Pique changes role and now has to defend himself against criticism of referees

Gerard Pique is the organiser of the Kings World Cup and that means having to deal with discontent from both teams and fans. After a refereeing controversy in the match between Foot2Rue and Muchachos FC, the former Barca player had to come out and defend his referees, with whom he always had his ups and downs when he was a player.

The French side, led by ex-footballer Samir Nasri, complained about a shootout penalty that went in for a bouncing kick seconds after the kick had been taken. The event's production illuminated the pavilion with the red light, which indicates a miss, but after seeing the ball go in, the referee finally decided to award it as valid. Foot2Rue was unhappy with the decision, claiming that the ball had hit the ceiling and therefore ended up in the net. 

Furthermore, Pique went so far as to say that if it was proven that the ball hit the roof of the stadium, the match could be replayed. Later, it was revealed in a video that there was no contact with the roof. 

In the statement he explained: "The ball did not hit the roof at any time. The production person pressed the red light, but the referee did not whistle. The production never goes ahead of what the referee decides. We apologise. The match will not be replayed." This is how Pique settled the controversy.

 

June 3, 2024