[Saba Sports News] Recently, regarding the contentious calls in the match between Argentina and Egypt, FIFA has ruled that the decision to disallow Egypt’s goal was correct. Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer, offered a detailed explanation: “After every goal is scored, the VAR team reviews the entire attacking possession sequence. If a foul is identified within this sequence and deemed to have impacted the goal, the VAR will recommend an on-field review. There are no fixed limits on how far from goal the foul takes place, nor the time gap separating the foul and the subsequent goal. To put it simply, a foul is a foul. Whether the offence looks ‘obvious’ or not, VAR is authorised to intervene if the on-pitch referee fails to spot it. Likewise, if no foul is detected during the attacking build-up leading to a goal, the VAR will inform the referee accordingly. Stepping on an opponent’s foot constitutes a foul, while legitimate football contact occurring after a defensive player has first won the ball does not amount to an infraction.”
The editor believes that debates surrounding the incident are clearly far from over despite this official statement. That said, Collina’s remarks undoubtedly send a clear message: refereeing authority will not be swayed by public outcry off the pitch, and all allegations questioning the officials’ integrity have been outright dismissed by FIFA.