List of 2010 FIFA World Cup controversies
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2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
generated various
controversies Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...
, including some from before the tournament started. Most centred on refereeing.


Qualification


France vs. Republic of Ireland

In the second leg of the qualification play-off match between France and the Republic of Ireland on 18 November 2009, French captain
Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry (born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, and former player who is an assistant coach for the Belgium national team. Considered one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best players ...
, unseen by the referee and other match officials, illegally handled the ball twice in the lead up to the winning goal. The incident caused widespread debate about FIFA Fair Play, and how matches should be refereed at the highest level. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) requested a replay of the game on grounds of fairness, but was denied by FIFA under the Laws of the Game. On 2 December, FIFA called an extraordinary general meeting of the Executive Committee to discuss various issues, with the Henry incident high on the agenda. FIFA announced they would be setting up an inquiry into technology and extra officials in the game, but they did not announce a widely expected move of the fast-tracked introduction of goal-line referee's assistants, already being trialled in the
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
, and confirmed the competition in South Africa would be officiated as normal with a referee, two assistants, and a fourth official. On the subject of fair Play, FIFA President
Sepp Blatter Joseph "Sepp" Blatter (born Josef Blatter; 10 March 1936) is a Swiss former football administrator who served as the eighth President of FIFA from 1998 to 2015. He has been banned from participating in FIFA activities since 2015 as a result of ...
said: :''"I appeal to all the players and coaches to observe this fair play. In 2010 we want to prove that football is more than just kicking a ball but has social and cultural value...So we ask the players 'please observe fair play' so they will be an example to the rest of the world".'' On 5 June 2015 it was determined that the Football Association of Ireland were paid €5 million by FIFA not to protest about Thierry Henry's handball.


Algeria vs. Egypt

The teams finished level on 13 points and level on all
tiebreakers In games and sports, a tiebreaker or tiebreak is used to determine a winner from among players or teams that are tied at the end of a contest, or a set of contests. General operation In matches In some situations, the tiebreaker may consi ...
:
goal difference Goal difference, goal differential or points difference is a form of tiebreaker used to rank sport teams which finish on equal points in a league competition. Either "goal difference" or "points difference" is used, depending on whether matches ar ...
in all group matches (+5); goals scored in all group matches (9); points in all Algeria–Egypt matches (3); and goal difference in all Algeria–Egypt matches (0). (The
away goals rule The away goals rule is a method of tiebreaker, tiebreaking in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. Under the away goals rule, if the total goals scored by each team are equal, the ...
was not used as a group-stage tiebreaker). The teams met in a one-game play-off to decide the qualifier. To determine the match venue, each team selected a country other than their own (Algeria selected
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
and Egypt selected
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
). After Sudan was drawn in a lottery on 11 November, the Al Merreikh Stadium in Omdurman was selected by FIFA as the venue for the play-off. The decision to play a tie-breaking playoff game to determine who qualifies to the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
was controversial because despite the fact that Algeria and Egypt were level on all tiebreakers listed above, Egypt would have qualified based on the away goals rule, which was used to determine the winner of a tie in the case of a tiebreaker in both previous and subsequent qualifiers. Algeria won the match in Sudan 1–0 to qualify for the World Cup.


Animal sacrifices

Plans to slaughter a cow at each stadium to be used for the World Cup generated concern among
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sa ...
groups. The Makhonya Royal Trust proposed the concept stating the cattle killing event was a "true African" way of blessing the tournament.World Cup stadium 'cow sacrifice' plan sparks row.
BBC News website, updated at 16:22 GMT, Tuesday, 1 December 2009.
:''"We must have a cultural ceremony of some sort, where we are going to slaughter a beast. We sacrifice the cow for this great achievement and we call on our ancestors to bless, to grace, to ensure that all goes well. The World Cup will be on the African continent and we will make sure that African values and cultures are felt by the visitors."'' The issue of cattle sacrifice was discussed by a High Court. Judge Nic Van der Reyden said the matter needed to be taken up by politicians.Sangomas sacrifice ox to bless the World Cup stadiums.
Cape Times.
An ox was slaughtered at Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium on 25 May. A place was created within the Soccer City precinct to act as a "kraal" where the ox was slaughtered. After that, the senior traditional healers walked into the stadium in song, drum-beating and dance, where they continued to bless the inside of the stadium with rituals.


