(VIDEO) The nasty reaction of former Real Madrid and Man Utd star against rival fans

Tuesday's match between Brazil and Argentina was more like a battle than a sporting competition. There has been a strong rivalry between the two teams for decades and that got worse in recent years, after several decisive matches they have played against each other, such as the semifinals of the 2019 Copa America and the final of the 2021 Copa America.

But this time things went too far. While the anthems of both countries were being played before the game, fights between fans started in the stands of the Maracana stadium. The Brazilian police intervened and violently repressed the Argentine fans. This caused the players to approach that sector of the stadium to try to calm things down, but when they saw that they were unable to do so, they decided to return to the locker room.

However, on the way back they had to pass near the Brazilian fans, who were not happy with the situation. The Argentine players were insulted and objects were thrown at them from the stands, which provoked a reaction from some of them.

Angel Di Maria was one of the angriest. In a video shared on social media, the former Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United winger is seen responding to the insults and then jumping up to spit at Brazilian fans nearby. Other players such as Leandro Paredes, Nicolas Gonzalez and Lucas Ocampos were also involved in the conflict, which fortunately was not more serious.

Things went well for them

The match between Brazil and Argentina was delayed for almost half an hour, but finally the teams returned to the field and were able to play. However, the tension was still present there as well and it was a hard fought match, with more fouls than goal scoring opportunities. The world champions got the win thanks to a goal by Nicolás Otamendi 18 minutes into the second half.