England vs Argentina: Falklands at epicenter of bitter football rivalry

FIFA World Cup: Thursday’s semi-final match between England and Argentina in Atlanta. (AP/ANI photo) LONDON: The FBI has named England’s semi-final with Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday night as the most dangerous match because of the fierce and enduring rivalry between the two sides.Forty years ago, when Argentina beat England 2-1 in the quarter-finals of Mexico’86 at the Azteca Stadium, the English were angry. “He cheated,” said England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. “He showed no remorse.Diego Maradona’s first Argentina goal came when he fisted the ball past Shilton into the net. Despite England’s protests, the referee claimed he had not seen it and allowed it. Minutes later, Maradona scored the greatest World Cup goal of all time. Argentina later lifted the World Cup and Maradona described his first goal in England as “the hand of God”.Maradona later admitted in his autobiography that he had indeed used his hand, saying it was “a kind of symbolic revenge against the English” for the 1982 Falklands War, in which 649 Argentines and 255 British soldiers died. Of the Argentines killed, 323 were aboard the Argentine naval vessel ARA Belgrano when then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher authorized its sinking.“All I wanted was to honor the memory of the dead,” Maradona said. “Wipe England off the World Map – Football Maps of the World.”Maradona’s son Diego Sinagara urged fans on Wednesday to remember those who died, telling Spanish newspaper Marca: “For all Argentinians and Maradona fans, it will be a different kind of match that will remind us all about the Malvinas (Falklands War) and all our brothers who died there…”Last week, Argentina’s national soccer team released a video of the players celebrating in their dressing room with Argentina’s World Cup fans’ anthem La Cuarta Estrella, which includes the lyrics: “I’m Argentine from cradle to grave, for Malvinas, for Diego.”“Las Malvinas” is the Argentine name for the Falkland Islands. This week, Argentina’s Foreign Minister Pablo Quirrno described the Falkland Islanders as an “artificially implanted” population in an essay in Argentina’s La Nacion newspaper, calling for Britain to open talks on handing over the territory. He argued that the 2013 referendum was illegitimate.An official spokesman for the British prime minister responded: “The Falkland Islanders are British with the right to determine their own future. The UK’s position is clear. The islanders have repeatedly expressed their wish to remain a British overseas territory.”However, this bitter rivalry dates back to before the Falklands War. In 1966, when the two sides met in the quarter-finals of the World Cup at Wembley, Argentina’s players used violent instruments, spitting, hair-pulling and strong intimidation tactics. England manager Alf Ramsey famously called them “animals” and Argentina captain Antonio Rattin, who died at the weekend, was sent off for dissent after arguing with the referee. The police had to be called to take him off the field.The two sides met in France ’98 when David Beckham was shown a red card for kicking Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone. Simeone later admitted that he did everything possible to provoke the English midfielder. England lost on penalties. “The English players are naive. We are looking for ways to destroy him,” former Argentina captain Roberto Perfumo told the Guardian in 2002.While Argentine football culture seems to be all about whipping up anti-English sentiment, football was ironically introduced to Argentina in 1867 by the Hogg brothers who were Englishmen from Skelton in Yorkshire.Pubs across Britain are decked out in prepared flags for the biggest night of the year. England fans are confident that England can win. He also sees the match as revenge for Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’.