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Rabat – The referees for the Morocco vs. France match have been appointed and “there is nothing we can do about it,” French head coach Didier Deschamps commented at today’s pre-match press conference, appearing to dismiss the ongoing debate over refereeing controversies at the ongoing FIFA World Cup. “So I choose to trust the referees,” he said.
FIFA appointed an all-Argentine referee team to officiate Morocco vs. France. Argentine referee Facundo Tello will lead the team alongside his compatriots Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade as assistant referees tomorrow night.
Asked if he has concerns about outside influences during the World Cup, Deschamps said he hopes Tello and his assistants “will perform well tomorrow.”
Deschamps added that, instead of the referring team’s potential bias, he is more concerned about Morocco being a tough opponent with extremely talented players who are familiar with their French counterparts.
Questions over referring bias come amid several dramatic World Cup officiating controversies.
One of the ongoing debates is focusing on French official François Letexier, who has faced popular backlash for his poor performance during Argentina’s comeback victory against Egypt on Tuesday.
The Egyptian federation demanded a FIFA investigation into the referees after its World Cup exit, especially after one of its goals was ruled out.
Commenting on the controversies without specifying the Egypt vs. Argentina game, Deschamps emphasized that “there are always decisions that can be debated.”
For him, “it all depends on which side you’re on.” He stressed, however: “But as far as I’m concerned, the opponent is Morocco. I’m not going to consider the referee an opponent. On the contrary, the referee is there to apply the Laws of the Game as fairly as possible.”
Morocco suffered a setback in the 2022 World Cup after concerns that FIFA referees deprived it of two legitimate penalties in its semifinal clash with France, with both fans and commentators taking issue with the referee’s decisions and the lack of VAR intervention in two key incidents in the penalty area.
The deepening concern over officiating errors and perceived favoritism has raised concerns and fears that the same scenario could repeat itself. Critics have especially suggested that tomorrow’s Argentine refereeing team could exchange favors with the French referee team that helped Argentina beat Egypt on Tuesday night.
Yet these remain rumors, and the focus should now be on training and preparation as the Atlas Lions look eager to continue their World Cup journey and qualify for another semifinal in a historic achievement.
Morocco is now the only Arab and African team still in the tournament after Egypt’s controversial loss against Argentina and the earlier exits of other African teams like Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.
If Morocco beats France to advance to the semifinals, it will mark the second time the Atlas Lions have become the first Arab and African team to qualify for such an advanced stage of the tournament.
