FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer, Pierluigi Collina, has defended the independence of World Cup match officials following controversy over the VAR decisions in Argentina’s Round of 16 victory over Egypt, insisting that referees cannot be influenced by anyone, including FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Collina made the remarks in an interview published by FIFA on Thursday after criticism over officiating decisions during the knockout tie, saying allegations questioning the integrity of referees were unacceptable and had exposed officials and their families to threats.
“Nobody can claim that FIFA Refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA President [Gianni Infantino].
“He has always shown his full support for FIFA Team One while trusting us to work with complete independence. Match officials make honest decisions and, just like players and coaches, they always try to do their best,” he was quoted as saying.
Explaining the controversial decisions in the Argentina-Egypt match, Collina said VAR correctly intervened after Egypt midfielder Marwan Attia stepped on the foot of Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez during the attacking possession phase before a goal.
According to him, the Laws of the Game do not impose any time or distance limit on incidents that can be reviewed if they lead to a goal.
“We believe that a foul is a foul. Regardless of whether the foul appears ‘obvious’, if the referee did not see it on the field of play, the VAR can intervene.
