Laporte won't let it go: accuses Argentina of "anti-football" in the World Cup final

Winning a World Cup doesn't always heal every wound. At least not for Aymeric Laporte, who weeks after lifting the trophy with Spain in New Jersey still had plenty to say about how that final against Argentina played out. And it wasn't exactly praise.

The French born defender, now a world champion, sat down on the 'El Camino de Mario' podcast and didn't mince words about what bothered him regarding the opponent's conduct on the field. "It's an ugly image when you see in several matches what looks like aggressiveness, which is anti-football," he said bluntly.

What bothered him most, he explained, was the sense that not every player was treated the same way out on the pitch. "What everyone saw in the end was that they seemed to be allowed more. Not because of certain big names on the team. If another player had done it, he wouldn't have been allowed to get away with as much," said the 32 year old center back, suggesting the officiating wasn't consistent across the Argentine squad.

Laporte went further, describing what he experienced firsthand during the match: shoving that, in his view, crossed the line. "It bothered me to see that kind of thing in football, suddenly there were shoves stronger than they should have been," he added.

The Otamendi exchange, put in context

Amid all that tension there was one specific moment involving Nicolás Otamendi, with whom Laporte shared a locker room at Manchester City. Far from piling on the Argentine as a person, the Spaniard separated the football from the personal side: "Nico wanted to represent his country, I know him from our time at City and off the field he's a good guy."

Interestingly, this wasn't the first time Laporte had flagged what was coming. Days before the final he had already raised concerns about the possible officiating and Argentina's recent track record. "It's true that in recent matches we've seen things that have really surprised us, actions that get let go. Especially with Argentina, which is a team that sends a lot of messages out there," he had said at the time.

That shouldn't be allowed in football, especially in competitions this big, because it can throw you off balance and get under your skin. It's part of the referee's job to control these things so players don't get away with it. If one player or two can do it, the match is going to turn into chaosAymeric Laporte

In that same pre match conversation, the defender also made clear what Spain's plan was before stepping onto the field: play clean and trust that the officiating would hold up its end. "From the start of the tournament we've been a pretty disciplined team in that sense. We're not the type to hit opponents or make crazy fouls. And I think that's what we have to do in this match. But it's true that a lot will depend on the referee," he had said a few days before the final.

With the trophy already in the cabinet, Laporte's words sound less like a desperate complaint and more like a cool headed reflection on how that special match in New Jersey unfolded. One thing is clear: the defender held nothing back, neither before nor after becoming a world champion.