Connect with us

World

POLL: Should Argentina's Premier League players be allowed back into England?

Published

on

But it wasn’t the action on the pitch that sparked international outrage. During the post-match celebrations, several Argentine players – including prominent Premier League stars – brandished a banner handed down from the stands reading: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (The Falklands are Argentinian). The stunt has ignited a massive diplomatic and sporting row. Outgoing Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has firmly backed a FIFA investigation into the incident, with Downing Street issuing a stinging reminder to Buenos Aires: “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are.”Cabinet ministers have branded the display an “egregious violation” of rules separating sport from politics.

But what do YOU think? Should Argentina’s Premier League players be allowed back into England? Vote in the poll and share your views in the comment section below.

Several members of Argentina’s squad play their club football in the UK – earning millions from British fans as their multi-million-pound club salaries are directly funded by the TV subscriptions, match tickets and merchandise bought by British supporters – yet they actively participated in a stunt that directly insults the memory of the 255 British service personnel who died defending the islands from an illegal invasion in 1982.

While FIFA assesses the match reports for potential code of conduct violations, many fans are demanding harsher domestic consequences. Critics have argued that players who show such blatant disrespect to the UK have no place in our domestic leagues and should be blocked from returning to their club duties.

Others have argued that international actions should remain separate from domestic club football.

The outrage comes as the Daily Expres revelead that Argentinian footballers based in the UK, pay roughly a third of the annual cost of the military garrison on the Falkland Islands, a key means by which the UK continues to defend the territory’s sovereignity.

Article 34.3 of the tournament’s rules prohibits the display of any political messages or slogans by players before, during or after a match.

A FIFA spokesperson said: “As is standard procedure, FIFA’s independent Disciplinary Committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the FIFA Disciplinary Code.”

Argentina were fined by FIFA after holding up a banner with the same slogan after a friendly against Slovenia in 2014.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖

Trending