The statement can be taken either way because it is still a topic in which a definite conclusion hasn't been made. It is suggested that the coach of the losing team or whole of the losing team were sacrificed to the Aztec Gods, but this is disputed by lots of historians because in the Aztec society it was an honor to be sacrificed, so it might have been that the winning coach or the whole team were sacrificed instead. Considering the importance of the game on a political and religious levels, it is hard to tell which way did the sacrifices were taking place, and even if they occurred at all.
