Egypt coach explains gesture as Argentine VP makes political remarks ahead of semifinal

Hossam Hassan said his ‘X’ signal was aimed at the referee, not a racist gesture, while Argentina’s vice president called England “pirates” ahead of their World Cup clash.

• Hossam Hassan said his crossed-arms gesture during Egypt’s 3–2 loss to Argentina was directed at the referee to protest unfair decisions, not an anti-racism signal.
• Hassan said Lionel Messi confronted him angrily during the match, asking “why are you doing this?” and that he avoided escalating the exchange out of respect.
• The Egyptian Football Association demanded FIFA remove the officiating crew; FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina rejected the allegations as baseless.
• Argentina’s Vice President Victoria Villarruel called the English “usurping pirates” ahead of the semifinal, while Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva banned Falklands-related flags from the stadium.