NEW YORK, July 9 (Xinhua) -- FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina has defended the officiating in Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt in the World Cup round of 16, rejecting suggestions that match officials came under pressure to favor one of the tournament's biggest teams.
In an interview published by FIFA on Thursday, Collina acknowledged that referees always face scrutiny but insisted the organization's officials make decisions independently.
Argentina recovered from 2-0 down to defeat Egypt 3-2, but the match was overshadowed by protests from the Egypt players and coach Hossam Hassan over several key decisions.
"Constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport. Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials," said Collina, widely regarded as one of the greatest referees in football history.
Collina also addressed wider concerns about the independence of World Cup officiating.
"Nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president [Gianni Infantino]," Collina said.
He also defended the video review decisions in the Argentina-Egypt match, saying VAR was correct to disallow a goal by Mostafa Zico after a contact on Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez.
Collina also backed the decision not to penalize Argentina for an alleged foul on Mohamed Salah in the buildup to the winning goal.
"We believe that a foul is a foul, regardless of whether the foul appears 'obvious.' If the referee did not see it on the field of play, the VAR can intervene," Collina said.
"Stepping on an opponent's foot is a foul, whereas a defender who touches the ball first and then makes normal football contact has not committed a foul." ■
