Kewell: FIFA favouring bigger nations
Reuters - Sunday 27 June 2010, 02:00
MELBOURNE - World governing body FIFA
are allowing players from bigger football nations to get away
with infringements on the pitch that smaller nations' players
get punished for, Australia forward Harry Kewell has said.
Kewell, who was controversially sent off in the Socceroos'
1-1 draw with Ghana at the World Cup for a handball on the goal
line, said other teams were getting away with far worse at the
tournament in South Africa.
"What are FIFA doing about it when
teams like us are getting hammered and the bigger teams don't?"
Kewell told Australian media on Sunday. "We've been told to
play the game fair and I think we do.
"Nothing against the bigger teams but they're allowed to do
it because of who and what they are."
Australia failed to make it out of the group phase at the
tournament after a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Germany, in
which Tim Cahill was sent off for a tackle that his opponent
felt was unworthy of a red card.
The Socceroos beat Serbia 2-1
in their final game, but were eliminated on goal difference.
Kewell, whose total World Cup contribution was 24 minutes
against Ghana before he was sent off, added that players from
the biggers teams were not getting punished for diving at the
tournament.
Italy's Daniele de Rossi was pilloried by New Zealand media
after his dive earned a penalty for the world champions in
their 1-1 draw with the All Whites, while Kewell said a dive by
Serbia's Milos Krasic in their game had also gone unpunished.
"We were told simulation should be a yellow card - but
where was the card?" Kewell added.
"I'm not having a go at him (Krasic), he tried to get a
penalty for his team; but it went unpunished," he said.
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