France players unimpressed by FIFA’s choice of all-Argentine referee lineup for World Cup quarter-final | OneFootball

FIFA has elected to pick an all-Argentine referee lineup for France’s World Cup quarter-final against Morocco. 44-year-old Facundo Tello will officiate tomorrow night’s game at Boston Stadium. For the first time in this tournament, a game will have match officials exclusively coming from a single nation.

FIFA’s appointment has raised eyebrows with Argentina and France sharing a rivalry since Les Bleus‘ loss to penalties against Lionel Scaloni’s men in the 2022 World Cup final. However, France have shrugged it off, putting their trust in Tello’s experience. “I’m not going to focus on who the referee will be”, Dayot Upamecano said. “We’ve never done that before, we’re going to focus on Morocco.”

Third-choice goalkeeper Robin Risser has echoed the Bayern Munich centre-back’s comments, adding that it would be unwise for Les Bleus to fall into paranoia. “There’s been a certain bitterness for a few years now since the last final, but that’s part of the game. If these referees are there, it’s because they’re up to the level of the competition.”

GFFN | Bastien Cheval