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Referee Howard Webb has admitted that he should have dismissed Holland’s Nigel de Jong in the World Cup final.

The Englishman accepts that he should have shown the Manchester City midfielder a red card for an X-rated challenge on Xabi Alonso in the 25th minute.

The Yorkshire official handed out a record 14 yellow cards – two leading to a red – but acknowledges that he should have also sent off De Jong.

“I sensed very early on the field the players were under a lot of pressure, they were very close to winning the ultimate prize for their country for the first time,” admitted Webb.

“We wanted to be that steadying hand but equally we wanted to do our job properly and if there was a clear red card we would do it.

“When I look back on the full two hours of that game, which of course I have done, there is not much I would change.

“One of the things I would change is the colour of the card for De Jong’s tackle.

“Having seen it again from my armchair several times in slow motion and from different angles I can see that it was a red-card offence.”

Occasion

Webb insists that the decision not to send the player off had nothing to do with the occasion at Soccer City.

“The decision not to red card him was not based on me not wanting to send someone off in the World Cup final, it was based on the viewing angle I had got.

“What I couldn’t see was the actual contact on Alonso through his back, with (Mark) Van Bommel just to his right, the view was obstructed somewhat.

“I could see the foot was high and from Alonso’s reaction there must have been some contact even though I couldn’t see the contact, and being 25 minutes into a World Cup final, I wasn’t prepared to guess.

“I wasn’t prepared to fill in the blanks in my head to say that was possibly a red-card offence, I wanted to base it on what we could see so therefore I decided to show a yellow card.”

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Nicolas Anelka says the tension between the France squad and their coach at the World Cup was like a ‘timebomb waiting to explode’.

The Chelsea frontman was sent home from the tournament following his bust-up with boss Raymond Domenech, which provoked the rest of the 23-man party to strike in support of the forward.

The disruption saw Les Bleus lose their final group game against South Africa 2-1, a defeat which ended their World Cup campaign.

The French media have suggested that some members of the squad were pressurised to participate in the strike, but 31-year-old Anelka is adamant the players were united in their revolt.

Explode

“If it hadn’t been me that brought everything to a head, it would have been someone else. It was a timebomb waiting to explode,” Anelka told France-Soir newspaper.

“Everyone, and I really mean everyone, was as one.

“In the case of mutiny, everything and its opposite was said. If there were players who wanted to train, they should speak now. But I am 100% certain that nobody will.”

Les Bleus midfielder Jeremy Toulalan admitted on Sunday that the strike was a unanimous decision and that the whole squad should be punished, and Anelka praised the Lyon player’s stance on the issue.

He added: “It takes a form of courage and a strong mentality from Jeremy to take it. I am proud to have played with him and the team of France. Jeremy is a players’ player.”

Anelka hit out at former France full-back Bixente Lizarazu, a World Cup winner in 1998, who has criticised the striker’s casual attitude in South Africa, accusing him of “strolling” and playing “in a selfish manner”.

Frustrated

“Lizarazu – who is he?” added Anelka.

“When he speaks and we listen, we seem to hear a living legend. He’s just a former player in lack of recognition, frustrated by the success of his mates Zidane and Dugarry.

“Has he forgotten that he was at the 2002 World Cup? I was not included in the squad but I refrained from comment. He should stop talking about respect.”

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