'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli who was earlier accused of favouring Argentine forward Lionel Messi by Belgium manager Marc Wilmots after the 1-0 quarter-final loss against Argentina has been picked by FIFA to referee Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final, FIFA has confirmed.
“Germany and Argentina contested the final of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™ and an Italian referee will officiate as the same countries meet in the 2014 decider. Nicola Rizzoli, a 42-years-old an architect from Bologna, has already refereed three matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, taking charge of Spain-Netherlands and Nigeria-Argentina in the group stages and the quarter-final between Argentina and Belgium,” FIFA stated on their official website.
The 42-year-old referee was criticized last week by Wilmots with the latter accusing him of being lenient with his yellow cards when it came to Messi.
Wilmots had said, “I don’t want to be a cry baby, but I noticed the referee never gives fouls against Argentina. Every time something happens with Messi the referee gives him a free-kick. I notice he [Lionel Messi] made three fouls and no yellow card, we made one foul and one yellow card.”
Rizzoli will be the third Italian to have refereed in a World Cup final after Sergio Gonella in 1978 and Pierluigi Collina in 2002
However, Massimo Busacca, FIFA’s head of referees did not agree with Wilmots’ claims, and hailed Rizzoli as a referee with high quality.
“I think the neutrality of the referees has been there in every game,” Busacca was quoted by the Guardian. “If we pay attention on every single complaint the coaches make we will not select any more referees. If you have the best quality, then you should be given the best matches.”
The final will be the Italian’s fourth official match refereed in this tournament, having featured in Spain and Netherlands’ Group B tie, Argentina and Nigeria’s Group C tie and the quarter-final encounter between Argentina and Belgium.
He has issued nine yellow cards in these matches, and only one of them was given to an Argentine player.
Rizzoli will be assisted by Renato Faverani and Andrea Stefani, who are both Italian nationalities and 44 years old, however, Ecuadorian referee Carlos Vela will be the fourth official for the match.
