The claims of referee bias towards Argentina hit an all-time high after the round of 16 win against Egypt. Egyptian officials accused FIFA of taking sides with Argentina, and referees are at the receiving end. Defender Lisandro Martinez wants to put a stop to all those claims. He not only put the debate to rest but also called out the media for being the real culprit.

“I think they are doing an excellent job. That’s something for you, the media, who sometimes generate the controversies. We concern ourselves with giving our best on the pitch and nothing more,” @TrendEPL quoted Martinez from his media appearance in Kansas City. “This controversy is your domain as journalists; you’re the ones who take it upon yourselves to stir up these assessments and create the controversy and media clashes.”

French referee François Letexier and the VAR team’s officiating decisions heavily overshadowed the Argentina vs. Egypt Round of 16 clash. In the 58th minute, Egypt’s Mostafa Ziko scored a goal that would have put Egypt up 2-0 early in the second half. Following a VAR review, the goal was disallowed because Egypt’s Marwan Attia had committed a foul on Argentine defender Lisandro Martínez on the other end of the field much earlier in the buildup.

Then, in the 91st minute, Egypt’s captain Mohamed Salah went down in the Argentine penalty box after contact with Julián Álvarez. The referee waved play on, and VAR chose not to intervene. “It’s all about money,” Egypt manager Hossam Hassan said. “They want Messi to stay in the tournament. In football, many things happen off the pitch because of interests. What happened was unfair. Egypt deserved to qualify. We were the better team.”

Since then, there’s been chatter all around about the officiating in the Argentina-Egypt game. But as per Martinez, not only has the referee done a good job, but it is only the media that is instigating the issue further.

The Argentinian side is not focusing on any off-field chatter. They are confident about their quarterfinal game against Switzerland. “As always, what identifies this team is respecting the opponent,” Martinez added. “If Switzerland is at this stage, it’s because they have a lot of merit. We watched their match against Colombia, and they always try to play. They are very strong physically and also in set-pieces. I think it will be a great spectacle because both teams try to play”

Nevertheless, the debate around the Argentina-Egypt game seemed far from over.