Ibrahim Hassan, a member of the Egyptian coaching staff, launched harsh criticism against Lionel Messi, Argentina’s captain: “Messi is very provocative. I don’t understand why he came over to our technical area”.
According to his account, the Argentine captain approached Egypt’s technical area while they were protesting some refereeing decisions, a gesture he interpreted as an attempt to pressure his team psychologically.
“They played very coldly, taking advantage of the leeway granted to them by some of the referee’s decisions, and it was clear that they were trying to create a situation of provocation and psychological pressure”, Hassan said.
The statements sparked intense debate among fans and journalists, as there was no public response from Messi regarding the accusations.