FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina has defended the officiating in Argentina's 3-2 World Cup round-of-16 victory over Egypt, rejecting allegations of bias and insisting match officials carried out their duties with complete independence.
Speaking in an interview published Thursday on FIFA's website, Collina acknowledged that refereeing decisions will always be debated but strongly criticized attacks on officials' integrity after Egypt questioned the officiating following its defeat.
"Constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport," Collina said.
"Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. Nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president (Gianni Infantino)."
Collina warned that baseless accusations against referees can have serious consequences, saying they risk fueling threats and abuse directed at officials and their families.