Group stage


Brazil vs. Côte d'Ivoire

Brazilian striker
Luís Fabiano Luís Fabiano Clemente (born 8 November 1980), commonly known as Luís Fabiano, is a retired Brazilian professional footballer who played as a striker most notably for Sevilla, São Paulo, and the Brazil national team. He is a prolific goals ...
handled the ball twice in the build-up to Brazil's second goal, which helped Brazil win the match 3–1. Brazilian midfielder
Kaká Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (; born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká () or Ricardo Kaká, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. In his prime as a playmaker at AC Milan, a period marke ...
was sent off late in the game for a collision with Ivorian midfielder
Kader Keïta Kader may refer to: * ''Kader'' (film), a 2006 Turkish drama film *Kader Group, a toy manufacturer of Hong Kong People with the given name *Kader Abdolah (born 1954), Iranian-Dutch writer, poet and columnist. *Kader Asmal (1934–2011), South Afr ...
. Replays showed Keïta had run into Kaká's side, deliberately striking Kaká's shoulder, and then fell to the ground holding his face in a successful attempt to have Kaká sent off.


Slovenia vs. USA

With the match tied 2–2 in the 86th minute,
Maurice Edu Maurice Edu (born April 18, 1986) is an American former professional soccer player. A highly touted prospect, Edu was the first overall pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft and won the MLS Rookie of the Year Award with Toronto. His performances for T ...
of the United States appeared to score the winning goal from a set piece, but referee
Koman Coulibaly Koman Coulibaly (born 4 July 1970) is a Malian football referee. He has been a full international referee for FIFA since 1999 and officiated his first international match on 19 April 2000, between Mali and Burkina Faso. Coulibaly is one of Mal ...
disallowed the goal and awarded a free-kick to Slovenia. Because Coulibaly had blown for the free-kick before the goal had been scored, he was not required to (and did not) explain the call on the pitch or to FIFA officials afterwards. Replays showed numerous Slovenian players pulling and hanging on Americans, fighting for position in the box, but no foul or offsides by the Americans was apparent to justify disallowing the goal. US striker
Robbie Findley Robert Findley (born August 4, 1985) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward. He was capped 11 times by the United States national team, having made his international debut in 2007. Findley played college soc ...
was also given a mysterious yellow card, which resulted in him missing the next match against Algeria. Although the match ended in a 2–2 draw, the United States ultimately went on to win the group. Coulibaly received a "poor" performance review for the match and was selected to only one additional match in the tournament, as the 4th referee.


Australia vs. Serbia

After the previous two matches, both could still reach the round of 16. However, with Australia having one point and a -4 goal difference while Serbia had three points and a 0 goal difference, Serbia seemingly had the better chance to advance to the next round. During the last minutes of the match, with Serbia losing 2-1, Australia's Tim Cahill clearly hit the ball with his hand in the box, but the officials decided not to award a penalty for Serbia, and play continued;World Cup 2010: Missed handball enrages Serbia manager Page last updated at 22:28 GMT, Wednesday, 23 June 2010 23:28 UK
/ref> also Serbia had a late goal disallowed for what appeared to be a questionable offside. With Ghana losing to Germany 1–0, a second goal would have given Serbia runners-up spot in the group and advancement to the Round of 16.


Round of 16

On 27 June, during two round of 16 matches, two incidents occurred that led to renewed debate over the lack of video technology in refereeing– the disallowing of England midfielder
Frank Lampard Frank James Lampard (born 20 June 1978) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Everton. He is widely regarded as one of Chelsea’s greatest ever players, and one of the greatest midfielder ...
's goal against Germany, and an Argentinian goal against Mexico that was allowed despite being scored from an offside position.


