NEW YORK : Spain defender Aymeric Laporte has questioned refereeing decisions involving Argentina at the World Cup, saying he was surprised that some incidents involving the defending champions had gone unpunished ahead of Sunday’s final.
Speaking to Marca in comments reported by French outlet L’Equipe, Laporte said he had no issue with physical football provided referees applied the laws consistently.
“I’m not at all worried about aggression in football. If it’s tolerated and the referee does his job, it doesn’t bother me,” Laporte said.
The centre back, however, suggested some decisions involving Argentina had left Spain’s players puzzled.
“It’s true that in recent matches, we’ve seen things that have greatly surprised us, actions that have gone unpunished. Especially against Argentina, a team that makes a strong impression,” he said.
“This shouldn’t be allowed in football, especially in such important competitions, because it can destabilise and frustrate the team.”
Laporte praised Spain’s disciplinary record during the tournament, saying Luis de la Fuente’s side had focused on competing fairly rather than resorting to dangerous challenges.
“Since the start of the tournament, we’ve been a pretty good team from this point of view. We don’t try to hit our opponents or commit dangerous fouls,” he said.
“And I think that’s what we need to do in this match. But it’s true that it will depend a lot on the refereeing.”
Spain, the European champions, reached the World Cup final with a 2-0 victory over France, while defending champions Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1 with two late goals.
Sunday’s final will pit Lionel Messi’s Argentina against a Spain side seeking a second World Cup title after their 2010 triumph, with the winners crowned champions in New York New Jersey Stadium.
