Paris [France], July 7 (ANI): The French Football Federation (FFF) has launched an appeal to have star player Michael Olise’s yellow card rescinded ahead of the quarterfinal clash against Morocco scheduled for Friday.
Olise was booked during the round of 16 clash against Paraguay, shown a yellow card during a highly-intense match which saw tempers flaring on both sides and players resorting to physical violence. The Bayern Munich star is on a tightrope, discipline-wise, ahead of the quarterfinals.
A heated altercation with Paraguay’s Matias Galarza during the match caused the yellow card. While Galarza fell on the turf, alleging facial contact, the TV replays suggested that the Frenchman’s initial contact was limited to a tug on his opponent’s jersey, as per Goal.com.
One more yellow card would see him ruled out of a potential semifinal against Spain or Portugal. Olise has been a sensational performer for France so far, having delivered five assists so far.
As per The Athletic, cited by Goal.com, the FFF has approached FIFA to correct what it sees as a clear officiating error. This appeal comes at a time when there is already a controversy about a red card going on in the tournament, with FIFA handing a one-match ban to the US striker Folarin Balogun after being shown a red card during his side’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, but interventions from US president Donald Trump and a legal team of US Soccer saw the red card being rescinded, with FIFA citing cited Article 27 of its disciplinary code to allow him to face Belgium in the last 16.
The move has attracted criticism from the Belgian Football Association, fans and experts worldwide.
Olise’s five assists are the most by a player in a single FIFA World Cup since 1994 and one shy of levelling the record set by Brazil icon Pele with six assists in the 1970 edition. The Bayern star has already got two ‘Player of the Match’ awards during the group stage win against Senegal and a 3-0 win over Sweden in the round of 32, providing two assists in the latter.
His performance makes him a standout contender for the Golden Ball, with past legends, including French icon Thierry Henry, lauding his performance. (ANI)
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