Morocco star blames “s*** refs” for World Cup failure as Sergio Ramos admits Spain were lucky
Aziz Bouhaddouz saw decisions cost his side against Spain and Portugal as the Europeans made the last-16
HEARTBROKEN Moroccan star Aziz Bouhaddouz reckons he knows the reason they crashed out of the World Cup - the referees were s***.
Bouhaddouz started all three games on the bench, yet agonisingly hit a last-gasp own goal in the opener to gift victory to Iran.
That was bad enough, but the Atlas Lions were later denied a clear penalty against Portugal, for whom Pepe got away with a foul ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s winner.
And in the final game only a VAR review saw Uzbekistan ref Ravshan Irmatov overturn his own initial decision to disallow Iago Aspas’ late equaliser.
It was just one of a host of controversial calls which went against Morocco throughout the tournament, as they ended it bottom of Group B.
Bouhaddouz insisted: “We have had no luck in this World Cup, but we have played amazingly.
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“Spain was an important game for us, for the people of Morocco, that is why we played so positively against them.
“I am very proud of this team we have had no luck. In the first game I scored an own goal. We were the better team against Portugal and we lost. Here it was 2-2.
“Last week Ronaldo had one chance and he scored. That’s why we lost - that and because the refereeing was s***. Sorry about my English!”
Team-mate Nordin Amrabat, who rattled the woodwork with a screamer, was a little more blunt and to the point.
As he left the field, the Moroccan midfielder stared straight down a TV camera, did the ref’s video review signal, and mouthed "VAR is bull***t."
Ironically, though, the one VAR call which was spot on was the decision to allow Aspas’ goal to stand - video replays proved beyond doubt he was just onside.
After the result, Sergio Ramos led the chorus of stumbling Spanish stars who admitted: We’ve got to shape up or it’s adios amigos.
The Spanish skipper admitted: “There are loads of things to improve - we have to correct things.
“You can allow those mistakes in the group stage, but now we have to sort out. Any detail can see you knocked out so we have to be very careful.
“When you let in three goals people point at the defence. But we have to be calm, we have to improve everywhere and we have to make this a turning point.
“We’ve gone through in first place and in the group stage you can allow that, because you have that margin of error.
“Now, the good bit starts - any mistake and you’re out. The level of demands and concentration has to go up.
“Hopefully now we can leave this group stage behind and impose the football that everyone knows and expects of us.”