Argentina assistant who attacked Dani Olmo says: “It wasn’t a punch”

The images of the episode, which took place on the lawn of MetLife Stadium, in New Jersey, showed Ayala directly involved in the scenes of violence after the final whistle. In an interview with Valencia Capital Radio, on Wednesday, the former defender took responsibility for his attitude and stated that he regretted it.

"It's a shame and everyone needs to answer for the actions they committed on the field. When the match ended, I saw a disturbance in the middle of the pitch and I went there to try to put an end to it, because we're not like that. I take responsibility for what I did", he declared.

Ayala said he entered the riot with the intention of separating those involved, but recognized that the tension of the moment did not justify his reaction.

"There are situations where adrenaline is at its peak, but that's no excuse. I couldn't have acted that way, regardless of what I heard," he said.

According to the Argentine assistant, the contact with Dani Olmo was a reaction to a provocation. He insisted, however, that he did not throw a punch.

"It was more of a push than anything else. It wasn't a punch. I reacted to something they said, but when I see Olmo, I will apologize personally", he assured.

The former player also mentioned the hostile environment that, according to him, surrounded the Argentine team during the tournament. Ayala stated that there were people rooting for the team's failure, but recognized that his role requires balance.

"Lately, there has been a certain amount of animosity against our team. There were those who didn't want the team to be successful. We played for our people, but, in the position I occupy, I cannot allow a feeling to determine my actions. I am sorry," he said.

Defeat is still analyzed by the technical committee

Ayala said he needed a few days to assimilate the loss of the world title. The reception from the fans in Buenos Aires, according to him, helped reduce frustration, although the technical committee continues to review the match.

"After a game like that, it takes a few days to digest everything. We had an extraordinary reception and the affection from people helped to calm things down", he reported.

During the trip back to Argentina, players and members of the coaching staff hardly slept and spent much of their time discussing the final and evaluating the work done in recent years.

"We stayed together, talking about the match and this cycle. Overall, the work done over almost eight years at the helm of the team is positive", he assessed.

Ayala recognizes Spanish superiority

When analyzing the decision, Scaloni's assistant recognized that Spain was superior and deserved to win the title. For Ayala, Argentina failed to present its full potential and demonstrated less physical vigor than in the victorious 2022 campaign.

"They were better and deserved to win the World Cup. We only managed to show part of our football, perhaps because we no longer had the same energy in our legs as in 2022", he stated.

Ayala also praised the Spanish style of play and ruled out any internal problems in the Argentine dressing room.

"Spain played beautiful football, which pleased a lot of people. Nothing special happened in our dressing room. There was simply a team that played better, was superior and won", he added.

FIFA investigates confusion after the final

The scenes of violence that occurred after the decision are under investigation by FIFA. Ayala could be suspended for at least three matches, according to the entity's disciplinary regulations.

The process could also result in punishments for other players and members of the coaching staff involved in the riot at MetLife Stadium.

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