FIFA’s director of refereeing Pierluigi Collina on Wednesday defended Salvadoran official Ivan Barton after Deschamps publicly questioned whether the referee was capable of handling a World Cup semifinal following France’s 2-0 defeat to Spain in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday.Deschamps had been pointed but careful in his post-match criticism. “If I say anything, I’ll look like a sore loser because we lost,” the outgoing France coach said. “But I ask you: is the referee up to the task of officiating a semifinal? There’s the penalty, but that’s not all; it adds to everything else. I have nothing against the referee tonight, but ask yourselves the question.”Collina, himself a former World Cup final referee widely regarded as one of the greatest officials in the history of the sport, did not hesitate in his response. Asked directly to address Deschamps’ question about whether the referee was up to the task, Collina said simply: “Yes, absolutely. Our referees are world class.”The controversy centred primarily on the penalty awarded to Spain in the first half, when Barton judged Lucas Digne’s challenge on Lamine Yamal to be a foul inside the box. Mikel Oyarzabal converted from the spot to give Spain the lead, before Pedro Porro sealed the win in the second half.It is not the first time Collina has been called upon to defend officials at this tournament. He previously spoke out in support of the referee after Egypt’s controversial defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16, when Egypt coach Hossam Hassan accused FIFA of favouring the defending champions.France will now face the loser of Thursday’s Argentina vs England semifinal in the third-place play-off on Saturday in Miami, a bitter pill for a nation that arrived in North America as one of the pre-tournament favourites.Deschamps, who confirmed after the Spain defeat that he is stepping down as France manager after 14 years, departs with his questions unanswered and his team heading into the bronze medal match.
