On the eve of the World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina, tensions continued to rise, and the atmosphere became increasingly heated. While police in the Atlanta area were preparing for potential fan clashes, football legends from both sides had already begun arguing online.
It all started when 51-year-old Gary Neville questioned Argentina's center-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez on his show "The Overlap": "Argentina has these two - center-backs who can gift every game. I call them the 'best and worst' center-back pairing in the world because they can be impeccable at times, but then fall from grace and become absurd the next second. They can play world-class for 80 minutes, and then suddenly go cold, leading to outrageous mistakes."
These remarks sparked strong resentment in the country of their semi-final opponent. Former Argentine international (19 appearances) and San Lorenzo coach Grossito was particularly furious. In a live broadcast on ESPN, he directly attacked Neville: "Go tell him that the only thing he could do back then was throw the ball in, nothing else. That blockhead!"
"The only thing he can do is throw the ball inbounds."
He then went on to criticize the former Manchester United legend right-back, saying, "Argentine defenders are world-class, their performances are amazing. And you, you roughneck, the only thing you can do is throw the ball. Back then, you didn't even know how to kick a ball with your feet."
Grossito , nicknamed "Pipo," is known for his sharp tongue and outspokenness, but his understanding of Neville's career is limited to observation from afar. The former midfielder only played overseas in Austria and Japan during his playing career, never setting foot on an English pitch.
