Italian legends furious over World Cup semi-final officiating
Former Juventus and Roma stars Marco Tardelli and Paulo Roberto Falcao have condemned the referee in England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina as “a disgrace” after an ill-tempered first half in Atlanta.
England fell to a 2-1 loss as Argentina came from behind to reach the final, but it was the officiating that sparked fury on Italian television. Tardelli, a World Cup winner with Italy in 1982, and Falcao, a Roma legend, were scathing in their assessment on Rai 1.
“A match that starts and already Leandro Paredes commits a nasty foul for no reason. A disgrace. Then the English too, eh… No football. Only fouls!” Tardelli said.
“The referee did nothing. It’s incredible, I’d like to know who put him there. What does an American referee have to do with this match? He’s not up to it,” he added.
The American official’s performance was widely criticised in Italy, with reports from Corriere dello Sport via Football Italia detailing the anger in the studio. While much of the English post-mortem focused on Thomas Tuchel’s tactics, in Serie A circles the spotlight remained firmly on the referee.
Tardelli’s comments underline the frustration felt by many over the appointment of an American referee for such a high-stakes fixture, questioning his experience and ability to handle the occasion. The official has yet to respond publicly.