LONDON: The FBI has labeled England’s semi-final against Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday night as a high-risk match because of the fierce and long-running feud between the two sides.40 years ago when Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the Mexico’86 quarterfinal at the Azteca Stadium, the English were furious. “He cheated,” said England player Peter Shilton. “He didn’t show any remorse.”Argentina’s first goal, scored by Diego Maradona, came when he punched the ball past Shilton into the net. Although England protested, the referee said he didn’t see it and allowed it. Moments later, Maradona scored the greatest World Cup goal of all time. Argentina would later lift the World Cup, and Maradona would describe his first England goal as “the hand of God”.Maradona later admitted in his biography that he used his hand and said it was “symbolic revenge for the English” in the Falklands war of 1982, in which 649 Argentinians and 255 British soldiers died. Of the Argentines killed, 323 were on board the ARA Belgrano, when UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher authorized its sinking.“What I wanted to do was honor the memory of the dead,” Maradona said. “To wipe England off the world map – the world football map, that is.”On Wednesday, Maradona’s son, Diego Sinagara, urged fans to remember those who died, telling the Spanish newspaper Marca: “For all Argentines and Maradona, it will be different, which brings back all the memories of the Malvinas (Falklands War) and all our brothers who died there…”Last week Argentina’s soccer team released a video showing the players celebrating in their dressing room with Argentina’s World Cup anthem La Cuarta Estrella, which reads: “I am Argentine from birth to grave, to Malvinas, to Diego.”“Las Malvinas” is the Argentinian name for the Falkland Islands. This week Argentina’s Foreign Minister Pablo Quirrno called the Falklands islanders “accidentally planted” in an article in Argentina’s La Nacion newspaper, calling for Britain to enter negotiations to hand over the territory. He also said that the 2013 referendum was illegal.The UK Prime Minister’s spokesman responded: “The people of the Falkland Islands are British citizens who have the right to determine their own future. The UK’s position is clear. The islanders have repeatedly said they want to remain part of the British Overseas Territory.”This bitter rivalry, however, continued until before the Falklands War. In 1966, when the two sides met in the quarter-finals of the World Cup at Wembley, the Argentine players used violence, spitting, hair-pulling, and more threatening tactics. England manager Alf Ramsey called them “animals” and Argentina captain Antonio Rattin, who died at the weekend, was sent off for refusing to argue with an opponent. The police had to be called to remove him from the arena.The two sides met in France ’98 when David Beckham was shown a red card for a tackle on Argentina’s Diego Simeone. Simeone later admitted he did everything he could to anger the England midfielder. England lost on penalties. “The English players are very stupid. We are looking for ways to destroy him,” Roberto Perfumo, the former Argentina captain, told the Guardian in 2002.Although the culture of Argentine football seems to be about whipping up anti-English sentiment, football was mysteriously introduced to Argentina in 1867 by the Hogg brothers who were Englishmen from Skelton, Yorkshire.British pubs are being decorated for the biggest night of the year with flags at the ready. England fans are confident that England can win. He also sees the game as revenge for Maradona’s ‘Hand of God.’
