Paris 2024 to be suspended for nearly two hours, with the game eventually finishing in an empty stadium.
With Morocco leading 2-1, Argentina appeared to equalize 16 minutes into second-half injury time, prompting bottles to be thrown onto the field and a pitch invasion by some supporters in Morocco colors.
The referee led both teams off the pitch at 16:05 BST, and the match resumed at 18:00 after fans had vacated the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne.
Shortly before the restart, Argentina’s equalizer was ruled out for offside after a video assistant referee (VAR) review. Morocco maintained their lead through an additional three minutes.
“I have not been a coach for long, but never in my career as a player have I seen a situation like that,” said Mascherano, who won gold with Argentina in 2004 and 2008.
“It is a circus. But that is how it is. We cannot control it. I told the boys that now we need to look forward, try to get the six points that will allow us to qualify and that all this should fill us with energy and anger for what we have ahead of us.”
For some time the outcome of the match was unclear, with the official International Olympic Committee (IOC) website indicating it had ended.
Mascherano said the team captains initially “decided not to play on” and that the organiser “called Fifa” – world football’s governing body – before deciding to restart the match.
“It is a disgrace that this should happen and poison the tournament. This wouldn’t even happen in a neighbourhood tournament. It’s pathetic,” he added.
“Beyond the Olympic spirit, the organisation needs to be up to standard and at the moment, unfortunately, it is not.”
A statement from the tournament organisers said: “The football match between Argentina and Morocco at the Saint-Etienne Stadium was suspended due to a pitch invasion by a small number of spectators.
“The match then restarted and was able to conclude safely. Paris 2024 is working with the relevant stakeholders to understand the causes and identify appropriate actions.”
Argentina play their second match on Saturday in Lyon against Iraq, with Morocco facing Ukraine in Saint-Etienne the same day.