Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has hit back at claims that the South Americans are "bad winners" following the aftermath of their victory over Netherlands on Friday.
The quarter-final between La Albiceleste and the Dutch was an action-filled tie featuring a number of unsavoury scenes during and after the match.
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At one point, the Albiceleste's Leandro Paredes flew into a challenge on the Oranje's Nathan Ake and then kicked the ball at the Netherlands bench from just a few metres away, prompting a massive melee.
The game eventually went to penalties, with Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez proving the hero there, but one of the major talking points of the tie came after that, when Lionel Messi approached Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal with some words of his own and gesturing with his hand that he "talks too much" following the tactician's pre-match comments about nullifying the Paris Saint-Germain star.
The former FC Barcelona star is also reported to have told striker Wout Weghorst, "What you looking at, fool?" during an off-camera exchange ahead of a post-match TV interview.
This has led to claims from some that the 2021 Copa America winners are bad winners, but Scaloni has now rejected this notion.
"We deeply respect the rivals we played against. We lost to Saudi Arabia and we kept quiet.
"We won the Copa America in Brazil with the most sporting behaviour – Messi, Neymar, (Leandro) Paredes sitting together in the tunnel in the Maracana.
"The game the other day was played as it had to be played. Both on the Dutch side and on the Argentina side.
"In games like this, there are different moments and there can be discussions.
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"We know how to lose and we know how to win."
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