© EuroFootball.com
The highest European football governing body UEFA fully supports the decision of Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen to remove "Man Utd" striker Wayne Rooney from the field during the first UEFA Champions League match against "Villarreal" for sarcastically applauding the referee for showing a yellow card.
This "zero tolerance" strategy was adopted in Manchester and this is exactly what we will see in the Champions League this year," said a UEFA representative. "Last season there were several matches where the referee lost control of the field. I think we should learn from rugby, where such outbursts are not tolerated."
K.M. Nielsen, who recently officiated matches between the national teams of Lithuania and Serbia and Montenegro, is well known in England - it was this Dane who sent off David Beckham from the field during the second round of the 1998 World Cup match between the national teams of England and Argentina.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter also recently stated that disrespect towards referees diminishes the beauty of the game at various levels.
