The referee sent home from the World Cup match between Argentina and the Netherlands has been involved in several controversial decisions during the tournament.
One of the most significant talking points to come out of Argentina vs Netherlands FIFA World Cup quarterfinal was the performance of Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz.
In light of this controversy, it has now been announced that Mateu Lahoz has been released from his duties at the Qatar 2022 World Cup. At the same time, VAR officials will still be given the option to participate in future competitions.
Watching the “Battle of Lusail” between Argentina and the Netherlands was an intense experience. The game went to extra time before being decided in a penalty shootout, with Argentina emerging victorious. The referee La Liga issued 18 yellow cards and one red card throughout the match – a record number for a single game.
Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes kicked the ball onto the Dutch bench, prompting captain Virgil van Dijk to shove him to the ground. The game quickly descended into chaos from there.
This resulted in multiple bookings as both teams became increasingly frustrated. By the end of the competition, two coaching staff from Argentina had been given cards, and three players had been booked during penalty shootouts. While it was an intense matchup, there were some controversial moments that could have changed its outcome.
Lionel Messi, captain of Argentina, vented his frustrations and demanded FIFA investigate the situation in a postgame interview.
“I don’t want to speak about referees because they will sanction you. But people saw what happened. I think FIFA must take care of this. It cannot put a referee like that for a match of such magnitude, of such importance. The referee cannot fail to be up to the task,” he said.
The decision by FIFA to suspend Argentine referees Fernando Rapallani and Facundo Tello from officiating any further matches at the World Cup is understandable, considering that Argentina has advanced to the semifinals. This conflict of interest could have influenced their decisions in upcoming games, resulting in an unfair advantage for Argentina.
Given that this ruling only affects Rapallani and Tello, it is essential that other officials who are assigned to referee subsequent games be unbiased and impartial. It will be crucial for them to refrain from favoring one team over another, as doing so could cast doubt on the results of those matchups.
