The referee of England’s 4-1 defeat to Germany has a chequered history and missed the 2002 World Cup after he was banned in his homeland for irregularities.
Jorge Larrionda who, along with assistant Mauricio Espinosa, missed a clear goal by Frank Lampard that would have made it 2-2 in the second-round tie, was suspended in his native Uruguay for six months for “irregularities”, leading FIFA to exclude him from their list for the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea.
After the latest blunder, Larrionda and his assistants were given police protection after the match in Bloemfontein due to fears for their safety.
England were angered after Lampard’s 38th-minute shot was not deemed a goal despite good positioning for both the referee and his assistant – the ball hit the underside of the crossbar and clearly bounced a yard behind Germany keeper Manuel Neuer’s line.
A spokesman for the South African Police Service said officers would ensure no member of the public would be able to get close to Larrionda and assistants Espinosa and Pablo Fandino.
Spokesman Vishnu Naidoo said: “The officials will be protected by a team of elite close protection officers. Nobody will be allowed to get anywhere near them.
“The level of security around them remains unchanged from previous matches but the officers will be briefed to be on special alert for any trouble.
“Obviously after there could be a degree of discontent among some fans but the safety of the officials will be ensured.”
Larrionda, 42, has also been in hot water after he failed to spot a clear goal by Brazil in a 2006 World Cup qualifier against Colombia: in an almost identical situation to Lampard’s, Adriano’s header rebounded off the crossbar, crossed the goal line but was not given.
At this World Cup Larrionda had earlier been the target of Serbian criticism for failing to award a late penalty when Nemanja Vidic’s header appeared to strike Australia’s Tim Cahill on the arm in their final Group D game – a win would have sent the Serbs through.
Eurosport