Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan launched a scathing attack on French referee Francois Letexier following his side’s dramatic World Cup last-16 exit against Argentina.
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan hit out at the officiating following his side’s heartbreaking defeat to Argentina, which saw the Pharaohs crash out of the World Cup, insisting the referee’s decisions dictated the outcome.
“The result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch during the match and external factors leading up to it,” Hassan declared during a fiery post-match press conference.
“There seemed to be pressure from Argentina on the referee, which led to this outcome; we had already voiced our objections to this specific official,” the Egypt manager added.
Argentina scraped past Egypt 3-2 after remarkably overturning a two-goal deficit in the final fifteen minutes of the contest.
The African side were left aggrieved after seeing a goal of their own disallowed for a foul in the build-up, while a similar infringement appeared to go unpunished in the lead-up to Argentina’s winner.
“There wasn’t even a VAR review; we all saw the shirt pulling, yet the incident wasn’t checked to rule out the goal. That is life: unfair,” he lamented regarding Argentina’s decisive third strike.
“We deserved to win. I believe the impact of this result goes far beyond the defeat itself, as we witnessed neither respect nor fair play,” Hassan continued.
He further revealed that he confronted French referee Francois Letexier at the final whistle, informing him that his performance was unjust.
“I thought perhaps he was hiding something. Those who have something to conceal often struggle to mask it entirely, and that is exactly what I felt during that conversation,” he added.
Hassan concluded by vowing to boycott the remainder of the World Cup in protest. “I will not watch another match of this FIFA tournament. It is my internal battle, my personal objection, and my way of taking a stand. I won’t watch a single game,” he stated.
