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Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala has publicly said he regrets a physical altercation with Spain international Dani Olmo. The incident took place immediately after the Albiceleste’s painful World Cup final defeat, as emotions spilled over between the two benches during the celebrations in New Jersey.

Ayala admits regret over New Jersey clash

After Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the final, Lionel Scaloni’s assistant Ayala - a 115-cap Argentina international and 2004 Olympic gold medal winner - accepted that his conduct was not befitting of him after he pushed Dani Olmo during the post-match disorder. Speaking to Esports Migdia on Valencia Capital Radio, the former defender offered no excuses, admitting that he failed to keep his professional composure at the end of a heated tournament.

“Obviously, I am sorry. Given the position I hold, I cannot allow a feeling, or what I might receive from the other side, to change my mood and my actions. I am regretful; for me, these are things that stay there and that’s it,” Ayala said. He was quick to make clear that while the images appeared aggressive, the incident was not as serious as some reports claimed, though he is still determined to apologise to the Spanish playmaker. “For me, we have to cut things short and leave it there. It was more of a push than anything else, it wasn’t a punch as they want to claim, and it stayed there. It was a reaction to a remark, but that’s it, if I see him, obviously I will apologise to him in person,” he added.

The heat of the moment

After a huge post-match brawl - sparked by a clash between Gavi and Leandro Paredes that escalated into punches involving Rodri and Nahuel Molina - Ayala tried to step in. The former Valencia centre-back, who won two La Liga titles, a UEFA Cup, and a European Super Cup with Valencia, said his first aim was to calm the growing tension, but the intensity of the moment eventually caused him to lose control. “It’s a shame, and one has to take responsibility for the facts and the things one has done on the pitch. When the match ends, what I see is that there is a brawl in the middle of the pitch, and we rushed to get our players so it would end that way because that’s not who we are,” the former Valencia man said.

Ayala accepted complete responsibility for what happened, stressing that coaches must stay calm no matter the provocation or the size of the occasion. “I take full responsibility for what I did. My intention was to go and separate, that was my intention, but sometimes you run into things that happen when your heart rate is through the roof, but that is no excuse. Given the position I hold, my behavior has to be different, no matter what I receive. Eric García was also there, and I simply told Eric that I came in only to separate people and to congratulate them, nothing more,” the assistant coach explained in the frank interview.

Praise for De la Fuente’s Spain

Even though Argentina lost - and managed only two shots compared to Spain’s 20 - Ayala admitted that Luis de la Fuente’s side were the better team. “They were superior and deserving winners of the World Cup. That was my wish and my intention. For me, it stays there; what happened on the pitch stays on the pitch. Spain was better and won a World Cup playing very beautiful football that many people enjoy,” he said.

However, Ayala also voiced irritation with the way the Argentina national team is often portrayed, saying there is frequently a negative bias against them. “It has happened thousands of times, but I don’t know why lately, and even more so with our national team - I don’t know if it’s a campaign or something - there was a certain ‘animosity’ wishing that our team wouldn’t do well, that we play a different kind of football... It’s the football we feel, we play to bring joy to our people. They look for things to make everything negative towards Argentina. There are thousands of gestures with Spanish players that they don’t show, and there needs to be real journalism,” he said.

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Denying a lack of respect

One of the main criticisms after the final was the image of the Argentina squad appearing to turn their backs during the trophy presentation. Ayala explained that this was a misunderstanding linked to family concerns and logistics, not a sign of disrespect. “We were right there, very close to the Spanish players while they were celebrating, waiting for them to set up the stage so they could receive the Cup. Some family members had issues in the stands, so we went to check that everything was fine and stayed on that side with our people. It was a way to thank them, as they made a huge sacrifice far from home. We had our backs turned, but we had the screen in front of us, and several of us turned around to watch that moment; we saw it, we were there, and that’s all there is to it. It was not out of spite,” he clarified.