Players Suspended

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31120, 25 July 1966, Page 3

Players Suspended

The Argentine Football Association has been fined 1000 Swiss francs and may have its entry for the next World Cup soccer championship in 1970 refused. These were among the decisions announced by International Football Federation (F.1.F.A.) disciplinary committee in London yesterday. The committee met to consider incidents in Saturday’s quarter-final match at Wembley, when England beat Argentina, 1-0. The Argentinian centre-half and captain, A. Rattin, who was sent off in the match, was suspended for the next four international matches and two other players, R. Fsrreiro and E. Onega, were suspended for three matches. The 1000 francs fine (£B3) is the highest permitted by F.I.F.A. statutes. In a statement issued after the meeting the committee said that after hearing the evidence of the referee and linesmen, the official observer and the referee liaison official they found that the Argentinian team and officials had by their misbehaviour brought the game into grave disrepute, and they had done this in spite of requests by the president before the tournament

started for good football and conduct, and of warnings and cautiouns given after the previous game. The statement continued:— “The Argentinian team and officials have committed flagrant breaches of the laws of the game and shown disregard for discipline and good order. “Rattin was ordered off the field, Solari and Artime were cautioned, and the trainer and other team officials entered the field in spite of previous warnings, and by their arguments with the referee and F.I.F.A. officials, caused the game to be delayed by seven minutes. “The attack on the referee after the game by players, especially Ferreiro, and by team officials, was particularly regrettable. The referee would have been justified in bringing a charge against certain players for assault, but he informed the police that he did not wish to do so.”

They will propose to the World Cup organising committee for the next tournament that an entry by Argentina for the 1970 tournament be refused unless certain assurances are given to the conduct of their team officials and players. L'