World Cup I Lionel Messi, after the qualification of Argentina: “FIFA cannot put a referee like that”

It was downright electric. The extreme tension between the players during the quarter-final World Cup won Friday by Argentina against the Netherlands (2-2 after, 4-3 on pens) had not subsided after the final whistle. Quite the contrary. Certain scenes in the corridors of the Lusail stadium which made the rounds of social networks testified to this. The words of the actors, too. Lionel Messi is not the type to get out of his hinges. But there is one thing that the “Pulga” did not digest: the choice of FIFA to entrust the arbitration of the meeting to Mateu Lahoz.

The Spaniard indeed had all the trouble in the world to control the debates. He made decisions that may be open to debate. He also showed his inability to calm the players when the situation got worse. Especially from the moment when Leandro Paredes played the service pyromaniacs by violently tackling Nathan Aké before clearing the ball directly into the Dutch bench. In total, Mateu Lahoz distributed a whopping 14 yellow cards throughout the game, 6 against the Dutch and 8 against the Argentines.

Martinez: “He did everything so that we too were eliminated.”

What does not pass, either, are the 10 minutes of additional time that the refereeing body granted, a period at the end of which the Dutch equalized with an exceptional combination after a free kick. “He extended 10 minutes so that they (the Netherlands, Editor’s note) equalize“, launched Emiliano Martinez, the doorman of the Albiceleste, hero of the Argentine qualification with two shots on goal saved during the session. He’s the worst referee by far. As Spain was eliminated, he did everything to ensure that we too were eliminated.”

The Spanish referee took it for his rank, to say the least. Leo Messi, also instrumental with a genius goal and assist, wasn’t much kinder than his team-mate with Mateu Lahoz. “We were scared before the match because we knew who the referee was, said the Argentinian strategist, very upset. I don’t want to talk about it because I risk a sanction. FIFA can’t put a referee like that for a match of this importance. The referee cannot fail to perform.”

The Dutch weren’t much kinder to the Spaniard. “I would like to see the action of the penalty again, said coach Louis van Gaal. They (the Argentines, editor’s note) tried to waste time. I did not like the referee, but it is not not because of him that we lost.” Already regularly criticized in Spain for his refereeing of La Liga matches, Mateu Lahoz was not unanimous on this World Cup match. Neither one side nor the other.