|
A deprived 'gentleman'
Blanc's suspension highlights glaring problem
Posted: Thursday July 09, 1998 04:37 PM
PARIS (CNN/SI) -- Laurent Blanc's dismissal in France's World
Cup semifinal victory over Croatia has
highlighted a glaring need for post-match punishment for would-be
actors.
Blanc was shown the red card 15 minutes from the end of the match
at St. Denis for striking Croatian defender Slaven Bilic.
True, Blanc did get involved in a tussle with Bilic in the penalty
area -- both appeared to be tugging at each other's shirts.
True, Blanc did raise his hand in the direction of Bilic's face.
But he did nothing more than push him away, catching him on the chin and
neck.
False is how you could describe Bilic's collapse to the ground as
if he'd been mowed down. The Everton defender grabbed the top of his head.
Replays showed Blanc's hand came nowhere near his forehead.
All the referee saw was a raised arm and a player falling,
Hollywood style, to the pitch. Off went Blanc. He was banned for two
matches on Thursday and will now miss the World Cup final.
Blanc admits he made a mistake, but believed he deserved no more
than a yellow card.
Bilic refuses to admit it was his play-acting which resulted in
Blanc's dismissal, claiming the French star got what he deserved. Bilic
did, however, express his sorrow to Blanc after the match that the incident
had caused his opposite number to miss the final, which is quite clearly
the pinnacle of any professional footballer's career.
Blanc, only half-joking, said it was then that he really felt like
punching Bilic.
I don't know about punching him, but someone should punish him
somehow.
Bilic has shamelessly cost one of the best players of the
tournament a place in the World Cup final. It's outrageous.
I appreciate Blanc may have been a little tempestuous, but Bilic
was giving back as much as he took throughout their duel at corners and
free kicks.
Bilic's play-acting was, in my mind, a clear effort to get Blanc
sent off and earn Croatia the chance at pulling back a 2-1 deficit against
10 men. He succeeded in the first part -- but thankfully not the
latter.
There is no way France can appeal Blanc's ban and expect to get it
overturned under the current rules and regulations. That in itself is
wrong.
But so too is the fact that Bilic will never be called to answer to
his pathetic actions.
FIFA, football's world governing body, needs to stamp this
play-acting out now. The only way to dissuade players from trying to get a
fellow professional sent off is to have a deterrent.
Video evidence should be allowed to show the cheats in their true
colors -- and to let those who were unfairly punished on the pitch to get
some kind of redress off it.
Blanc is 32. He will never have the chance to play in another World
Cup final. His family will never see and enjoy that moment. His friends and
fans in his local village in France will never share in that joy.
And this is a player who has a near flawless international playing
record and is known for being such a gentleman on and off the field.
There's something horribly wrong about the whole thing.
| 
