Falkland Islands government issues statement blasting Argentina's 'insensitive' World Cup banner
The Falkland Islands Government has issued a statement after Argentina players held up a provocative banner during last night’s World Cup clash with England.
As we all now know, football isn’t coming home after Argentina’s 2-1 defeat over the Three Lions in Atlanta.
During the match, tensions flared between the two nations - which was expected - and Bellingham was seen locked into a heated exchange with Lionel Messi in the first half.
Things didn’t calm down after the final whistle, with Bellingham slapping Valentin Barco's head and the Argentinian side causing outrage after holding up a banner that read ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas,’ which translates as ‘The Falklands are Argentine’.
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The incident has reignited old tensions between the UK and Argentina, as many have felt it is disrespectful to the memories of people killed in the Falklands War.
A spokesperson for Sir Keir Starmer told the Press Association: "The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our position is unchanged. Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver."
Now the Falkland Islands Government has shared its own statement blasting the ‘insensitive’ display.
The statement read: “The Falkland Islands Government is disappointed – though regrettably not surprised – that the Argentine football team decided to tarnish the result of last night’s World Cup football semi-final – a game that did not in any case involve the Falkland Islands.
“That said, it is hardly news to anyone that the people of the Islands were victims of an aggressive invasion in 1982, which left many traumatised. The banner displayed by Argentina last night, therefore, was particularly insensitive for many people in the Falklands.”
The statement went on to say that the government wanted to keep politics out of sport and that it hoped Argentina would face sanctions from FIFA.
“It is the avowed policy of the Falkland Islands Government that we do not wish to see politics being brought into sport,” it continued.
“Nor do we wish the Islands and their people to be used as a political football in every conversation about England and Argentina. We welcome the UK Government’s supportive statement this morning.
“As Business Secretary Peter Kyle highlighted, the World Cup has as one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football. We hope FIFA will make good on their promise to keep politics out of sport, and sanction all behaviour of this nature in line with its own rules.”
The Falkland Islands Government also shared a copy of the letter it has sent to FIFA, expressing their ‘disappointment’ about the ‘clear political statement’.
The letter read in part: “We are disappointed, though regrettably not surprised, by this manner of action, as this is not the first such incident: the Argentine Football Association was sanctioned for £20,000 by FIFA in 2014 for comparable conduct.”
The Falkland Island Government said it was raising the matter with FIFA on two grounds:
Firstly: "Consistency with FIFA's own rules. FIFA's Statutes and Disciplinary Code prohibit the use of football matches and facilities for political, religious, or personal messaging [FIFA Stadium Code of Conduct, section 2.14 and FIFA Disciplinary Code articles 15.1 and 17.2.e].
And secondly: "The people affected by this act have a settled, democratic position. The Falkland Islands are a diverse, self-governing, self-funding British Overseas Territory; and engage internationally in sport, science, and humanitarian work as such. In the 2013 referendum on our political status, 99.8% of Falkland Islanders voted to remain a British Overseas Territory, on a turnout of approximately 92%, in a vote independently monitored by international observers.
“The Falkland Islands were invaded by Argentina in 1982, resulting in a 74-day hostile occupation. The events of this war left Falkland Islanders traumatised, causing such political acts as those after the game to be particularly insensitive to the people of the Falklands.
“FIFA should bear this context in mind as they make their decision.”
The Falkland Island Government has spoken out as FIFA announced it was investigating the matter to see if further action was required.
A spokesperson for FIFA told LADbible: "As is standard procedure, FIFA’s independent Disciplinary Committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the FIFA Disciplinary Code."
Topics: World Cup
Claire Reid