'This isn't just another match': Argentina VP ahead of England clash
· Yahoo Sports
Argentina's Vice-President Victoria Villarruel has dismissed statements from national team coach Lionel Scolani ahead of their World Cup semi-final against England, saying in reference to the Falklands War that "this isn't just another match."
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"Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates," Villarrual said on X less than 24 hours before the kick-off later on Wednesday in Atlanta.
"I'm not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted; against the English, it's always something more. It's the Malvinas, it's Diego (Maradona), it's Leo's (Messi) last one, and it's putting the brakes on the invaders.
"Go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we're going to claim what's ours!"
Matches between the two sides have had a political side ever since Britain went to war with Argentina in 1982 over the Falkland Islands, known as the Malvinas in Argentina.
Around 1,000 people died and the south Atlantic Falklands remain a British overseas territory they have been since 1833.
Villarruel's father also fought in the war.
Maradona said after Argentina's famous 2-1 win over England in the 1984 quarter-finals, with the famous "Hand of God" goal, that the success was also for Argentina's victims of the war.
Scaloni had said on Tuesday: "It is a game of football, we need to keep things separate.
“What do the players of today have to do with many, many years ago? It was a sad time, we remember this, of course, but it would be quite wrong to put this into the game."