Germany vs. England

During England's 4–1 loss to Germany, Lampard's shot hit the crossbar and then crossed the goal-line before bouncing back out to German goalkeeper
Manuel Neuer Manuel Peter Neuer (; born 27 March 1986) is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper and captains both club Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the ...
. Linesman
Mauricio Espinosa Mauricio Espinosa Rodríguez (born 6 May 1972)
FIFA, 2010.
...
and referee
Jorge Larrionda Jorge Luis Larrionda Pietrafesa (born 9 March 1968) is a retired FIFA football referee from Uruguay who has officiated at international matches since 1998. He officiated at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where he took charge of four matches, including ...
did not award the goal but subsequent replays and photographic evidence showed the ball had indeed crossed the goal-line. This incident reignited demands for
goal-line technology In many outdoor ball sports, a goal line is a line in front of goal post and which a team attempts to advance the ball or puck towards to score a goal or points. In particular, see: * Football pitch for usage of the term in soccer * Goal line (gri ...
. This was also significant as England were trailing 1–2 at the time so had Lampard's "goal" have stood then it would have brought England level in the match.


Argentina vs Mexico

During the Argentina vs. Mexico match
Carlos Tevez Carlos Alberto Tevez (; born 5 February 1984) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player. A quick, tenacious, powerful, hard-working and dynamic forward in his prime, Tevez was capable of playing as a striker, as a winger ...
scored from an offside position from within the Mexican penalty box when the game stood at 0–0. Although against FIFA's ruling, the screens inside the stadium of
Soccer City First National Bank Stadium or simply FNB Stadium ( af, ENB-stadion), also known as Soccer City ( af, Sokkerstad) and The Calabash, is an association football (soccer) and Rugby union stadium located in Nasrec, bordering the Soweto area of Joha ...
showed replays of Tevez more than a yard offside when
Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
played the ball towards him. The goal stood, causing uproar and protests from the Mexican players and staff. Referee
Roberto Rosetti Roberto Rosetti (born 18 September 1967) is an Italian former football referee. He is fluent in Italian (native), English and French. He started refereeing in 1983, and took charge of his first match in the Italian Serie A in 1996. He received hi ...
stuck with his decision. Argentina subsequently won the match 3–1. Following the Argentinian goal, BBC commentators wrote that " linesman Stefano Ayroldi ..somehow allowed
Carlos Tevez Carlos Alberto Tevez (; born 5 February 1984) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player. A quick, tenacious, powerful, hard-working and dynamic forward in his prime, Tevez was capable of playing as a striker, as a winger ...
's goal to stand before a ridiculous situation developed where he, referee
Roberto Rosetti Roberto Rosetti (born 18 September 1967) is an Italian former football referee. He is fluent in Italian (native), English and French. He started refereeing in 1983, and took charge of his first match in the Italian Serie A in 1996. He received hi ...
and everyone in the stadium watched replays on the huge screens show exactly how far offside Tevez was"; pundit
Alan Hansen Alan David Hansen (born 13 June 1955) is a Scottish former footballer and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, for the successful Liverpool team of the late 1970s and 1980s, and for the Scotland ...
added: "Before today I was not an advocate of technology in football, but now I am a convert."
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
sports columnist John Leicester reacted to the match between England and Germany by writing: :''" FIFA fears that technology would undermine the authority of referees and their assistants. But the reverse is in fact happening. Match officials are being made to look like idiots because they are not getting the help that they need. .. lls, as Lampard proved, can bounce in and out of goal so quickly that a linesman can miss it if he's not paying attention, blinks, is screened or for whatever reason is looking away. That's why technology is needed. And the time to introduce it was yesterday. Blatter has some explaining to do."'' The press spoke of: :''"two great victories ..overshadowed by controversies emanating from two crucial mistakes made by match officials".'' A few days later, FIFA President
Sepp Blatter Joseph "Sepp" Blatter (born Josef Blatter; 10 March 1936) is a Swiss former football administrator who served as the eighth President of FIFA from 1998 to 2015. He has been banned from participating in FIFA activities since 2015 as a result of ...
stated that he deplored the "evident referee mistakes" in England vs. Germany and Mexico vs. Argentina matches, and apologised to the English and Mexican football federations ("the two federations directly concerned by referee's mistakes"). He added: "It is obvious that after the experiences so far at this World Cup it would be a nonsense not to re-open the file on goal-line technology. ..We will come out with a new model in November on how to improve high-level referees. ..I cannot disclose more of what we are doing but something has to be changed."


