Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala slaps Dani Olmo in World Cup final brawl

In football, as in sport, as in life, it is important to know how to win — but above all, you must know how to lose. That was not the case for Leandro Paredes, who, after Slovak referee Slavko Vincic blew the final whistle, attacked Eric García by pushing him. Paredes also grabbed and threw Gavi to the ground when the midfielder came to defend the Martorell center-back.

Players on the pitch, substitutes, and some coaching staff rushed in — some to separate the parties, others with more ill intent.

Roberto Ayala Strikes Dani Olmo

Among those involved was one of six former Real Zaragoza players present at the event. Roberto Ayala, a familiar face to Zaragoza fans and now an assistant coach for Lionel Scaloni, struck Dani Olmo in the face — it is not clear from the images whether it was a punch or a slap — as Olmo attempted to pull Eric García away from the brawl.

Ayala's Time at Real Zaragoza

Roberto Ayala (Paraná, 1973) signed a contract with Villarreal in February 2007 after not renewing with Valencia, the club he played for at the time. The Argentine even posed with Villarreal's shirt, but on July 14, Real Zaragoza — following the arrival of Agapito Iglesias a year earlier — paid the €6 million release clause in Ayala's new contract with the Castellón club. He wore the Zaragoza shirt from July 2007 to June 2010.

Ayala was part of the squad that was relegated to the Second Division in the 2007–08 season. However, the defender remained with Zaragoza and achieved promotion back to the First Division, playing a key role in Marcelino García Toral's system.

On January 22, 2010, his departure from Real Zaragoza was made official through the termination of his contract, which was due to end in June of that same year. A few days later, his move to Racing Club de Avellaneda was announced, where he retired in December 2010.

Source: El Periódico de Aragón