03:13A heavy police presence was seen outside the Bordeaux Stadium on Wednesday as tensions between France and Argentina threatened to boil over ahead of the Paris Olympics football quarter-final.
The dispute arose after the countries met at the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which saw the Latin American side triumph over France in a tense penalty shoot-out.
Footage has since emerged showing Argentine players singing 'racist chants' directed at French players following their Copa America win last month.
In Bordeaux, some fans said they felt the scandal had been taken out of context and the footballers did not 'want to hurt' their colleagues.
"Football is more than a sport. It is part of our lives, and I am sincerely sorry that things are misinterpreted, but we are sorry, and the Argentines are not racist protesters," an Argentine fan said.
"Football is for everyone, and everyone can be together. There must be no controversy," a France fan added.
The video reportedly showed Argentine players singing: "They play for France, but their parents are from Angola. Their mother is from Cameroon, while their father is from Nigeria. But their passport says, French."
Following the incident, the French soccer federation filed a complaint to the governing body FIFA, which opened an investigation into the video.
'Football is for everyone!' - Heavy police presence in Bordeaux amid tensions over racist chants ahead of Olympics quarter-final
A heavy police presence was seen outside the Bordeaux Stadium on Wednesday as tensions between France and Argentina threatened to boil over ahead of the Paris Olympics football quarter-final.
The dispute arose after the countries met at the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which saw the Latin American side triumph over France in a tense penalty shoot-out.
Footage has since emerged showing Argentine players singing 'racist chants' directed at French players following their Copa America win last month.
In Bordeaux, some fans said they felt the scandal had been taken out of context and the footballers did not 'want to hurt' their colleagues.
"Football is more than a sport. It is part of our lives, and I am sincerely sorry that things are misinterpreted, but we are sorry, and the Argentines are not racist protesters," an Argentine fan said.
"Football is for everyone, and everyone can be together. There must be no controversy," a France fan added.
The video reportedly showed Argentine players singing: "They play for France, but their parents are from Angola. Their mother is from Cameroon, while their father is from Nigeria. But their passport says, French."
Following the incident, the French soccer federation filed a complaint to the governing body FIFA, which opened an investigation into the video.
A heavy police presence was seen outside the Bordeaux Stadium on Wednesday as tensions between France and Argentina threatened to boil over ahead of the Paris Olympics football quarter-final.
The dispute arose after the countries met at the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which saw the Latin American side triumph over France in a tense penalty shoot-out.
Footage has since emerged showing Argentine players singing 'racist chants' directed at French players following their Copa America win last month.
In Bordeaux, some fans said they felt the scandal had been taken out of context and the footballers did not 'want to hurt' their colleagues.
"Football is more than a sport. It is part of our lives, and I am sincerely sorry that things are misinterpreted, but we are sorry, and the Argentines are not racist protesters," an Argentine fan said.
"Football is for everyone, and everyone can be together. There must be no controversy," a France fan added.
The video reportedly showed Argentine players singing: "They play for France, but their parents are from Angola. Their mother is from Cameroon, while their father is from Nigeria. But their passport says, French."
Following the incident, the French soccer federation filed a complaint to the governing body FIFA, which opened an investigation into the video.