Suárez handball

In extra time of a quarter-final match against
Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
,
Uruguayan Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
striker
Luis Suárez Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Uruguayan Primera División club Nacional and the Uruguay national team. Nicknamed ''El Pistolero'' ('The Gunman'), he is ...
handled the ball in the penalty area to prevent a last-minute game-winning Ghana goal. Suárez was shown a
red card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction. Red card may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers * Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or d ...
and Ghana's
Asamoah Gyan Asamoah Gyan ( ; born 22 November 1985) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who last played as a striker for Legon Cities FC and is the former captain of the Ghanaian national team. Gyan began his career in 2003 with Ghanaian Premier Leag ...
missed the resulting penalty kick. Ghana subsequently lost the match, 4–2, in the penalty shootout. The African press named Uruguay public enemy No.1 and described them as cheats. Suárez was unapologetic about his handball, stating "I made the best save of the tournament." Suárez boasted after the match of his handball save, claiming that "The 'Hand of God' now belongs to me," a reference to the handball goal scored by
Diego Maradona Diego Armando Maradona (; 30 October 196025 November 2020) was an Argentine professional football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two joint winners of the FI ...
in the 1986 World Cup. Ghana's coach
Milovan Rajevac Milovan Rajevac (Serbian: Милован Рајевац; born 2 January 1954) is a Serbian football manager and former professional player who is currently the technical director of Muangthong United. Playing career Born in Čajetina, Rajevac p ...
argued that Suárez's actions were "really shocking," describing the result as a "football injustice." Uruguay's coach
Óscar Tabárez Óscar Washington Tabárez Silva (; born 3 March 1947), known as ''El Maestro'' (The Teacher), is a Uruguayan professional football manager and former player. He most recently coached the Uruguay national team. After an unassuming career as a ...
defended Suárez: "Saying we cheated Ghana is too harsh a word to use. ... We also abide by what the referee did. It could have been a mistake. Yes, he stuck his hand out, but it's not cheating. What else do you want? Is Suárez also to blame for Ghana missing the penalty? We try to be dignified, and if we lose a match, we look for the reasons for it. You shouldn't look to third parties." FIFA reviewed the possibility of increasing Suárez's ban but decided against punishing him for 'unsportsmanlike conduct'. This opened up a discussion on gamesmanship, asking the question of whether players in that situation should be condemned as a cheat, or applauded for their resourcefulness. One pundit, Paul Fletcher of the BBC, implied that most players would do the same thing in the 'heat of the moment' in order to avoid defeat. Ghana's sports minister, Akua Sena Dansua, called for changes to the rules in such circumstances.


