Lionel Messi received huge love from Argentina supporters during his farewell, but the night also featured ugly scenes as fans strongly attacked AFA president Claudio Tapia before and after the match.
Messi’s farewell hit by ugly scenes as Argentina fans insult AFA president
Lionel Messi’s emotional farewell with Argentina was hit by ugly scenes at the Monumental as supporters launched strong chants and insults at AFA president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia.
Messi was the centre of attention as Argentina defeated Benin 3-0 in his final international appearance.
More than 80,000 supporters filled the stadium to say goodbye to the legendary No.10.
However, while Messi received huge love from the crowd, another major figure in Argentine football experienced a completely different reaction.
Tapia was loudly attacked by sections of the crowd before the match and again after the final whistle.
Fans turn on AFA president
The chants reportedly started in the Centenario section of the Monumental before spreading to other parts of the stadium.
Supporters directed several strong insults at Tapia.
One of the chants translated by international media was:
“Chiqui Tapia, you rat.”
Other chants were even stronger and included offensive language.
The reaction quickly became one of the most controversial moments surrounding Messi’s farewell night.
It was not Messi who was being insulted
The situation created some confusion because of headlines linking the insults directly with Messi’s farewell.
However, the Argentina legend was not the target.
The anger was aimed at Tapia and the leadership of the Argentine Football Association.
Messi, by contrast, received emotional applause and chants throughout the night.
Anger spreads around the Monumental
The protest was not limited to a small group of supporters.
Reports from Argentina said chants against Tapia were heard from several areas of the stadium.
At certain moments, large sections of the Monumental appeared to join in.
This created a strange atmosphere, with fans celebrating Messi while also showing their anger towards the AFA president.
Drone show creates more frustration
The tension continued after Argentina’s 3-0 victory.
AFA organised a drone show as part of the farewell celebrations for Messi.
However, the display reportedly began with the name and logo of a commercial sponsor.
That decision appeared to frustrate some supporters, who felt the emotional farewell was being turned into a commercial event.
Chants and insults aimed at Tapia were then heard again.
Why are fans angry with Tapia?
The frustration towards the AFA president did not begin on the night of Messi’s farewell.
Some Argentina supporters have criticised the way the federation has been managed under Tapia.
There have also been complaints about commercial decisions and the quality of some friendly opponents.
For some fans, the Benin match became another example of their wider frustration with AFA.
Questions over the farewell event
There had already been debate before the match about how Messi’s farewell was being organised.
Some reports suggested Messi himself had doubts about whether the event was becoming too commercial.
However, there is an important clarification.
Messi has not publicly accused Tapia or AFA of using his farewell to make money.
Those claims have come from media reports rather than direct comments from Messi.
Messi receives completely different treatment
While Tapia faced strong criticism, the reaction towards Messi could not have been more different.
Supporters sang his name before, during and after the match.
Play was even stopped in the 10th minute so the entire stadium could stand and applaud Argentina’s legendary No.10.
The contrast between the love shown to Messi and the anger directed at Tapia was one of the clearest images of the night.
Messi delivers one final great performance
Despite the controversy around the stadium, Messi still produced a memorable performance.
Argentina beat Benin 3-0.
Messi provided two assists and scored from the penalty spot.
He was directly involved in all three goals during his final appearance for the national team.
A farewell full of different emotions
Messi’s final night with Argentina had almost everything.
There were tears, tributes, goals and emotional speeches.
But there was also clear anger from supporters towards the leadership of Argentine football.
While Messi left the Monumental surrounded by love, Claudio Tapia left facing some of the strongest criticism of the night.
One night, two very different reactions
The farewell showed exactly how supporters currently feel about two major figures in Argentine football.
Messi was celebrated as a national legend.
Tapia was loudly criticised by his own country’s fans.
On a night created to honour Lionel Messi, Argentina supporters also made sure their anger towards the AFA president was impossible to ignore.
