Football legend Diego Maradona has slammed FIFA officials, saying England's penalty shootout win over Colombia was a "monumental theft" for the South American side who were knocked out of the Football World Cup yesterday morning.
After scores were level at 1-1 after extra time at Spartak Stadium in Moscow – it was England who cemented their spot in the World Cup quarter-finals after winning 4-3 on penalties.
But the outspoken Argentinian claims that the US referee Mark Geiger was biased towards England and said skipper Harry Kane dived for a penalty which earned his side a 1-0 lead in the match.
"I saw a monumental theft. I apologise to all the Colombia people, but they must know the players are not to blame," Maradona told Venezuela TV station Telesur.
Maradona infamously knocked out England at the 1986 World Cup with his 'Hand of God' goal – one of the most controversial act in the tournament's history.
"It is the man who decides who the referee is who is to blame," Maradona said of Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of FIFA's referees committee.
"A man like that (Geiger) should not be put in charge of a game of that magnitude. With all due respect, Pierluigi Collina, as the man who designates the referees, he is very bad. He must apologise to the Colombian people.
"I told (FIFA president) Gianni Infantino that, if I worked for FIFA, I would change everything. It has to be transparent. That's why I didn't go there.
"The referee will know a lot about baseball, but he has no idea about football. The Colombian players asked for VAR (Video Assistant Referee intervention) and he did not give it to them.
"Twice, the English threw themselves to the ground and he did not admonish them. This was theft."
England will take on Sweden on Sunday morning in their quarter-final.
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