07/28/2020 - 14:58
- Clarín.com
- sports
Oscar Ruggeri raises his right index finger, his face is amplified in the Zoom window that he shares with his colleagues in the 90 Minutes program (Fox Sports). “Armando did not run to the line to collect the penalty, huh. For him it was not criminal, huh. I know, huh. "
30 years have passed but the wound is still open. Instead of healing, it opens again with each repetition. It is for the already famous penalty that Edgardo Codesal collected on the closing of the final of the World Cup in Italy 90 and led to the goal of Germany's 1-0 win against Argentina.
"At the moment that Edgardo collects the prison I look at him and see that he punishes with great security. He does not observe me, so I stay still and then I do what we have to do and I go to the bottom line, ”said Armando Pérez Hoyos, the Colombian line judge who marked the German attack and was a privileged witness of the disputed action.
“At that moment it gave me the feeling that it had not been a penalty. But surely, if there had been a VAR, I am sure that Edgardo would have gone to check, because there was so much pressure from the Argentine players… ”, added Pérez. And he stressed that at that time the assistants did not have permission to raise the flag and give their opinion before a decision by the referee within the area.
The debate is still open. In recent statements, Codesal confirmed his position that it had been a violation by Roberto Sensini for Rudi Völler. On the other hand, for Pérez there was no penalty. “After 30 years I have to say what we feel: that move for me was not penal. When the game ended, Edgardo looking towards the rostrum asked me: Was Armando penal? And I say, 'Edgardo, are you asking me? Not for me . ' ”
The line judge, in addition, described that they could not go to receive the award medal as protagonists of the world final due to the tension that had been generated and the anger of the Argentines by the arbitration ruling.
What's more, he revealed that the then president of the AFA, Julio Grondona, faced Codesal after the defeat and said to his face "you're a son of a bitch."
Despite his opinion, Pérez clarifies that the penalty charged by Codesal was only an arbitration error and said that it bothers him when trying to find a "black hand" for the error.
"I am sure that he acted in good faith and today, after so long, I am absolutely convinced that it was a simple mistake, " concluded the line judge.
JCH.