“Crazy And Arrogant” – Lionel Messi Hits Out At Referee After Argentina v Netherlands Game

Lionel Messi said referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz should not have officiated Argentina’s World Cup quarter-final clash against the Netherlands on Friday.

Argentina won on penalties on Saturday after a dramatic 2-2 draw in which Dutch substitute Wout Weghorst scored twice late on, including a last-gasp equalizer from a short free-kick awarded when German Pezzella shoved over Weghorst.

“After they got the draw I felt a lot of anger,” said Messi. “I don’t want to talk about the referee, because they immediately reprimand you or sanction you, but I think people saw what happened. “FIFA has to review that, it can’t give a referee like that a match of this importance when they’re not up to the task.”

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He added: “We didn’t have a great game, and then the referee sent it to extra time. He was always against us. In the last play, it was not a foul.”

Mateu Lahoz showed 16 yellow cards in total, with Netherlands wing-back Denzel Dumfries sent off after the penalty shootout for a second booking.

Lionel Messi had scored his fourth goal of the tournament from the spot in the 73rd minute after an earlier assist for Nahuel Molina’s opener.

“We didn’t want extra time or penalties,” said Messi. “We suffered too much because of how everything happened, but it is the quarter-finals of a World Cup. “We knew how to suffer when it was our turn, but we got through to the semi-finals. It’s beautiful, something impressive.”

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was the hero, saving the Netherlands’ first two penalties before Lautaro Martinez struck the winning kick.

“We are in the semifinal because we have passion and heart. We are excited, just like the people,” Martinez said.

“The first thing that comes to mind is emotion. I do this for 45 million people,” he added. “The country is not having a good time due to economic issues and giving joy to people is the most satisfying thing at this time.”

He criticised Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz, calling him “crazy and arrogant”.

“You say something to him and he speaks badly to you, he gives 10 minutes (of injury time) and gives all the free kicks to the Netherlands,” Martinez said.

“Because Spain were eliminated, he wanted us to be knocked out too,” he added.