Mitro proving a handful on world stage – in more ways than one...
MAGPIE AT CENTRE OF POLITICAL CONTROVERSY
ALEKSANDAR Mitrovic’s Newcastle United future is dominating the agenda on Tyneside - but it has become almost a forgotten topic at the World Cup as Serbia continue to lament the manner of their controversial defeat to Switzerland on Friday.
Magpies’ forward Mitrovic potentially increased the £20million valuation Newcastle have placed on him with the opening goal of the game in Kaliningrad, something which has been discussed in depth in the North East since. However, he was then denied what appeared to be a clear penalty. Rio Ferdinand claimed Mitrovic had been “mugged” after Switzerland defenders Fabian Schar and Stephan Lichtsteiner both grabbed on to the Serbia forward and dragged him down inside the penalty area. Neither German referee Felix Brych nor the watching VAR officials deemed the incident worthy of a spot kick – and eventually Switzerland went on to claim victory thanks to a last-gasp winner from Stoke City’s Xherdan Shaqiri.
The result leaves Serbia third in Group E, one point behind both Brazil and Switzerland – and realistically needing a victory against Brazil from their final pool match to qualify.
Midfielder Nemanja Matic tweeted several images of the Mitrovic non-penalty incident on his Instagram page with the caption “penalty,” while several other teammates have criticised the decision. The head of the Serbia Football Association, meanwhile, claims his nation was the subject of a “brutal robbery” – and even alleges FIFA is “directing” officials to work against Serbia. “We will send a protest to FIFA,” Slavisa Kokeza told the BBC on Saturday as he argued a German referee should not have been appointed to cover a Switzerland match. “I do not think this is only about VAR but that the whole thing was directed by the people who appoint referees. “We all know too well more than half of Switzerland’s population is German. “Technical staff, players, people in Serbia, they are all disappointed and frustrated because of the injustice some people at FIFA came up with.” Pushed as