FIFA’s legal department has informed Thailand’s coach, Miguel Rodrigo, that an investigation has been opened against him. The Spanish coach confirmed on social media, stating, “I’ve been reported for calling out the manipulation in the France vs Iran match. I assume both teams have filed the complaint. Everything seems backward. Let’s see how this ends.” FIFA’s investigation remains ongoing after the controversy that arose following the France-Iran match, which concluded the group stage. Iran was eliminated in the quarterfinals, while France will play Argentina in the semifinals tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. France defeated Paraguay in the quarterfinals, and previously eliminated Thailand in the round of 16. Rodrigo was vocal in his criticism after Thailand’s defeat to Iran, which allowed the Iranians to avoid facing Morocco and Brazil.
Rodrigo Beef
The Andalusian coach wanted to clarify his stance, especially as he faced insults from French fans, similar to what he received from Iranian supporters days prior. He explained, “I would have fully accepted a round of 16 match against the winner of France vs Iran had they played with sportsmanship and competitiveness. If we had lost to either team, in this case, France, I would have congratulated them and wished them luck in their quarterfinal match.” However, Rodrigo emphasized, “What I don’t accept is playing against a team, like France, full of staff and athletes lacking sportsmanship and values.”
France defeated Thailand 5-2, and Rodrigo condemned the behavior of some French players and staff. “I played and lost, but the mocking after they made it 3-1, especially from player No. 10 (Abdessamad Mohammed), was disrespectful. Their coach, too, mocked me from the bench, gesturing and saying, ‘Talk now,’ or calling a timeout with seconds left just to humiliate us.” Rodrigo was sent off at the end of the match after confronting some French players. He explained that the mockery and disrespect from players on the bench, especially when he tried to congratulate them, enraged him. “I told player No. 14 (Ouassini Guirio) to stop laughing. For that, I was sent off and shown a red card. There was no fight, no physical altercation, just that.”
Rodrigo can not save himself
Rodrigo also criticized French captain Kevin Ramírez. “After the game, the French captain, who speaks Spanish, approached me and blamed me for everything, claiming they were receiving threats because of me. Given their lack of remorse, I refused to shake his hand and reiterated that they had no values.” Ramírez, when asked about the controversial match against Iran in an interview, acknowledged, “It wasn’t a great match, but we’re happy to be here, playing in the semifinal.” Pressed further, he admitted, “The match wasn’t the best, but believe me, this team deserves to be here. This federation deserves to be here. We’ve worked hard for this moment.”
Portuguese futsal legend Ricardinho also weighed in on the situation via social media, saying, “It’s absurd that some experts continue to praise France’s progress in this Futsal World Cup. Even if they win the tournament, they’ll remain a poor team without values. But experts claim they made the right call. What a great example for young athletes: ‘Lose deliberately, so you can win later.’ Sad advice.” With irony, Ricardinho added a message to the French team: “This doesn’t take away from what they’ve achieved, but they might as well lose to Argentina in the semifinals to avoid Brazil in the final.”
