Source: Germany-England refs get extra security
By Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports Sunday, Jun 27, 2010
Follow Martin Rogers on Twitter at @mrogersyahoo
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa – Soccer governing body FIFA acted immediately to provide officials Jorge Larrionda and Mauricio Espinosa with armed protection following the highest-profile mistake of this error-strewn World Cup.
Referee Larrionda refused to credit England’s Frank Lampard with a game-tying goal against Germany on Sunday, even though television replays showed the ball bouncing nearly a yard over the goal line. Assistant referee Espinosa appeared to have a clear view from the sideline but did not flag for a goal.
England fans here were left furious at the way their team had been shortchanged by the Uruguayan pair. According to a source familiar with FIFA’s responses to controversial referee calls, additional security had been ordered for the officiating crew amid fears of reprisals.
The source confirmed that extra security personnel had been called for “within minutes” of the incorrect decision and was in place to escort the men back to the official, high-security referees’ base near Pretoria.
Germany eventually won the match 4-1 and progressed to the quarterfinals.
Tensions were high on the streets of Bloemfontein on Sunday night, with many groups of angry England supporters noisily voicing their disgust at the controversial decision.
As of this weekend, there had been no reported incidents of trouble involving England’s notorious fan base, which in the past has regularly been infiltrated by hooligans. However, World Cup officials were taking no chances, ordering riot police to assemble outside Free State Stadium as the fans dispersed following the match.
The game already was listed as a high-security risk with extra checks at all entrances and even the laptop serial numbers of journalists recorded and logged.
Larrionda, Espinoza and their colleagues – assistant referee Pablo Fandino and fourth official Martin Vazquez and reserve Miguel Nievas – were quickly and discreetly ushered away from the stadium soon after the match’s end.
Yahoo! Sports was unable to reach either Larrionda or Espinoza for comment.
The Uruguayan officiating team was likely to be sent home after the round of 16, irrespective of their mistake, due to the Uruguay national team having qualified for the quarterfinal. Such instances are common place and are implemented in order to avoid any conflict of interest.
Larrionda and his fellow officials will learn of FIFA’s final decision over the next two days. If they are replaced, they will be given security attention “for the remainder of their stay,” said the source.