Sent home is the contentious referee who issued 15 yellow cards during Argentina’s quarterfinal match against the Netherlands.
According to rumors, controversial referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz was dismissed for various dubious decisions he made recently while officiating a World Cup game.
Lahoz officiated the Argentina vs. Netherlands match on December 9, and he dished out an amazing 15yellow cards.
Both teams did not think highly of his performance, and Argentina’s players expressed their displeasure following the game.
Following the game, Lionel Messi, Argentina’s captain and icon, was in the forefront of the criticism of Lahoz.
The 35-year-old stated: “I believe Fifa must handle this; it cannot assign a referee of that caliber to a game of such magnitude and significance. The referee must be capable of handling the situation.
Emi Martinez, the goalkeeper for Argentina, concurred with their captain in calling the official’s performance “useless.”
Martinez remarked:
The referee was simply going above and above for them.
He added 10 minutes to the time all by himself. He gave them free kicks outside the box two or three times. He essentially only cared that they score. So hopefully that reference is no longer available. He’s worthless.
In spite of their complaints against the referee, Argentina prevailed in the match after a penalty shootout.
Lahoz has reportedly been sent home and won’t be taking part in any way in the subsequent four games, according to COPE. It’s unclear, though, whether his withdrawal from the competition is connected to the Argentina vs. Netherlands match.
