We wuz robbed

Phil Ball : Monday, June 24, 2002

In the aftermath of Spain's elimination from the World Cup at the hands of South Korea, the proverbial has well and truly hit the fan.

Ángel Villar, President of the Spanish Football Federation, has resigned his position from the international referees' committee in protest at the events of the Korean farce and the Spanish press, excitable though it can often be for the most insignificant of reasons, was unanimous in its condemnation of the terrible trinity - Egyptian referee Gamal Ghandour and his linesmen, the Ugandan Ali Tomusange and Michael Ragoonath from Trinidad and Tobago.

Young Joaquin should not have had to face this moment of horror (Allsport)

It is worth repeating their nationalities, since this has been a significant factor within the general atmosphere of criticism generated since the game. It's unclear what has been more annoying - the indisputable fact that Spain 'wuz robbed' - or the casual racism of certain sections of its press and public.

Much has been made, for some unknown reason, of the fact that the referee and linesmen were 'tercermundista' (Third World), an offensive adjective which is used in Spanish to suggest that something is defective and inefficient.

During the vox pop interviews on Sunday that various news channels carried out, the message was clear. If the referee had been an experienced European, schooled in the rigours of quality football competition, none of this would have happened.

This is a somewhat ironic observation, since the Spanish referee, López Nieto, one of the most experienced in the tournament, was sent home after proving that this country's best referee is one of the worst around.

During the Irish game, Anders Frisk, clearly one of the best around, was attacked by the Spanish football press for awarding a penalty against Hierro. The fact that the Spanish captain had all but denuded Niall Quinn of his entire kit was besides the point. He was being 'over strict'.

The problem, as ever, is one of perspective, and what's good for the goose is unfortunately not so good for the gander. The unwise little outbreaks of joy at the elimination of Italy and the accompanying amusement at the scale of their protests - to ministerial level - have backfired somewhat.

And now, like the Italians, the Spanish are talking darkly of conspiracy theories. The big idea is that Nike are behind it all because they 'need' two of their sponsored sides in the final, coupled with the general feeling that there is a European plot to promote football in those countries where it is less developed, creating a new and expanding market for products, TV coverage and other related aspects of investment.

“Camacho, who must surely be given a lucrative contract by some deodorant company to advertise their products, can be proud in the end of what he achieved. ”

Although the second has a ring of truth to it, and was, of course, part of the reason for choosing Japan and Korea in the first place, these conspiracy theories all lead to a logical question which none of the accusers are prepared to answer.

Is all the righteous indignation implying that referees like Ghandour have been paid off? Since the Italians appear to be prepared to instigate civil action over their own particular case of perceived injustice, this would appear to be the conclusion.

So, get your law suits out for the lads. Entirely useless actions of this sort would represent a sad day for football, and cast a shadow over a World Cup that has been the most entertaining in memory.

But when all the shouting has died down, and the Spanish players have gone home, it has to be said that probably the best side left in the tournament were knocked out in questionable circumstances.

The most interesting aspect of the second disallowed goal is that during the eternal replays one can see quite clearly that the linesman, Ragoonath, only seems to raise his flag when it has become obvious that Joaquín's exquisite centre is destined for Morientes' unmarked head.

The fact that things seemed to be going their way before the Korean game is now irrelevant, given that the rub of the green deserted them at the crucial juncture. It usually has. The cold fact of the matter is that they scored two perfectly legal goals, outplayed the Koreans for most of the game, but still went home empty-handed.

Helguera and Camacho's hot-blooded behaviour at the end of the game was unfortunate, but entirely understandable. And Fernando Hierro deserved better than to have his distinguished career end on such a sour note.

Fernando Hierro and Hector Camacho deserved better (Reuters)

The Spanish side, despite a few caveats with regard to their defence, have left a positive impression on the world's spectators and have been one of the most attractive teams in the competition. Players like De Pedro, Joaquin and Baraja have assumed their place on the world stage with some dignity.

Camacho, who must surely be given a lucrative contract by some deodorant company to advertise their products, can be proud in the end of what he achieved. He put together an attack-minded squad, with three excellent strikers, two traditional wingers from Pathe News days, a compact and imaginative midfield, and even amongst the defensive frailty the figures of Puyol and Heguera stood out as world-class.

There's still something wrong, something slightly brittle in the whole set-up, something fragile in the mind-set. But I saw no other side in the tournament that were superior. Like England, the Spanish players must be reflecting on the fact that they might never get a better chance.

The only compensation is that for a change, they have gone out this tournament with much of the world seemingly on their side. Just for once, for that reason only, Camacho might afford himself a smile as he stares out onto the clouds on the long flight home.