Benin head coach Gernot Rohr has criticised Argentina’s treatment of his players after they were denied photographs with Lionel Messi and shirt exchanges following Tuesday’s international friendly.
According to RMC Sport, Rohr expressed his disappointment during the Rothen s’enflamme radio programme, revealing that security personnel prevented his players from accessing Argentina’s dressing room and tunnel.
Argentina defeated Benin 3-0 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, with Messi scoring once and providing two assists in his final international appearance.
However, the historic occasion ended in disappointment for Benin’s players, who had hoped to secure souvenirs from the Argentine stars.
“The only shame is that the Argentines gave us nothing. No photo with Messi, no shirt,” Rohr said.
The German tactician explained that his players made several attempts to approach the Argentine squad but were unsuccessful.
“Security refused to let anyone in,” he added.
Benin players denied Messi souvenirs
Rohr disclosed that his team had also prepared a bouquet of flowers in Benin’s national colours of yellow, red and green as a gesture towards Messi.
However, the arrangement failed to create an opportunity for the players to interact with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Despite the restrictions, Rohr managed to obtain a personal souvenir through Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni.
He explained that he handed Scaloni a Messi jersey from 2018, which the Argentine coach arranged for the forward to sign before returning it.
Rohr described the encounter as extremely difficult, maintaining that his players had tried everything to secure photographs and exchange shirts.
The incident overshadowed what would otherwise have been a memorable experience for the Benin squad.
Messi’s farewell marked the end of his 21-year international career, during which he won the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América titles.
The Argentine captain concluded his international career with 126 goals in 208 appearances.
