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Argentina coach apologises for Dani Olmo punch, reveals what sparked ugly World Cup final confrontation
Roberto Ayala has clarified the incident, claiming it was more of a push and that it happened because Olmo said something.
Argentine coach Roberto Ayala issued an apology after punching Spain's Dani Olmo in the controversial scenes after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Ayala revealed that he reacted to something the Spanish midfielder said after the final whistle.
Spain won 1-0, courtesy of Ferran Torres' extra-time goal on Sunday. But the scenes after the final whistle were chaotic as Spain captain Rodri got into a verbal altercation with Nicolas Otamendi. Meanwhile, Leandro Paredes was given a red card after the final whistle for punching Gavi. Paredes punched Gavi when he ran onto the field to celebrate with his teammates.
Meanwhile, Ayala was also involved in the chaotic scenes and was seen approaching Olmo before punching him in the face. Meanwhile, Olmo showed restraint and didn't react.
‘Obviously I’m sorry’: Roberto Ayala
Ayala has clarified the incident, claiming it was more of a push and that it happened because Olmo said something. The former player also apologised to Olmo.
Speaking on Esports Migdia, he said, "Obviously I’m sorry. Because of my position, I can’t allow a feeling, or what I might receive from the other party, to change my mood and my actions. I’m sorry, but for me, these are things that stay there and that’s it."
"For me, things need to be put behind us and left there. It was more of a push than anything else, it wasn’t a punch like they’re saying, and that’s it. It was a reaction to something he said, but that’s it. If I see him, I’ll obviously apologise to him in person.
"It’s a shame, and you have to accept the facts and the things you’ve done on the field. When the game ends, what I see is a fight in the middle of the pitch, and we rush to go after our players, and it ends up like that because that’s not who we are.
"I take responsibility for what I did. My intention was to go and separate them, that was my intention, but sometimes things happen and emotions run high, but that’s no excuse. And given my position, my behaviour has to be different, regardless of what I receive," he added.
Meanwhile, FIFA has opened an investigation into the chaotic scenes. FIFA's disciplinary committee has appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to assess the incident.
