SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - FIFA refuses to comment on referee decisions during England and Mexico matches

Record ID: 452370

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - FIFA refuses to comment on referee decisions during England and Mexico matches
  • Date: 24th June 2010
  • Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA7W413LNBE0QAI1BPC0XJTDEI5
  • Story Text: FIFA refused on Monday (June 28) to comment on controversial refereeing decision made during England and Mexico matches, adding that replays of events surrounding those decision should not have been shown at the stadiums.
    FIFA spokesperson Nicolas Maingot received a barrage of questions from reporters demanding answers to why video evidence was not taken into consideration when the refereeing decision where made.
    "We obviously will not open any debate on refereeing at the daily media briefing, this is obviously not the place for this and you will certainly appreciate that my colleague Germain, nor myself, are competent to do that," Maingot repeatedly told reporters in Johannesburg, South Africa.
    The media onslaught came after a referee refused to allow a goal by England midfielder Frank Lampard during their match against Germany in Bloemfontein on Sunday (June 27).
    Lampard struck a shot from 20 metres which hit the bar and dropped a metre behind the line. Video replays showed that it was clearly a goal and England then went on to lose 4-1.
    The controversy was later compounded when a replay of Argentine forward Carlos Tevez's first goal against Mexico in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium showed the player to be clearly offside when he headed the ball in. The referee allowed the goal to the dismay of Mexico.
    "Let's say controversial action shown on the giant screen here last night at Soccer City, just to repeat because I think we had a question on that a couple of days ago at this daily media briefing, this should not happen," said Maingot.
    "It's part of the brief that is actually given to the team that is controlling these replays. It has mainly one reason which I would say is security related reason for the stadium," he explained.
    When FIFA spends such large sums on new technologies to cover matches, many are questioning why soccer's soccer governing body is not using these very technologies to allow referees to make more accurate decisions.
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