France coach Didier Deschamps said FIFA has rejected the appeal against Michael Olise’s yellow card. He could potentially be ruled out of the semi-finals if he receives another yellow card against Morocco. France will face Morocco in the quarter-finals.
boston [यूएस]July 9 (ANI): France head coach Didier Deschamps said ahead of the FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Morocco that his appeal to overturn Michael Olise’s controversial yellow card against Paraguay in the Round of 16 has been rejected by FIFA.
France, the 2018 champions and 2022 runners-up, will be aiming to reach the semi-finals for the third time in a row, while they will face African team Morocco, who are aiming to create history by becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup for the second consecutive time after reaching the semi-finals in the 2022 Qatar edition. If Olise receives another yellow card during the match against Morocco on July 11 at 1:30 am IST, he faces the risk of a one-match ban, potentially missing the semi-final match.
FIFA rejects France’s appeal
Olais was booked during the round of 16 match against Paraguay. This card was shown during a very tense match, in which players from both sides were heated and resorted to physical violence. During the match he received a yellow card for a heated altercation with Paraguay’s Matías Galarza. According to Goal.com, while Galarza fell to the ground after being accused of contact to the face, TV replays showed that the Frenchman’s initial contact was limited to merely pulling the opposing player’s jersey. Later the French Football Federation (FFF) filed an appeal to cancel this card.
Speaking before the match, as quoted by Sky Sports, Deschamps said, “There is no change in the case of Olise’s yellow card. We received FIFA’s decision this morning that the yellow card has been upheld.”
Comparison with US Stryker case
According to The Athletic as quoted by Goal.com, the FFF had contacted FIFA to correct what they considered to be a clear umpiring error. The appeal came at a time when the tournament was already mired in controversy over a red card, with FIFA banning American striker Folarin Balogun for one match after being shown a red card during his team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, but the red card was rescinded following the intervention of US President Donald Trump and a legal team from US Soccer, with FIFA citing Article 27 of its disciplinary code. Allowing them to face Belgium in the last 16. The move was criticized by the Belgian Football Association, fans and experts around the world.
Olise’s brilliant performance in the tournament
This French player has played an important role in his team’s success in the tournament so far. Olise’s five assists are the most by a player in a single FIFA World Cup since 1994 and he is one away from equaling the record of six assists set by Brazilian icon Pelé at the 1970 edition. The Bayern star has already won two ‘Player of the Match’ awards for his goals in the group stage win against Senegal and the 3-0 win over Sweden in the Round of 32, in which he provided two assists. His performances make him a leading contender for the Golden Ball, and past greats including French icon Thierry Henry have praised his performances. (ANI)
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