French team discord

The French team had significant troubles with team dissension at the World Cup. The press was strongly critical of both players and coaches. This followed a highly disappointing
UEFA Euro 2008 The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of European ...
first round exit, and a difficult qualification campaign. After controversially winning their play-off meeting with
the Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
, the French players appeared aloof to the public as they headed straight for the dressing room instead of signing autographs. Several players were questioned by police just prior to the Finals in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, following a raid on a Paris nightclub renowned for arranging dates between wealthy clients and underage prostitutes. Before the tournament began, the
French Football Federation The French Football Federation ( FFF; french: Fédération Française de Football) is the governing body of football in France. It also includes the overseas departments ( Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte and Réunion), the over ...
(FFF) announced that head coach
Raymond Domenech Raymond Manuel Albert Domenech (; born 24 January 1952) is a French football manager and former player. He managed the France national team from 2004 to 2010, reaching the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final. He was dismissed after their elimination from ...
will leave his position at the end of the tournament. Striker
Nicolas Anelka Nicolas Sébastien Anelka (; born 14 March 1979) is a French professional Manager (association football), football manager and retired Football player, player who played as a Forward (association football), forward. As a player, he regularly fe ...
delivered a profanity-laden criticism at Domenech as the team was losing to Mexico. Anelka was sent home after refusing to apologise. The following day, captain and left wingback
Patrice Evra Patrice Latyr Evra (; born 15 May 1981) is a French football coach and former professional player. Originally a forward, he primarily played as a left-back. Evra served as captain for both Manchester United and the France national team. His m ...
was caught on camera in a heated argument with trainer Robert Duverne, which eventually led to intervention by others in the camp. The players boycotted training for one day in protest at the FFF decision to dismiss Anelka. In turn, managing director Jean-Louis Valentin then resigned in disgust at the players' actions. On the orders of President
Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Se ...
, Sports Minister
Roselyne Bachelot Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, generally known as Roselyne Bachelot (née Narquin; born 24 December 1946) is a French politician who served as Minister of Culture in the government of Prime Minister Jean Castex (2020–2022) and as Minister of Solida ...
held an emotional meeting with the team where she admonished the players saying "How would you like people to remember you? What image do you want to leave behind?". This reportedly reduced the players, especially the younger ones, to tears and they applauded her. Later at an impromptu media briefing at the Free State Stadium, Bachelot said "I told the players they had tarnished the image of France. It is a morale disaster for French football. I told them they could no longer be heroes for our children. They have destroyed the dreams of their countrymen, their friends and supporters." The players apologised to Domenech and resumed practice the next day. Patrice Evra was dropped for the final group game. Following the team's final defeat to hosts
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, Domenech refused to shake the hand of opposing coach
Carlos Alberto Parreira Carlos Alberto Gomes Parreira (born 27 February 1943) is a Brazilian former football Coach (sport), manager who holds the record for attending the most FIFA World Cup final tournaments as manager with six appearances. He also managed five differ ...
. Domenech was strongly criticised in the French press, with sports daily ''
L'Équipe ''L'Équipe'' (, French for "the team") is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sport, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of association football, rugby football, rugby, motorsport, and cycle sport, ...
'' accusing Domenech of "arrogance and an attitude of contempt for others". The French team flew home in
economy class Economy class, also called third class, coach class, steerage, or to distinguish it from the slightly more expensive premium economy class, standard economy class or budget economy class, is the lowest travel class of seating in air travel, rail ...
. The fallout continued after the team's return to France, with FFF President Jean-Pierre Escalettes announcing his resignation. Escalettes has stated that Anelka will never be picked again for the national team. Former defender
Lilian Thuram Ruddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien (; born 1 January 1972) is a French former professional footballer who played as a defender. He began playing football professionally in his homeland with Monaco and played in the top flight in France, Italy and Spai ...
has said "I asked for the players to be severely punished and for Patrice Evra never to come back into the France team. When you are captain of France, there is a responsibility and a respect for the shirt and for people that you have to have." The entire World Cup squad was suspended for their next game against
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
by the FFF, upon request by the new manager
Laurent Blanc Laurent Robert Blanc (born 19 November 1965) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back, and is currently the manager of Ligue 1 club Lyon. He has the nickname ''Le Président'', which was given to him ...
. Five players were identified as having been key to the embarrassing events at the tournament;
Nicolas Anelka Nicolas Sébastien Anelka (; born 14 March 1979) is a French professional Manager (association football), football manager and retired Football player, player who played as a Forward (association football), forward. As a player, he regularly fe ...
,
Patrice Evra Patrice Latyr Evra (; born 15 May 1981) is a French football coach and former professional player. Originally a forward, he primarily played as a left-back. Evra served as captain for both Manchester United and the France national team. His m ...
,
Franck Ribéry Franck Henry Pierre Ribéry (; born 7 April 1983) is a French former professional footballer who primarily played as a winger, preferably on the left side, and was known for his pace, energy, skill, and precise passing. Ribéry has been des ...
,
Jérémy Toulalan Jérémy Toulalan (born 10 September 1983) is a French former professional association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder, but was also utilized as a Defender (association football)#Centre-b ...
and
Eric Abidal Eric Sylvain Abidal (; born 11 September 1979) is a French former professional footballer who played as a left-back or centre-back. In his career, he played mainly for Lyon and Barcelona, winning 18 trophies with both teams combined, including t ...
were summoned to a hearing before the FFF disciplinary committee on 17 August 2010. After the expulsion of Anelka and ensuing training strike, Evra and Ribéry were summoned for failing in their duties as captain and vice captain, Toulalan was seen as the originator of the statement read out by coach Domenech to the media, while Abidal was accused of refusing to play in the final group match. After the hearing, Anelka was banned from playing for France for 18 games, Evra was banned for five, Ribéry for three, and Toulalan for one, while Abidal escaped punishment. Anelka dismissed the sanction as irrelevant, considering himself already retired from international football.


