John Aldridge has explained the reasons why he’ll be supporting Argentina when they take on France in the World Cup final later today.
As well as wanting to see Lionel Messi get his hands on the one trophy currently missing from his illustrious career, the ex-Red has also explained he doesn’t want to see Emmanuel Macron ‘jumping around his team’s dressing room like an excited fan’ once again.
The former Liverpool forward has expressed his disgust at the French government following the disturbing scenes that marred our Champions League final clash with Real Madrid in Paris earlier this year.
“The second reason why I’m backing Argentina to win stems from my annoyance at the sight of French President Emmanuel Macron jumping around his team’s dressing room like an excited fan,” Aldridge told the Sunday World.
“This was a guy whose government oversaw a security operation that put the lives of Liverpool fans at risk in last season’s Champions League final in Paris.
“The French authorities then oversaw a smear campaign trying to blame the supporters for the chaos outside the ground that could have ended in tragedy.
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“Macron could and should have stepped in to stop that disgraceful chain of events.
“Yet he only seems to be interested in football matters when he can get a publicity hit out of it and that’s what he has got from France’s run to the final.
“In pure sporting terms, France might well be the favourites to win tonight, but I will be raising a glass to Messi and Argentina if they can get the job done.
“Oh, and can I put in a request to TV cameras if France are beaten tonight?
“Let’s have lots of images beamed on big screens of Macron looking miserable because the Liverpool fans who were treated so badly in Paris last summer will certainly enjoy seeing that after the game in Qatar.”
Although it would be great to see Ibou Konate get his hands on the trophy, we completely understand where Aldridge is coming from.
The treatment of Liverpool supporters outside the Stade De France in the summer was simply disgusting and the fact the French authorities and UEFA tried to pin the blame on Reds fans is disgraceful.
People no longer feel comfortable attending football matches because of what they experienced in the French capital earlier this year but not many people seem to care.
We’re set for an exciting encounter between the two sides tonight.