Ali bennaceur, the man who conceded the controversial hand goal to Maradona in the World Cup Mexico 86, assures that he did not see the mischief of 'Pelusa' and is proud of his performance that hot day, because in his opinion with his decision to apply the law of advantage he contributed to the world enjoying the so-called “goal of the century” .
In an interview with the Efe Agency in Tunisia, the first to a medium in Spanish, the Tunisian also affirms that although the VAR is a useful instrument, it will not prevent errors from occurring and repeating since it is not precise and can be manipulated.
What do you remember of that July 22, 1986 at the Azteca stadium?
“As I have always said, the hand of God was not my responsibility. In my 1986 there were no head umpires and linesmen. We all acted as referees and at other times as linesmen. To the 42 referees of different nationalities that we were, FIFA gave us a very clear slogan: if your friend, the one who referees with you, is in a better position and sees the sequence and the situation better, you must take his intervention into account “, Bennaceur points out that it was too far from the play.
But the linesman, Bogdan Dochev, assures the opposite, that the FIFA directive did not allow contradicting the main referee.
“If you watch the video of the” hand of God “, I start to recoil towards the center and look at my colleague because I have doubts since Shilton, the goalkeeper, had his back to me but was facing my colleague in the band So I applied the FIFA slogan, he confirmed the goal and I continued with the game naturally. Because for me the goal was legal as my colleague had confirmed it to me. “
That both entered the annals of history for three reasons: Maradona's mischief, who, as he repeated on several occasions, acted on instinct and repeatedly looked at the line to see if he would concede it; the passionate narration of Víctor Hugo Morales, who from the beginning noticed the touch with the little boy's fist before the giant, and what it meant for Argentina as a proud nation in the context of military revenge for the Falklands War that preceded in the press .
VAR WILL NOT AVOID ERRORS
What else do you remember about that day, apart from the heat?
“Then came the second goal that happened there, the one they call” the goal of the century “, and in which I participated with all modesty because when he started they tried to knock Maradona down, and still he continued, because he was a great player, and I was behind him and said at all times, “advantage, advantage” until he scored the goal of the century, “says the referee, who, like the previous one, followed by far the most famous dribbling of the twentieth century.
He spoke with the English after the game, what did he say to them when he learned that the goal had been with the “hand of God”?
“I already said on the BBC that I spoke with Shilton, that I explained to him in the same way that it was not my fault, that it was the responsibility of my colleague who was in the band and I told him something else that made him happy: and I think It is true. Although the match was played in a large stadium such as the Azteca stadium, with more than 100,000 spectators, with all the televisions in the world broadcasting that match, which was played at noon with a temperature of 42 degrees in the shade, when England reduced the advantage I was proud of my performance, I wanted to stay longer on the pitch, I hoped that England would equalize so that there would be extra time. As a referee, I only cared about doing well, I didn't care if England or Argentina won. I was there to cut and defend the players. “
Now there is VAR and goals like Maradona's could no longer be achieved. What do you think of this innovation?
“The VAR is fine but it will not avoid mistakes. Why? Because the VAR referees can give images and sequences that are not real. They do not give all the sequences, and therefore the main referee cannot judge well.”
ETERNAL FRIEND
What did Maradona explain to you about the goal when he visited you in Tunisia a few years ago?
“When he visited me at my house, someone asked him why he used the hand of God. And he answered in a very intelligent way. I wanted to defeat them, I wanted to win and I wanted to win them in whatever way, he told me.”
And what did you answer him?
“I have refereed many good players but Maradona was something else. In addition to his technical qualities, he had a revolutionary character with which he wanted to win in every possible way. When he came to visit me, I told my interpreter to tell him no It had been Argentina that had won the World Cup, it had been Maradona who had won the cup because he scored the two goals, the hand of God and the goal that was chosen the best of the century. A great man who loved his country and his shirt and even if he lost he would not lower his arms and continue playing.
Now there is the Messi-Maradona debate
“Maradona was a great man, a great player, and a great friend. He is a legend who has left his traces in football because besides being a great player, he had a special character that made everyone love him, the poor and others. . He was like a great warrior who did not cheat in the effort. He is a soccer legend. “