Final

The final was particularly controversial due to the high number of yellow cards issued (fourteen, resulting in one sending-off). The most notable incident was
Nigel de Jong Nigel de Jong (born 30 November 1984) is a Dutch former professional Association football, footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He is currently the technical director of the Royal Dutch Football Association, KNVB, the national Dutch ...
's kick into the midriff of
Xabi Alonso Xabier Alonso Olano (, ; born 25 November 1981) is a Spanish football coach and former professional player who is currently the head coach of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his hom ...
, punished only with a booking from referee
Howard Webb Howard Melton Webb MBE (born 14 July 1971) is an English former professional football referee who officiated primarily in the Premier League from 2003 to 2014, as well as for FIFA as a FIFA international referee from 2005 to 2014. Webb is cou ...
, who subsequently admitted he should have shown a red card. Just before the game-winning goal was scored, the Dutch team had a free kick that hit the wall (apparently taking a deflection off
Cesc Fàbregas Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler (; ; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Italian Serie B club Como. Fàbregas came through ''La Masia'', Barcelona's youth academy, leaving at 16 when h ...
) before going out. Despite the deflection, which should have given possession and a
corner kick A corner kick is the method of restarting play in a game of association football when the ball goes out of play over the goal line, without a goal being scored and having last been touched by a member of the defending team. The kick is taken ...
to the Dutch team, a
goal kick A goal kick is a method of restarting the play in a game of association football. Its procedure is dictated by Law 16 of the Laws of the Game. Award A goal kick is awarded to the defending team when the ball goes out of the field of play by cro ...
was given to the Spanish, starting the play that led to the winning goal. The Dutch, however, momentarily had possession of the ball near the Spanish penalty area in between the goal kick and Iniesta's goal.
Joris Mathijsen Joris Mathijsen (born 5 April 1980) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is the director of football at Willem II. Club career Mathijsen started his football career at SV VOAB in Goirle after he visited a tr ...
was yellow-carded for his strong protests to the referee after the goal, and other Dutch players criticised Webb for this decision after the match. Both teams were fined by FIFA due to the ill-discipline of the match. Despite this, Spain was still awarded FIFA's Fair Play award for the tournament after the final, Spain had earned only 8 yellow cards throughout (the lowest of the four semi-finalists).


Others


Third-party ambush marketing

During the Netherlands v Denmark group stage match, several women were removed from the stadium and later detained. It later emerged they were models for Bavaria beer. The tickets were sold to Bavaria by a friend of
Robbie Earle Robert Fitzgerald Earle MBE (born 27 January 1965) is an English-born Jamaican former international footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He played 578 league games in senior club football, scoring 136 goals. A former youth playe ...
, who was working as a pundit at the tournament for
ITV Sport ITV Sport is a sport producer for ITV. It was formed following the merger between Granada Sport and Central Sport.United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
immediately cancelled Earle's contract with the network, citing that the tickets were only meant for his friends and family.


Match ball

The official ball for the tournament, the Jabulani, was widely criticised by several players, although others came out in its defence.


Nigeria team ban

In the aftermath of the tournament, Nigerian president
Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957)Lawson Heyford, ''The Source'' (Lagos), 11 December 2006. is a Nigerian politician who served as the President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to fo ...
announced a 2-year ban on the men's national side due to its perceived poor performance. This move drew serious criticism and condemnation for all sides, and FIFA threatened sanctions in return for what it saw as "political interference". The ban was lifted shortly after.


North Korea

The North Korean team cancelled its national championship to prepare for the Cup via a world tour. Following the perceived poor performance of the team, particularly against Portugal, the team were forced to blame the coach to avoid punishment on their return to North Korea.North Korea's failed World Cup footballers undergo public mauling : Footballers subjected to six-hour excoriation on stage for 'betraying' North Korea and Kim Jong-il's son and heir
Justin McCurry.
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
.com, Friday 30 July 2010 17.31 BST.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of 2010 Fifa World Cup Controversies
Controversies Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
2010 controversies Foreign relations of South Africa Controversies in South Africa Criticism of sports