The Argentine supporter who made the controversial Falkland Islands banner has reportedly been refused a request to retrieve it. England fell 2-1 to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup semifinal in Atlanta on Wednesday, losing the chance to meet Spain in Sunday’s Final at MetLife Stadium.
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Controversy erupted following the match in Georgia after several members of the Argentina squad displayed a banner reading: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” which translates to “The Falklands are Argentine” in English.
Argentina refers to the Falklands as Malvinas, and the display of the banner has sparked widespread criticism throughout the soccer and political spheres, as per The Mirror.
The banner has been considered offensive by many, with 255 British soldiers having lost their lives during the Falklands War in 1982. The UK Government issued a statement addressing the incident, declaring: “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are.”
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The banner’s maker, identified only as Santiago to safeguard his identity, has disclosed how he managed to hand the banner to the Argentina players inside the Atlanta venue.
Santiago claims he fashioned the banner using a hotel bedsheet and paint purchased from a local store before concealing it in his pants to sneak it into the stadium.
“When I saw [Gonzalo] Montiel, I threw it to him and he caught it. He passed it to [Giovani] Lo Celso, who was the first to hold it up,” Santiago told Perfil, via the Buenos Aires Times. He continued: “When I saw Lo Celso open it up and his teammates holding it on the pitch, I felt a joy I can’t put into words – how could a piece of bedsheet mean so much to every Argentine.
“It was crazy. I never imagined that flag would go around the world because of a silly idea we had in a hotel room,” Santiago added.
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Santiago reportedly filed a formal request with Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), seeking the banner’s return. However, Santiago was allegedly informed that “the boys don’t want to give it back.”
FIFA stepped in to tackle the controversy surrounding the banner, announcing that an official investigation would be launched.
“As is standard procedure, FIFA’s independent Disciplinary Committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps,” FIFA’s statement read.
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Nevertheless, the White House has maintained that the Argentine players were exercising a First Amendment right to freedom of expression during their Falklands protest.
Argentina are scheduled to face Spain in the World Cup Final in New Jersey on Sunday, with both nations remaining unbeaten across all seven of their matches in the tournament, including the group stages.
