MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Echoes from Qatar World Cup: hooligans replace English flag by an Argentine Malvinas-claim

The English flag was replaced for a Malvinas-claim color by a mob of arrogant over confident Argentine hooligans

Argentine fans and followers of the national football team participating in the World Cup 2022, in Qatar were involved in a hooligan incident which demanded the intervention of local law enforcement officers after the English flag was forcibly replaced by an Argentine Malvinas-claim colors.

This happened on Monday when a crowd of rowdy chanting arrogant Argentine tifosi wanted to express a massive national flags display support for their team's first Cup match against rookie Saudi Arabia, which ended in a humiliating shock.

Qatar 2022. Hinchas argentinos bajaron la bandera de Inglaterra e izaron la bandera Argentina. Reivindicando las Malvinas como parte de nuestro territorio. pic.twitter.com/UCk6CiqqpU

— Antonio G Santos ( Toni ) (@Abogado666) November 22, 2022

The incident occurred along the Corniche, the emblematic promenade that borders the coast line next to a Qatar 2022 clock with a display of monoliths with the flags of all the Cup's competitors.

Qatari law enforcer officers were quick to react bringing down the Malvinas claim color and the English flag was again flying, while the crowd dispersed. The Argentine media was divided as to whether condemn the hooligan attitude or support the 'legitimate' claim, but above all was pleased that the national flags display convened fans from all the different provinces in a country financially, politically and socially in disarray.

Mundial de Qatar 2022: hinchas argentinos descolgaron la bandera inglesa e izaron una de Malvinas

El hecho se produjo en Doha durante el banderazo previo debut del seleccionado que dirige Lionel Scaloni y debió intervenir la guardia civil | #LaDos pic.twitter.com/BWRerSGY4H

— Radio Dos (@radio_dos) November 21, 2022

Anyhow there was little to feel proud about, since after the defeat 2-1 to the Saudis, pretensions turned into looking for the culprit of such shameful performance.

Brazilian yellow media and fans were far more cruel. They celebrated their traditional rival and Mercosur partner defeat recalling the famous Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber opera, “Don't cry for me Argentina”