FIFA may only punish players and head coaches who criticize referees at the end of the tournament

It is reported that the sanctions FIFA will impose on footballers and head coaches who criticize referee performances during matches may only occur after major tournaments such as the European Championship (EURO 2024). This interpretation of the rule aims to preserve the competitive flow of the matches by preventing players and technical staff from receiving suspensions while the tournament is still ongoing.

This situation came to the forefront following the criticisms made by the France National Team's head coach, Didier Deschamps. Deschamps harshly questioned the referee of the match after France's semi-final clash against Spain. The experienced manager stated that he questioned whether the referee in question was fit to officiate such a critical match of this magnitude.

Deschamps's remarks are not the only incident of referees being criticized in this tournament; it was observed that many similar situations occurred. However, the current regulation will prevent players and head coaches from being negatively affected on the pitch during the remainder of the tournament, as FIFA postpones the sanctioning processes to the end. This approach aims to strike a practical balance between allowing criticisms to be expressed freely and maintaining disciplinary rules.