Russia's World Cup organising committee has confirmed that the Moscow police has detained seven Argentinian fans who were filmed fighting with two Croatian fans when their national teams played each other at the FIFA World Cup 2018 on Thursday.
"According to the information the Local Organising Committee received from public security authorities of Nizhny Novgorod, seven Argentinians were detained after the match between Argentina and Croatia," an organising committee spokesman said in written comments to Reuters.
"The matter is now with the judicial authorities to judge the matter in line with the governing laws."
Argentina fans beat up Croatian supporters at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium after the two-time world champions were crushed 3-0.
In a video which went viral on social media, several others could also be seen coming to the rescue of the Croat, who lay helplessly on the ground. Some Argentine fans shouted "no" and tried to break up the fight.
The fight was quickly broken when a woman intervened. The Nizhny Novgorod police said there were "no significant violations of law and order" after the match.
Argentina vs. Croatia..
— TheRealCasuals (@Real_Casuals_66) June 22, 2018
21/06/2018. #WorldCup #ARG #CRO pic.twitter.com/uOGEbBNxMc
FIFA said they were shocked with the incident which would have left a sour taste on the mouths of the Croats after a memorable win.
"FIFA firmly condemns the behaviour of these so-called fans and reiterates that violence has no place in football," the spokesperson said.
Nearly 10,500 Argentine fans and 5,000 Croatia fans attended the match on Thursday. According to some media reports, angry Argentine fans also spitted at manager Jorge Sampaoli and hit him in the head with a bottle.
Lionel Messi endured another failure as Argentina were crushed 3-0 by Croatia, who qualified for the round of 16 after their second straight victory.
Messi was again largely anonymous as Croatia kept him out of the game while, at the same time, taking all their opportunities to ensure a joyful triumph in front of 43,319 spectators at the picturesque stadium on the banks of the Volga.
The win thanks to goals from Ante Rrebic, Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic followed a 2-0 success against Nigeria in their opening game at the weekend and was a reminder of the quality of a team who attracted little attention ahead of the finals.
The last time Croatia reached the World Cup knockout phase was in 1998 when they finished the tournament in third place.
Diego Maradona, who watched from the stands, was in tears as Argentina suffered their worst defeat in the group stages in the World Cup in 60 years.
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