Referee Mateu Lahoz leaves Qatar amid FIFA World Cup 2022 Argentina vs Netherlands criticism

Mateu Lahoz, a Spanish professional football referee, has left Qatar amid criticism of his performance during the FIFA World Cup 2022 match between Argentina and the Netherlands.

His performance during the Argentina vs Netherlands match has been heavily criticized by fans and analysts alike. Many have accused Lahoz of making several incorrect decisions, which ultimately influenced the outcome of the game. He issued a total of 19 yellow cards, of which Denzel Dumfries of the Netherlands received two.

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Following the game, Argentine captain Lionel Messi, who is considered one of the greatest football players of all time, expressed his disappointment with Lahoz’s performance. “I think the referee was not impartial at all,” Messi said in a post-match interview, “He favored the Netherlands from the first minute to the last.”

Messi and Lahoz have quite a relationship. He was the referee for the 2020 match between Barcelona and Osasuna, where Messi paid homage to Diego Maradona following his passing. To the charging of the crowd, Lahoz had booked Messi for taking off his jersey.

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Another time, during the 2013–14 La Liga season, Lahoz overturned a Messi goal for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid. After a 1-1 draw in the game, Atletico won the championship. Elvio Paolorosso, the team’s then assistant manager, revealed that Lahoz later apologised to Barcelona for incorrectly disallowing the goal.

Lahoz has been a FIFA-accredited referee since 2009 and has officiated many high-profile matches, including the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final.

Comparably Lahoz memorably dismissed Pep Guardiola for disobedience during Manchester City’s match against Liverpool in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal.

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Guardiola remarked at the time, “I could care less.”

Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martnez of La Albiceleste continued, calling Lahoz “crazy, the worst referee of the tournament, he is arrogant.”

“You say something to him and he talks back to you badly,” he continued. “I think since Spain went out, he wanted us to go out as well.”