Liverpool news: Ex-Fifa official suggests long ban as Darwin Nunez embroiled in new controversy
The reaction of Liverpool star Darwin Nunez and the rest of his Uruguay teammates after they were knocked out of the World Cup was “unacceptable”, according to Keith Hackett.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee demanded “long bans” and big fines for Uruguay.
The players reacted angrily and surrounded the referee at the end of the game after Uruguay were denied two penalties, including one for a challenge on Nunez.
Reuters reported earlier this week (5 December) that Fifa have opened disciplinary proceedings against Jose Maria Gimenez, Diego Godin, Fernando Muslera and Edinson Cavani.
“At the end of the game, what the referee had to put up with was unacceptable,” Hackett told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“I was a little bit concerned that security wasn’t as good as you might expect. You can get into a malaise and think it’s not going to happen and when you look at the Premier League it doesn’t happen very often but when it does there is security around so quickly it’s untrue.
“The authorities have got to look at why the referee has got to run the gauntlet of players and managers and risk of potential injury.
“Therefore I expect Fifa to come down hard on Uruguay and I would like to see them charge players and the occupants of the technical areas. For me that’s a substantial fine and a suspension.
“They are out of the tournament but they’ll have internationals to play. They’ll get a great deal of money by participating in this World Cup so, for me, they ought to get less after their behaviour. Any ban has to be a long one, not one or two games.
“Decisions go against you on occasion but you have to retain self-control. Those images go around the world.”
In other news, Liverpool have opened talks on £180,000-a-week player deal.