International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) initiates an investigation against the national team Argentina due to the fact that after the victory of their national team over English Argentina fans, and then soccer players, unfurled the banner "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" ("The Malvinas are Argentine").
However, according to information published by The Touchline, any sanctions will not be imposed before Sunday's final against Spain. All Argentine players who participated in developing the banner will be able to play in the title game, and a decision on punishments should be made only after the World Cup is over.
In England, such a move was met with disbelief. British politicians demanded an immediate reaction and the suspension of the players involved before the final, but according to the information provided, Argentina will still be able to count on all its stars against Spain. Clearly, this decision was not greeted with enthusiasm even in Spain, which is playing the final with Argentina.
FIFA has not yet confirmed that decision with an official statement, so the information about the postponement of the sanctions should be linked to this publication by "Touchline", reports tportal.hr.
Argentina beat England 2:1 in the semi-finals of the World Cup on Wednesday.
The banner reminds of the decades-long dispute between Argentina and Great Britain over sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, or the Malvinas, as Argentinians call them, which are under British administration.
On Thursday, the British government called on FIFA to investigate the case.
"World Cup it may not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falkland Islands will never waver," a spokesman for outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday.
He added that Starmer backed calls for FIFA to investigate the case after British Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said the player's behavior was "totally inappropriate".
Photo: Rebecca Blackwell/AP photo"Malvinas are Argentinian" said Argentina fans
FIFA can prosecute Argentina's players and the FA because its code prohibits any "message inappropriate for a sporting event" in stadiums, including those of a "political, ideological, religious or offensive nature".
Fifa fines for political messages range from around $5.000 to $20.000.
Argentine president Javier Miley described the players' celebration with the banner as "completely valid", saying the message "reflects the feeling shared by all Argentines", but added that he expected FIFA to sanction the Argentina national team with a fine.
How the Falklands War ignited the semi-final between England and Argentina
"What the players are doing is understandable, they are reacting emotionally, they are acting impulsively and that will probably lead to a penalty," Miley said.
Source: AP
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