Despite Argentina's being knocked out of the World Cup, it hasn't stopped the Diego Maradona sideshow, with the former World Cup winner going off on a tirade against American referee Mark Geiger in the wake of England's penalty shootout victory against Colombia on Tuesday night.
The 57-year-old, who was appearing on Argentinian television, stated that he believed that victory was stolen from the Colombians and that Gieger, Gianni Infantino and Perliuigi Collina were to blame:
I saw a monumental theft. I apologise to all the Colombian people, but they must know the players are not to blame.
It is the man who decides who the referee is who is to blame. A man like that (Geiger) should not be put in charge of a game of that magnitude.
With all due respect, Pierluigi Collina, as the man who designates the referees, he is very bad. He must apologise to the Colombian people.
I told (FIFA president) Gianni Infantino that if I worked for FIFA I would change everything. It has to be transparent. That's why I didn't go there.
The referee will know a lot about baseball, but he has no idea about football. The Colombian players asked for VAR and he did not give it to them.
You would have to ask what match Maradona thought he was watching as the Colombians were incredibly lucky to end the match with eleven men after Wilmar Barrios head butted Jordan Henderson in the first half.
Had a more authoritative referee been in charge several Colombian players also could have received their marching orders for repeatedly swarming the officials after any decision that went against them.
Colombia captain Radamel Falcao has also come out in criticism of Gieger, telling ESPN that he found it strange that FIFA put an American in charge of the tie:
To tell you the truth, the process leaves a lot of doubts. He only spoke English, some bias was certain. Through small calls he was pushing us [toward] our goal, that was clear for me.
The referee disturbed us a lot, in the 50-50 plays, he always made the calls in favour of England.
This situation was undermining us. He didn't act with the same criteria for both teams.
When in doubt he always went to the England side. It's shameful that this happens in the round of 16 of a World Cup.
The gall of Falcao to come out and undermine the ref after his team's extraordinary display of shithousery reeks of sour grapes, and hopefully in time the Monaco forward will realise that it was his team, and his team alone that were to blame for the nation's exit.
