|
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
'It's bad for soccer' Figo blasts officials for favoring French in semifinal
Posted: Wednesday June 28, 2000 10:13 PM
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- A furious Luis Figo and other Portuguese players blasted the referee for the penalty that sent them out of Euro 2000 and suggested they were victims of a plot to ensure the big names of European soccer made the final. "We are a small country that many people don't want to see in the final," Figo told reporters after the match. "We've kept our dignity, but we're going home and the others are staying. UEFA must be very happy." The Portuguese were outraged when the linesman persuaded Austrian referee Guenter Benko to award a penalty after the ball bounced off the arm of defender Abel Xavier in extra time. Zinedine Zidane converted the spot kick, and under the golden goal rule, Portugal were out. "I've seen a lot of things in soccer," said winger Sergio Conceicao. "But today I saw something that I've never seen before." Figo, hailed by many as the most creative player in Euro 2000, hinted at dark forces seeking to keep Portugal out of the final. "Today there isn't much truth in soccer, but there's lots of business dealing," he fumed. "The players are disgusted by what happened ... France is a strong team, they didn't need favors like this." Rui Costa agreed. "There were people who sai the final had been planned for France and the Netherlands from the start, that that was why they were in the same group, when you see something like this, you start to believe it." Defender Dimas also said Portugal has been victimized by the linesman. "He was against us for the whole game, there were three or four offsides he didn't see. He won the game for them today. You had people there who spoiled the game. It's bad for soccer." The Portuguese also said the linesman should have flagged for offside when Thierry Henry scored the French equalizer in the 51st minute. "We saw the pictures after the game, it was clearly offside," said Xavier. "It's just incredible that such things can happen in a game like this." Nuno Gomes was shown a red card after the final whistle for hurling his shirt at the officials. "I just want him to have it, so that he'd remember what he'd done," the Portuguese goalscorer said. "If you'd been on the field you'd have felt the same." Figo said the incident had cast a shadow over the game of soccer for him. "Tomorrow is another day, but when I think that this referee will go on to referee other games, it pains me because we worked so hard and it came to nothing. At least my conscience is clear."
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
