Argentina-Holland, Van Gaal and the hatred that dates back to 1978 – Corriere.it

Arsenic and old clichés. It wasn’t just a dramatic football match, the one between Holland and Argentina decided on penalties and in the usual way, that is, with the oranjes in tears. it was the apotheosis of misunderstandings and grudges harbored for years, resulting in two Fifa proceedings, in that big mouth of Nicolas Otamendi that the whole world saw (and commented on) and in that Argentinian party in the face of orange.

On one side the Dutch, beautiful, alternative, irreverent, today we would say radical chic, on the other the ugly, dirty and mean Argentinestoday we would say Peronist populists: they have seen each other like this, since 1978. The Benfica defender explained his behavior by taunting Lautaro when it was time to take the penalty.

Leo Messi himself, during the interview with Argentine TV, interrupts himself to send Weghorst to hell with Weghorst, the Besiktas striker who with his brace brought the match into extra time, one of the most active in provocations: What are you looking at, stupid , what are you looking at. Another involved was Dumfries and he will talk about it with Lautaro in Appiano Gentile.

It must be said that Argentine goalkeeper Martinez also went to annoy the Dutch penalty takers. A completely different scene compared to the one experienced a few hours earlier at the end of Croatia-Brazil, with Perisic’s son who went to embrace a desperate Neymar.

The eve was also completely different: the evil Van Gaal made the mistake of provoking Messi by recalling that in 2014 he had hardly touched the ball and, when he doesn’t have the ball, it’s like being one less. The result was an inspired Messi on the pitch and furious off, which celebrate the 2-0 penalty by standing in front of the Dutch bench with his hands behind his ears, how to say Now let me hear what you have to say. The exultation is also a quote from the one used by Juan Roman Riquelme, whom Van Gaal at Barcelona welcomed like this: I didn’t want you. You are the best with the ball, but when you don’t have it we play with one less.

The same words addressed to Messi: a prejudice? If we add that the relationship with Demichelis at Bayern ended with a ball that Van Gaal’s face was missing by inches, that Di Maria never played at United (so much so that two days ago he said Van Gaal was the worst coach I’ve had, he replies: Sad, one of the few to say it) that’s why the Argentinians are convinced that Dutch hates i latinos. Reciprocated. He pretends to play good football, but he has only put tall people and balls in the middle of the area, Messi dixit. It was nearly enough, but Messi reached the semifinals and this feud was won by him.