were was our media when we were robbed?

[G-Man]

Strict Sanctions against Unfair Referees Demanded

Pyongyang, April 1 (KCNA) -- The Football Association of the DPRK, as a member of the FIFA, reaffirms that the DPRK players will strictly abide by the rules in every international match and expresses belief that the FIFA will take strict sanctions against the international chief referees who were in charge of matches between the DPRK and Bahraini teams and between the DPRK and Iranian teams and take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of partial refereeing. A spokesman for the association declared this stand in a statement issued today as regards the biased refereeing by those referees in the above-said matches for the 18th World Cup Asian regional qualifier.

The statement said that some referees are jeered by soccer fans and spectators for their unjust and biased refereeing and, furthermore, such deeds are seriously impairing the image of the prestigious international referees and the FIFA.

Such practices found their vivid expression in the matches between the DPRK and Bahraini teams and between the DPRK and Iranian teams held in Pyongyang on March 25 and 30, it pointed out, and went on:

Supervisors over the matches and the referees are also to blame for taking no measures in time for stopping the partial refereeing though they are obliged to induce the referees to fairly referee matches according to the rules of international soccer games.

The partial refereeing prompted even foreign media persons and TV broadcasters to complain in unison: "The referees should have impartially refereed the matches." "It is clearly for an 11-metre penalty kick."

If those referees are allowed to keep partially refereeing matches, they would not smoothly proceed as required by the game rules of the FIFA and rude acts contrary to sports morality would be fostered among players.

[Loud Mouth Soup]

Nothing like blaming the referees for your dumbass players attacking them.

[hottoddy7]

it is north korea

[Soju]

That whole article reads like a threat. I think our media would have made a big deal out of our dodgy referee affairs during qualifying if our media gave a rat's a$$ about soccer in general so it's a non issue. If referees start to feel threatened by BS statements like this, the situation will only get worse as they start to succumb to the player's gang pressure in fear of being beaten senseless by the fans. I feel the solution is simple, referees are to be armed with hand guns with cool FIFA gun holsters and open fire accordingly.

[DJT]

Isn't that article basically just reporting what the North Korean FA said? If the CSA had issued an official statement complaining about refereeing then our media would surely have picked up on it as well.

[amacpher]

Kind of scary that some of these referees will be at the World Cup. I wish FIFA could just send to best 25 referees to Germany and not have to invite all these blindly biased men from outside Europe to referee. Just because its the World cup, where is it written that the referees have to be from all over the world?

I really think its dangerous to have Asian referees officiate WC matches. And that's not meant to sound racist but the culture there is very Pro-European and pro-Brasil soccer. In other words, having an Asian referee a Brasil x Turkey OR Brasil x Belgium match (to choose a couple of random examples [}]) is as absurd as having an EPL ref doing an England x Germany match (in terms of being biased -- but actually its even worse, because the EPL ref is probably better to begin with). I think we've all seen enough penalty calls going in Brasil's favour that result from fouls committed in mid-field, right?

[Desigol]

[sarcasm]All Hail Kim Jung-Il![/sarcasm]