CORNERFLICK
France’s media have reacted angrily to FIFA’s decision to put an all-Argentine officiating team in charge of the World Cup quarter-final between France and Morocco.
FIFA said Facundo Tello will referee the match, with every other official also from Argentina, including the assistants, fourth official and video assistant referee. French outlets called the appointment unusual, saying FIFA has generally mixed officials from different countries across the tournament.
RMC Sport also questioned the move, arguing that FIFA had left itself open to scrutiny by assigning a full national crew to such a high-profile match. The choice has added to the debate because of the tense football relationship between France and Argentina since the 2022 World Cup final.
The same report noted that Argentina had previously complained about Francois Letexier, the French referee appointed for its last-16 tie against Egypt. That makes the latest appointment another flashpoint in the arguments over how FIFA selects referees for the knockout rounds.