ITV co-commentator Ally McCoist has ridiculed FIFA's decision to introduce a stand-by VAR official for the World Cup quarter-finals, during the match between France and Morocco. The refereeing at the tournament had faced criticism, prompting FIFA to deploy a primary VAR official and a reserve VAR official at all stadiums for the remaining games.
France's clash against Morocco was the first match to feature this new change. ITV lead commentator Jon Champion and McCoist expressed bewilderment at the decision. Champion suggested that having fewer officials might improve decision-making, while McCoist presented a humorous scenario that left both laughing.
McCoist said: "It's not one to tell the grandkids, is it. 'It was brilliant lads, I was a stand-by VAR at the World Cup'. 'That must have been thrilling, grandpa.' Come on." He added: "'What did you do at that World Cup, grandpa?' 'Nothing'."
VAR Delays and FIFA's Justification
The duo's point seemed validated earlier in the half when a significant VAR delay occurred after a penalty was awarded for a foul on Kylian Mbappe. Previously, all VAR decisions at the World Cup had been made at the International Broadcast Centre in Dallas. To minimize potential technical issues, FIFA decided to have two officials on-site for the remainder of the tournament.
Leodan Gonzalez of Uruguay and Nicaragua's Tatiana Guzman were the chosen officials at Boston Stadium for France's 2-0 win over Morocco.
Controversy Over Referee Selection
FIFA's decisions on officials dominated pre-match discussions, with an all-Argentine refereeing team of Facundo Tello and assistants Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade selected. This controversial choice came after Egypt's boss accused FIFA of rigging his side's dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina.
He said: "They want Messi to stay in the tournament. In football, many things happen off the pitch because of interests. What happened was unfair. Egypt deserved to qualify. We were the better team."
FIFA's Response to Allegations
In response, FIFA's refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina stated: "Of course, constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport. Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right. Equally, nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president."
