FIFA Seeks Balance in Calls by Referees
After a red-letter--and red-card--day that saw the expulsion of standout French midfielder Zinedine Zidane and three ejections for mild offenses in a match between Denmark and South Africa, FIFA officials acknowledged Friday referees have become too heavy-handed in punishing borderline calls.
Michel Zen-Ruffinen, FIFA’s acting secretary-general, and its outgoing president, Joao Havelange, went to the referees’ compound outside Paris on Friday to clarify standards for determining when players should be warned and when it’s appropriate to eject offenders. The five ejections Thursday--one more than in the tournament’s previous 21 games--were widely seen as an overreaction to comments by Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter about officials being too lenient.
Platini, co-president of the World Cup Organizing Committee, said referees were being too timid and, in cases of doubt, should favor the attacking players. Blatter said referees were not adhering closely enough to the new directive emphasizing punishment of players who tackle opponents from behind.
However, Thursday’s cascade of five red cards had even Platini confused about the referees’ intentions. “At one moment, they’re not doing enough and then, they’re doing too much,” he said. “[Thursday] afternoon, the first card given to [Miklos] Molnar [for tackling Lucas Radebe] wasn’t a red card.”
Zidane, France’s midfield general and one of the game’s most dynamic players, was suspended for two games Friday for stepping on Fuad Amin of Saudi Arabia in France’s 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on Thursday. Alfred Phiri of South Africa was suspended for three games for a tackle on Denmark’s Thomas Helveg during their 1-1 draw. And Molnar was suspended for two games for knocking over South African captain Radebe.
“I jumped and I came down on the defender without intending to hurt him,” Zidane said. “I don’t deserve this red card.”
Said FIFA spokesman Keith Cooper: “There is some room for improvement as to how the actions are punished. The first days, there was too much leniency. [Thursday], the movement was in the opposite direction.”
South Africa’s Benni McCarthy criticized referee John Jairo Toro Rendon for his decision to send off Danish defender Morten Wieghorst. “The referee went out of his way to give him a red card, and I am sure that was a very silly, even stupid, decision from the referee.”
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After seeing attacking players get pulled down and tackled without the offenders being punished, Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta said he hopes the referee will protect him Sunday when Argentina faces Jamaica.
Batistuta said he wants a referee, “who will apply the rules. . . . I expect a tougher match than [Argentina’s 1-0 victory over] Japan. If the referee applies the rules, then there will be no problem.”
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World Cup organizers attacked rampant ticket fraud by going after officials from two companies in the wake of bogus sales and the reported theft of tickets.
Barely a week into the monthlong tournament, ticket scandals have angered thousands of fans, prompting the image-conscious organizers to fight back with fraud probes and legal action.
In the latest scandal, World Cup organizers said they had questions about the reported theft Wednesday of as many as 15,000 tickets from the U.S. distributor Prime Sports International.
Spokesman Bruno Travade said that while PSI listed tickets for Thursday night’s France-Saudi Arabia match among those stolen, a check at Stade de France found the seats “duly occupied by spectators.”
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Colombia Coach Hernan Gomez will not allow striker Faustino Asprilla back on the squad, even though Asprilla apologized for remarks that got him cut.
Gomez said the case is closed and that he is pleased with the way his team weathered a stormy week that included a loss to Romania. Gomez also was criticized by Colombian club presidents, who asked that Gomez be dismissed.
“At no time did I consider the possibility of reversing the painful measure I took against my friend . . . almost my son,” Gomez said.
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The Associated Press contributed to this story.
