Argentina flop’s sister makes Falklands Islands declare after World Cup disgrace
Argentina players disgraced themselves at the World Cup after their players started a brawl with Spain following defeat in the final, and the bad losers continued to act up even after the tournament ended
Leandro Paredes’ sister has weighed in on the Falkland Islands row(Image: Image Photo Agency, Getty Images)
Argentina players embarrassed themselves with their behaviour at the World Cup but even one family member has continued to play up after their final defeat to Spain.
Leandro Paredes was nothing short of a disgrace with his behaviour in the final as he somehow escaped being sent off against Spain before sparking a mass brawl having picked to start on one of the smallest players in the Spain squad, midfielder Gavi.
It appears that controversy is never far from that family as his sister Barbara brought back the Falklands controversy after provocatively and incorrectly declaring the Islands belong to her nation. The row over whether Argentina or England controls the South Atlantic territory became a hot topic ahead of their semi-final showdown at the World Cup.
Leandro Paredes picked a fight with Gavi, one of Spain’s smallest players
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Following their 2-1 triumph over the Three Lions, Argentina players partied in front of their supporters before unveiling a white banner bearing the words “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas”. In English, that translates to: “The Falklands belong to Argentina”.
But after the Spain loss, Barbara attempted to claim that the tournament was filled with deluded satisfaction because of the England win. She told reporters: “We’re all delighted, but to be honest we didn’t expect to get this far, and having made it this far and come out on top against England – for us, that meant the world.
“We may not have the third or fourth star, but we’ve got the Falklands all to ourselves.”
The Falklands had become a massive talking point in the lead-up to England’s semi-final loss and continued to dominate headlines for days after, following fury over the banner displayed by Argentina players.
Leandro Paredes’ sister has given her two pence worth on the World Cup and the Falkland Islands(Image: La Nacion)
But the UK government even intervened, clapping back: “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are.”
Argentina have repeatedly attempted to claim the islands, which have been a British territory since 1833 after Britain made the first recorded landing on the islands in 1690, and have never formally belonged to Argentina.
In 1982 they launched a failed invasion which led to the 10-week Falkland War, leading to the death of 255 Brits and 649 Argentines.
An island-wide referendum was held in 2013, with 99.8 per cent of Falkland Islanders voting to stay British.
Despite his conduct, Paredes concentrated entirely on their tournament run in his statement after Sunday’s final.
He declared: “Thank you, Argentina! I love you today and always. Today, I write with a heavy heart, having been unable to bring our country the joy it so richly deserves.
“But with a chest full of pride for having given everything we had and for flying our flag at the very top once again! Thank you to everyone who was part of this national team. To this group of players who gave their all to represent this jersey, fighting for it until the very last second of every match! It was an honour to be part of the best Argentine national team in history.”
Paredes’ mother, Myriam Benitez, also addressed the furore while speaking to reporters awaiting Argentina’s return at the Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires. She declared: “We never disrespect anyone. Respect always, I think that’s everything that motivates us and gets us to where we really want to go. I know what the Argentine National Team means to my son.”
