FIFA have sent home an England referee from the World Cup, MySportDab reports.
The football governing body has been trimming down on the number of referees in the tournament as it nears its end.
A total of 36 referees were called up by FIFA for the tournament, with two England representatives – Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor.
Now, FIFA has trimmed the list to 12, with Michael Olivier – one of England’s best referees sent home.
Michael Olivier is the latest in the list of referees sent home following the axing of controversial Spanish referee Mateu Lahoz.
Mateu Lahoz officiated the Netherlands Vs Argentina quarterfinal and issued a record number of yellow cards (18), including other controversial decisions.
Now, Michael Olivier has been sent home too. Taylor, 37, is one of the most popular England and Premier League referees.
He officiated three World Cup games – Costa Rica 1-0 Japan, Mexico 2-1 Saudi Arabia, and Croatia 1-1 Brazil – and was praised for his performances.
Another England referee, who is tipped to officiate the final of the tournament, Anthony Taylor, has been retained.
Taylor officiated Ghana’s 3-2 victory over South Korea and Croatia’s 0-0 draw with Belgium is among the last 12 referees retained by FIFA. His assistants – Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn, have also been retained by FIFA.
Four World Cup matches are remaining out of the 68 games. Croatia will take on Argentina, while Morocco will play France in the semifinals before the final and third-place match.
