Ayala on the Olmo incident: "It was more of a push, but I would apologize to him"

Argentina's assistant coach, Roberto Ayala, was a central figure in the post-World Cup final melee that marred the start of Spain's celebrations. Speaking from Buenos Aires to "Valencia Capital Radio," Ayala addressed the incident where he struck Dani Olmo on the field. The former central defender, fondly remembered for his time at Valencia, admitted his mistake and expressed a desire to meet the Barcelona player to apologize personally.

"It's regrettable, and one must take responsibility for their actions on the field," admitted Scaloni's assistant. "When the match ended, I saw a scuffle in the center of the pitch and went over to prevent things from escalating, because that's not who we are. I take responsibility for what I did. My intention was simply to go and break it up. Sometimes things happen when your adrenaline is pumping... and that's no excuse. I shouldn't do something like that, regardless of what was said to me. I went in to separate them. These things need to stop immediately. It was more of a push than a punch. It was a reaction to something they said, but if I see Olmo, I will apologize to him personally. Lately, there's been some hostility towards our national team. They wanted our team not to do well. We play for our people. In my position, I cannot allow my emotions to dictate my actions. I am sorry."

Ayala also congratulated Spain and dismissed conspiracy theories: "They were better and deserved to win the World Cup. We only showed a fraction of our game, perhaps because we didn't have the same energy as in 2022. We must congratulate Spain. They were superior and outplayed us. It was another lesson for us. Spain played beautiful football that many people enjoy. There was nothing in the locker room; it was simply one team that played better, was stronger, and won."

Regarding Enzo Fernandez's sending off and the refereeing, he stated: "The referee played his part. I don't know how to evaluate him. He didn't call the minor fouls. There were fouls he overlooked. I think he was too quick with the first yellow card. The second was in a very direct situation, which warrants a yellow card due to the force of the tackle. We can't make excuses that the referee was poor. I think, for officiating the final, he did well."

"After a match like that, you need a few days. We received an incredible welcome from the people, with all the affection they showed us, and that calms things down. But you keep replaying the match in your head, watching and analyzing it. During the flight back, we were together, barely slept, and talked about the game and the entire cycle. Ultimately, when you look at the big picture, what has been achieved in these almost eight years at the helm of the national team is positive," Ayala concluded.