Maradona draws FIFA ire over ref comments
Print Edition
FIFA condemned comments by Diego Maradona on Wednesday, after the Argentinian legend claimed that Colombia only lost to England in the World Cup last 16 because of the appointment of referee Mark Geiger for the match.
The 1986 World Cup winner said England鈥檚 win was a 鈥渕onumental robbery鈥 after Gareth Southgate鈥檚 men edged through a bad-tempered encounter on penalties on Tuesday.
鈥淚 apologize to all the Colombian people, but the players are not to blame 鈥 here is a gentleman (FIFA referees boss Pierluigi Collina) who decides to choose a referee who, by googling him, can鈥檛 be used for a match of this magnitude,鈥 Maradona told Venezuelan TV channel Telesur.
Maradona was at the match as a guest of FIFA and was pictured before the game wearing a Colombia shirt.
Football鈥檚 world governing body responded, saying it was 鈥渆xtremely sorry鈥 to read the comments from 鈥渁 player who has written the history of our game鈥.
鈥淔ollowing comments made by Diego Armando Maradona in relation to yesterday鈥檚 round of 16 game, Colombia v England, FIFA strongly rebukes the criticism of the performance of the match officials which it considers to have been positive in a tough and highly emotional match,鈥 a FIFA spokesperson said.
鈥淔urthermore, it also considers the additional comments and insinuations made as being entirely inappropriate and completely unfounded,鈥 he added in the statement.
Colombia captain Radamel Falcao also criticized American official Geiger, calling his performance a 鈥渄isgrace鈥.
Geiger awarded England a second-half penalty after midfielder Carlos Sanchez wrestled Harry Kane to the ground. 鈥淚t was clear that in the 50-50 calls, he always sided with England and this is a disgrace in the round of 16,鈥 said Falcao.
Geiger was suspended from international football for six months after several controversial decisions during a 2015 Gold Cup semifinal between Panama and Mexico.
He also refereed Colombia鈥檚 3-0 group-stage victory over Greece at the 2014 World Cup.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
