Media sources revealed that FIFA decided to exclude Spanish referee Antonio Mateo Lahoz from the two semi-final matches of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The “Mirror” newspaper headlined its report on the referee Lahoz: “The World Cup referee returned home after being criticized by Lionel Messi and Argentina.”
And the English newspaper confirmed that the Spanish referee, Lahoz, is officially outside the World Cup, after the criticism he was subjected to by the Argentine star, Lionel Messi, after he managed the Argentina match against the Netherlands in the quarter-final competitions.
Lionel Messi clearly attacked Lahoz through sharp and nervous language with him, in addition to his statements about the referee after the match.
Messi said about Lahoz: “You cannot put a referee in a World Cup match that does not rise to its level. We were terrified before the match because we know this referee.”
Messi has previous knowledge of referee Lahoz, who officiated several matches for him in Spain during the flea’s representation of Barcelona from 2004 to 2021.
And the same source stated that FIFA responded to Messi’s criticism, and removed the Spanish referee from managing the remaining matches of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
The marathon match, in which the Argentine national team achieved a thrilling victory over its Dutch counterpart, on penalties (4-2) after they tied (2-2) at Lusail Stadium, in the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, witnessed skirmishes and altercations between the players of the two teams.
The most famous Spanish referee issued 16 yellow cards, along with a red card for Denzel Dumfries, the Dutch national team player.