World Cup Blog

Mike Martin on FIFA’s latest failure to act For The Good Of The Game…

Few English fans will be glad to see Luís Figo lining up against them in their quarter final with Portugal on Saturday. Figo has been one of Europe’s outstanding players over the last decade and has been rejuvinated at Internazionale in the last year after his career waned at Real Madrid.

But now fans across the world who care for the game should be disgusted that Figo can play against England. There is a fine photograph circulating the media of his head hitting Mark van Bommel’s face, anger in his teeth and hatred in his eyes. There can be no question it was a wanton act of violence, petulance and hatred.

FIFA’s impotence at failing to ban Figo for his appalling head-butt on Holland’s Mark van Bommel - a player for whom I am not commonly inclined to feel sympathy - shows that they are simply incapable of installing and enforcing a set of common-sense rules and regulations for a high-profile tournament. That players can be dismissed for two technical offences is obscene. That players are suspended for merely two yellow cards across different matches is perverse. But that Figo can go effectively uncensored for a disgraceful assault on a fellow professional - one that, off the field of play, might have landed him in prison - is just laughable.

FIFA state, in their usual parrot-fashion, that an incident seen by the referee cannot be retrospectively punished. But if the referee had seen it for what it was, surely Figo would have been given a straight red? Or are FIFA so desperate for TV ratings that they won’t suspend the big names, regardless of their behaviour. It is no surprise that the talented but unfamous Asamoah Gyan was not given a discretionary pardon for his ridiculous suspension from the Ghana v USA match, despite the ludicrous nature of his second yellow card against the Czech Republic, dished out for daring to take a penalty kick having not heard the referee’s whistle.

The standard of refereeing at the 2006 World Cup has been appalling, but not, largely, down to the individuals themselves, (with a few notable exceptions, hello Herr Merk, Señor Rodríguez and Mr Poll). FIFA have distorted the rules to such a ridiculous extent that time-wasting - a misdemeanor, rather than a felony, if you will - is punished more severely and keenly than blatant obstruction, shirt-pulling and general cheating by clodhopping, uncraftsmanlike defenders.

I’m sure Sepp Blatter is a nice man, if you get to know him. If he were hit by a bus I’d be the first person to write for an ambulance. But he is incapable of managing true justice in the game. As Gary Lineker said after Argentina (an absurd five places below Mexico in the official FIFA ranking) took apart Serbia & Montenegro, maybe FIFA should start to watch football.

(Mike Martin is a freelance writer and sports journalist. Contact him at mjefm@hotmail.com)

Tags: Portugal

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