Diego Maradona has apologised for questioning the impartiality of the referee in charge of England’s last-16 penalty shootout win over Colombia. The Argentina legend had landed himself in hot water with FIFA over his outburst at US official Mark Geiger when he described England’s win on Tuesday as a “monumental robbery”.
But after a firm rebuke by football’s governing body the 1986 World Cup winner issued a mea culpa on Instagram. “Caught up by the excitement and support for Colombia the other day, I said some things that, I admit, are unacceptable. My apologies to FIFA and its president (Gianni Infantino): even if sometimes my opinions are different to those of the referees I have total respect for their work.”
He admitted that “although I sometimes have opinions contrary to those of referees, I have absolute respect for the work — not easy — which (FIFA) and the referees do.”
Maradona, who had come out in support of Colombia following Argentina’s premature elimination, blamed Geiger for the South American side’s loss in an ill-tempered affair.