Mexico manager Miguel Herrera claims Arjen Robben dived for crucial penalty

Arjen Robben successfully appeals for a penalty after Rafael Marquez trips him in the box

Mexico boss Miguel Herrera claimed Arjen Robben dived three times duringEl Tricolor’s last-16 World Cup clash with Netherlands.

The outspoken coach accused the former Chelsea winger of diving on three occasions, resulting in the stoppage-time penalty that gave Louis van Gaal’s outfit the lead, while also bemoaning the quality of the refereeing in Mexico’s three group games.

Robben, himself, actually confessed to diving during the first half, though insists the late spot-kick was not earned through simulation.

In addition, Herrera expressed his disgust at FIFA for appointing a European referee for the crucial knockout tie, saying that the official should’ve originated from an African, Asian or South American federation.

”Out of the four matches here in all of them the refereeing was disastrous,” he told reporters after the game.

“Robben did three dives and he should have been cautioned. You should caution a guy who is trying to cheat, and then if Robben did it again he would be sent off.

“And why did FIFA choose a referee from the same confederation as Holland instead of one from South America, Asia or Africa?

“The doubtful decisions were always against us. We have to say it in capital letters, in three matches we had horrible refereeing. The man with the whistle knocked us.

“I want the referee committee to take a look and that the referee goes home just like us.”

The 46-year-old former defender also criticised the organisers for scheduling the game to take place at Fortaleza in the full heat of the midday sun.

As a result of the humidity, regular stops in play were ordered so the players could take on fluids and cool down.

“What goes against football is to have to play in these conditions. The players were suffocated by the sun heat and the humidity.”

Herrera praised his players for their World Cup efforts but suggested that their willingness to sit back after Giovani dos Santos’ opener contributed to their downfall.

He added: “We’d done really well. Then the team sits back and we start to give chances to a team that had not done anything.

“It’s a World Cup where everything was against Mexico.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t achieve what we wanted.”