Benin head coach Gernot Rohr has criticized Argentina for denying his players the chance to take photographs with Lionel Messi and exchange shirts after their international friendly in Buenos Aires.
Argentina defeated Benin 3-0 at the Monumental Stadium on Tuesday. The match marked Messi’s final appearance for the national team after 21 years of international football.
Messi scored once and provided two assists in the victory. He set up goals for Nicolás Otamendi and Nico Paz before converting a penalty to complete the win.
However, the celebrations were overshadowed by Rohr’s complaints about the treatment of his players after the match.
Rohr Complains About Security Restrictions
Speaking on RMC radio’s Rothen s’enflamme on Wednesday, Rohr said the Benin team made several attempts to meet Messi and other Argentine players.
According to the former Nigeria coach, security personnel prevented the players from entering the tunnel and dressing-room areas.
“Yes, it was extremely difficult. We tried. The only shame is that the Argentines gave us nothing. No photo with Messi, no shirt,” Rohr said.
“They didn’t even let us into the tunnel, nor even the dressing room.”
Rohr added that some Argentine players were willing to exchange shirts with their Benin counterparts. However, security restrictions made the process difficult.
“Security refused to let anyone in. Some players came to swap shirts, so we knew it would be difficult. We tried everything, but we got nothing,” he added.
Benin’s Gift to Messi Fails
Rohr also revealed that the Benin delegation attempted to present Messi with a bouquet of flowers in the country’s national colors.
The flowers featured yellow, red and green, representing Benin’s flag. However, the gesture did not lead to a meeting with the Argentine captain.
“We offered a bouquet of flowers in Benin’s colors, yellow, red and green, but that didn’t work,” Rohr said.
Despite the disappointment, Rohr managed to obtain Messi’s signature on a shirt from 2018.
He said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni helped him secure the signed shirt after he handed it to the coach.
“However, I gave Messi’s 2018 shirt to coach Scaloni, who got him to sign it for me and then returned it to me, but that was all,” Rohr explained.
Messi Bids Emotional Farewell
While Rohr expressed disappointment over the post-match experience, Messi’s final appearance was an emotional occasion for Argentina supporters.
The forward addressed the crowd at the Monumental after the victory. He described representing his country for more than two decades as a great honor.
“It was a huge source of pride for me to defend this jersey for more than 20 years,” Messi said.
He also admitted that leaving the national team would be painful.
“Not coming anymore is going to be deeply painful. I swear I’d like to play for the rest of my life, because playing for the Argentina national team is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you,” he added.
Following the match, Messi paid tribute to his late father, Jorge Messi, and Argentina legend Diego Maradona in separate messages on Instagram.
“You don’t know how much we missed you last night,” he wrote in a tribute to his father, who died in August at the age of 68.
He also honored Maradona, writing: “I don’t want to forget Diego, who put our country where it deserved to be.”
Messi Leaves Historic Argentina Record
Messi ends his international career as Argentina’s most-capped player and leading goalscorer.
He made 208 appearances for the national team and scored 126 goals. His achievements include the 2021 Copa América title and Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph.
Although his farewell ended on a high note on the pitch, Rohr’s comments have drawn attention to the difficulties Benin’s players faced in their attempts to meet the Argentine stars after the final whistle.
