Argentina Furious After Water Cut Off In Their Hotel And Sirens Sounded Ahead Of World Cup Qualifier In Chile

Argentina have criticised the treatment they received at their hotel in Chile ahead of their World Cup qualifier in Calama.

The two sides met at Estadio Zorros del Desierto on Thursday night, with Argentina claiming a 2-1 win away from home thanks to goals from Angel Di Maria and Lautaro Martinez.

Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul hit out at Chile after the match, accusing the hosts of mistreating their guests as soon as they arrived in the country.

"They didn't even let us go to the bathroom when we got off the plane," De Paul said.

"They cut off our air conditioners, we had no water and they made sirens sound throughout the stay.

"I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but, as an Argentine, every team that comes to my country, we have to make them feel as comfortable as possible and we have to win on the playing field where it belongs."

Argentine journalist Pablo Carrozza has backed up De Paul’s claims.

“There is a lot of anger in the Argentine team because they cut off the water in the hotel, and they turn on a siren every half hour, so as not to let the players rest,” Carrozza tweeted.

“All of this adds up to last night's odyssey. Chileans no longer know what to do to stop La Scaloneta.”

Hotel shenanigans by opposition supporters are nothing new in football.

Last year, Atalanta’s players and staff were woken up ahead of their Champions League tie against Manchester United after the fire alarm at Manchester's Radisson hotel was set off six times on the eve of the match.

In 2019, Liverpool supporters set off fireworks outside a hotel in the city where Barcelona’s player were sleeping ahead of their Champions League semi-final second leg at Anfield.

Liverpool would go on to win the match 4-0, incredibly overturning a 3-0 deficit from the first leg at the Nou Camp.

In 2001, Germany’s players were woken up ahead of their crucial World Cup qualifier against England after The Sun newspaper sent an oompah band to their idyllic country retreat.

England would go on to claim a famous 5-1 win in Munich to secure their place at the 2002 World Cup.

Former Germany goalkeeper Jen Lehmann told talkSPORT: “I remember in 2001 we were in a hotel when at five in the morning, The Sun, the English newspaper, sent an orchestra - a band, you know - with some pretty girls on it.

“At five o’clock in the morning they came into our hotel area and woke us up with typical German music.

“That evening we lost 5-1 because we didn’t have a good rest - so it was The Sun that won it.”

Topics: Chile, Argentina, Football World Cup, Football