At first, it wasn’t clear why the referee went to the VAR monitor during the match between Turkey and Paraguay. After reviewing the footage, it finally became clear that Miguel Almiron had to be shown a red card due to a new rule.
Throughout the first half, Ivan Barton had repeatedly demonstrated that he had thoroughly familiarized himself with the stricter rules set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). For example, the referee from El Salvador awarded the Turkish team a corner kick and a throw-in after Paraguay took too long to take a goal kick and a throw-in, respectively.
In stoppage time of the first half, the referee’s strict adherence to the rules finally reached its peak—resulting in a red card for Miguel Almiron, the reason for which was initially unclear.
Almiron speaks with his hand over his mouth
However, as slow-motion footage later showed, the Paraguayan had held his hand over his mouth during a scuffle, apparently directing some derogatory remarks at Mert Müldür. The Turkish right back reacted quickly and alerted the referee to his opponent’s behavior, which, as of recently, can only result in one consequence.
“Upon review, the number 10 from Paraguay held his hand over his mouth. The decision is: red card,” Barton announced in a firm voice over the stadium loudspeakers. In doing so, the referee acted in accordance with the rule change proposed by IFAB, which states: “At the discretion of the tournament organizer, any player who covers his mouth during a confrontation with an opponent may be punished with a red card.”
The Prestianni Incident as the Catalyst
In late April, FIFA had unanimously approved the rule change at a special session in Vancouver, Canada—with the aim of “combating discriminatory and inappropriate behavior.”
The catalyst for the “no-mask rule” was Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni, who had caused a stir in a similar manner during a Champions League match against Real Madrid in late February. During an exchange with Vinicius Junior, the Argentine had also covered his mouth and, according to the Brazilian, hurled racist insults at him. Prestianni himself denied the allegation but was ultimately handed a worldwide suspension by FIFA.
