FIFA reportedly denied Anthony Taylor the chance to referee the World Cup final on Sunday over fears Argentina would question his impartiality.
Taylor is rated as England’s top referee, alongside Michael Oliver, but was never in the running to take charge of Argentina’s clash with France due to his nationality. FIFA are desperate to avoid any suspicions of bias, so deliberately avoid appointing officials from countries who could be perceived as having negative links to the competitors.
The Times reports that Taylor was kept on in Qatar when the likes of Oliver returned home, only to be denied the chance to officiate the showpiece game because of Argentina’s involvement. Although there are no suggestions that Taylor might be influenced by his nationality, neutrality is a top priority for FIFA.
The Falklands War may have taken place way back in 1982, but it remains a hot topic in Argentina. The Falklands have been a British crown colony since 1841, but the sovereignty of the territory in the South Atlantic remains disputed by Argentina, who sparked a war with Britain by invading.
Argentina made headlines after their 3-0 win over Croatia in the semi-final by singing a popular song, called Muchachos, which references the Falklands War. The song includes a line about the "f***ing English" and a reference to the Malvinas – the Argentine name of the Falkland Islands.
The song has been commonplace among Argentina’s fans in Qatar and was reportedly the most played song on Spotify in the South American country this week.
The World Cup final between Argentina and France will take place at the Lusail Stadium at 3pm on Sunday afternoon. It will be overseen by Szymon Marciniak of Poland. He will be supported by his compatriots, Tomasz Listkiewicz and Pawel Sokolnicki, as assistants, while the fourth official will be Ismail Elfath of the United States.
Argentina’s involvement in the game means that Brazilian officials were also not considered. The offensive song, which was belted out in the dressing room after the semi-final, also contains reference to Brazil, described as the "crumpled five-time champions".
Taylor took charge of Ghana’s 3-2 win over South Korea, which ended in controversy and a red card for manager Paulo Bento. He has not officiated since Croatia’s 0-0 draw against Belgium in the group stages on December 1.
South Korea boss Bento blasted Taylor for showing "a deep lack of common sense" after the match on November 28. Bento was furious about Taylor’s decision to blow the final whistle before Korea could take a corner.
"Maybe the way I did it was a mistake but this was at a time when we had good reason,” he said. "It was an unfair decision and also one that reveals a deep lack of common sense."
