Three Football Referee Fumbles
Referees, no matter which sport they officiate, ensure that the rules are enforced and are the final word where disputes arise. However, even they get it wrong and sometimes they make such monumental errors that the history books never stop reverberating.
Here are three major refereeing mistakes that are still talked about to this day.
1966 – Geoff Hurst’s World Cup Ghost Goal
One of the earliest FIFA World Cup (WC) controversies happened during the 1966 final in which a fired-up England was determined to beat West Germany and claim glory. Both sides managed to score two goals apiece, but going into extra time it was Geoff Hurst who changed the Three Lions’ fate.
In the 101st minute, he punted a shot that many to this day claim bounced off the crossbar, back onto the line but did not go over the line. Match official Gottfried Dienst contentiously awarded the goal, and Hurst scored yet another in the final minute to give England a 4-2 victory.
2002 – The World Cup of Favoritism
South Korea and Japan co-hosted a troubled tournament in 2002, with multiple allegations of referees favouring the hosts, to making questionable decisions that altered the trajectories of several matches.
Italy, Spain and Portugal’s games fueled speculations of a conspiracy as goals that should have been granted were disallowed and various penalties were awarded against the Mediterranean sides when they played either Japan or South Korea.
The most apparent indication of something amiss – aside from South Korea making it to the semis under suspicious and coincidental circumstances – happened in the quarter-final between the USA and Germany. Torsten Frings mishandled the ball in the second half, but the referee missed awarding a penalty, ultimately giving the Germans a 1-0 victory.
1986 – When The “Hand of God” Intervened
No other football controversy is more infamous than the goal that football legend Diego Maradona “scored” during the quarter-final of the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Argentina and England slugged it out, with neither side conceding any ground, but it was in the second half that the first goal arrived. In the 51st minute, Maradona took advantage of a misplayed clearance to sprint straight up to English keeper Peter Shilton and contest the ball with his left hand in the air. Referee Ali Bin Nasser awarded the goal, and entered an incredible, if dubious, piece of footballing history into the record books.
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