InvestorsHub Logo
Followers 80
Posts 82226
Boards Moderated 2
Alias Born 12/26/2003

Re: None

Saturday, 07/03/2010 12:35:09 PM

Saturday, July 03, 2010 12:35:09 PM

Post# of 5465
This is what Maradona said Friday ...

Maradona slams FIFA refs


Argentina's coach Diego Maradona attends a press conference at Green Point stadium in Cape Town
on July 2, 2010, on the eve of their 2010 World Cup quarter-final football match against Germany.


Published on Friday, Jul. 02, 2010 9:26PM EDT

Diego Maradona has criticised World Cup officiating ahead of Argentina’s quarter-final against Germany, whose players had already accused his team of putting pressure on referees and linesmen.

The Argentina manager, whose team face Germany in Cape Town on Saturday, launched an attack on compatriot Hector Baldassi’s refereeing of Spain’s 1-0 second-round win over Portugal.

“Baldassi didn’t let Portugal reach (Spain’s box), I think every 50-50 decision went Spain’s way, it was horrible refereeing,” Maradona told a news conference at Green Point Stadium on Friday.

Maradona said he knew Baldassi well, they spoke often and he respected the official.

He gave him no quarter, however, over his decision-making in the win that sent Spain into Saturday’s other quarter-final against Paraguay in Johannesburg.

“(David Villa’s) goal was offside ... That was an offside as big as this World Cup,” Maradona said.

“Baldassi was very poor. The (foul in the) sending off (of Portugal’s Hugo Almeida) was non existent.”

Argentina and Germany were involved in two controversial decisions in the second round of the tournament.

Carlos Tevez was offside when he put Argentina ahead in their 3-1 win over Mexico, while Germany’s 4-1 victory over England came after the English were denied an equaliser despite a Frank Lampard shot crossing the line.

Maradona played down Germany’s attacking strengths by saying England had made things easy for Germany, allowing them to hit them on the counter-attack.

“Let’s not get into our heads the 4-1 against England, let’s not swallow the lie. England eased Germany’s path and Germany profited,” he said.

“England’s goal the other day was very clear, as clear as the goal the linesman gave to England in the 1966 final (against Germany).

“If they can’t see, why are they here? ... These things will happen in football until goal-line technology is introduced.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/maradona-slams-fifa-refs/article1627316/

Join the InvestorsHub Community

Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.