FIFA condemns Maradona comments

MOSCOW: FIFA condemned comments by Diego Maradona Wednesday, after the Argentinian legend claimed that Colombia only lost to England in the World Cup last 16 because of the appointment of referee Mark Geiger for the match.

The 1986 World Cup winner said England’s win was a “monumental robbery” after Gareth Southgate’s men edged through a bad-tempered encounter on penalties on Tuesday.

“I apologise to all the Colombian people, but the players are not to blame — here is a gentleman (FIFA referees boss Pierluigi Collina) who decides to choose a referee who, by googling him, can’t be used for a match of this magnitude,” Maradona told Venezuelan TV channel Telesur.

Maradona was at the match as a guest of FIFA and was pictured before the game wearing a Colombia shirt.

Football’s world governing body responded, saying it was “extremely sorry” to read the comments from “a players who has written the history of our game”.