Argentina fan denies ‘rage bait’ stunt after police rescue him from England mob

Argentina fan denies ‘rage bait’ stunt after police rescue him from England mob Maciej Placzek was filmed ripping off a Three Lions shirt to reveal an Argentina top underneath - Bookmark An Argentina supporter who had to be rescued by police from a mob of furious England fans has hit back at accusations that he was “trolling”. TikTok influencer Maciej Placzek, 22, was bundled into a police van in London’s Picadilly Circus following the Three Lions’ semi-final defeat in Atlanta. The Poland-born man was filmed ripping off an England shirt to reveal an Argentina shirt underneath. He was then surrounded by dozens of angry fans. He had drinks poured over him and was pushed around. Metropolitan Police formed a “bubble” around him and escorted him to the van. But Mr Placzek, who lives in England, has now insisted that he did not intend for a “riot” to break out. Speaking during a livestream on Kick, he said: “Yesterday, I was not meant to be trolling that much. That was not the idea. “I was just there to support Argentina. I was there to support the country I was supporting in the World Cup, which is Argentina. To show love for Messi. “But when I stepped out after the game, it got a bit wild. “That was not the plan, guys. It was not meant to be a trolling stream. Just me watching the game. “I didn’t know it would be turned into a riot. It turned into a f***ing riot.” His explanation came after he posted footage of his police escort on TikTok with the caption: “Rage bait successful.” Fresh video also appears to show Mr Placzek returning to the area shortly after being released from the police van. Officers are seen immediately grabbing him again and attempting to move him away. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “As crowds were dispersing after the match, officers on duty in Piccadilly Circus became aware of a lone Argentina fan who was being surrounded by England fans. “They intervened before any harm could come to him, formed a bubble around him and escorted him to the safety of a nearby police van.” Mr Placzek has more than 224,000 followers on TikTok and about 247,000 followers on Instagram. He regularly posts prank and rage-bait content. Previous videos have included pretending shoppers on Carnaby Street were eating cat meat, and fake vomiting on the London Underground in an attempt to make passengers give up their seats. He has also previously targeted football supporters, including Tottenham fans following a heavy derby defeat. Viewers reacting to the footage accused Mr Placzek of deliberately provoking the crowd. However, he said he had been supporting Argentina since the World Cup began. “I was gonna be in a pub with an Argentina shirt on no matter if I was gonna [sic] be live on Kick or not, because that is who I wanted to win that day,” he said. “I’m a Messi fan for over 14 years, I had nothing planned for after the game. “I only wanted to come outside the pub and celebrate the Argentina win. “I like to have banter with opposition fans, and they were bantering back, no one was aggressive first but in Piccadilly Circus it got a bit too far.”