Дэлхийн аварга шалгаруулах тэмцээний шөвгийн 16-д Англи, Мексикийн тоглолтын цагийг гэнэт өөрчлөхөөр болсон нь багийн удирдлага болон хөгжөөн дэмжигчдийн дунд ноцтой төөрөгдөл үүсгэв.
Английн хөлбөмбөгийн холбооны гүйцэтгэх захирал Марк Буллингем тоглолтын цагийг зургаан цагаар урагшлуулах тухай Мексикийн хэвлэлүүдийн мэдээлэл гарсны дараа нөхцөл байдлыг тодруулахаар Их Британийн Ерөнхий сайд Сэр Кейр Стармерт хандсан байна. Тоглогчдын бэлтгэл, төлөвлөгөөнд сөргөөр нөлөөлөх энэхүү шийдвэрийг эсэргүүцсэн Английн тал анхны цагтаа тоглох хүсэлтийг Засгийн газраар дамжуулан Мексикийн талд хүргүүлжээ. Улмаар ФИФА аюулгүй байдлын асуудлыг хянан үзсэний эцэст тоглолтыг хуваарь ёсоор нь явуулахаар баталгаажуулсан байна.
Тоглолтын өмнөх хэвлэлийн бага хурал дээр дасгалжуулагч Томас Тухель уг асуудлыг тоглогчдоосоо бүрэн нууцалсан тул багийн бэлтгэлд нөлөөлөөгүй гэж мэдэгдэв. Улмаар тухайн бүс нутагт болсон аадар борооны улмаас тоглолт нэг цагаар хойшлогдож, эцэст нь Англи 3:2 харьцаагаар түүхэн хожил байгуулсан юм. Ерөнхий сайд Стармер даваа гарагт болсон хүлээн авалтын үеэр Английн хөлбөмбөгийн холбоотой хамтран тоглолтын цагийг хэвээр үлдээхийн төлөө тэмцсэнээ онцолжээ.
Энэхүү ялалтын үр дүнд Англи тэмцээний шөвгийн наймд шалгарч, Майамид Норвегийн эсрэг хүч үзэхээр боллоо.
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English Football Association (FA) chief executive Mark Bullingham called UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for assistance amid the chaotic uncertainty around the kick-off time of England’s round-of-16 game against Mexico.
The FA was left in the dark when reports first emerged in Mexican media on Friday that the match at the Estadio Azteca was due to be brought forward by six hours, from 6pm local time Sunday to midday.
With the FA unclear about when the game would be played, even as the squad prepared to fly from Kansas City to Mexico City on Friday afternoon, Bullingham called Starmer to ask for help, as first reported by the Daily Mail on Tuesday.
Bringing the kick-off time forward by six hours at such short notice would have been an unprecedented move and would have forced both teams to radically change their preparations. Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre publicly criticised the potential kick-off switch as the news broke. The FA’s view was that unless there was an especially strong case to make such a change, then the original kick-off time ought to stand.
UK government sources with knowledge of the process, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, have told The Athletic that the call was a request to keep the kick-off at its original 6pm local, to give the players adequate preparation time before the game. Starmer was keen to help as much as possible, sources say, with the UK government then put into action immediately to speak to its Mexican counterparts.
FA sources say the call was ultimately about it getting clarity, and finding out more information about an unprecedented situation as the team was about to travel. As well as the issues with preparation time for the players, there were also many England fans due to arrive in Mexico City on Sunday morning, who would have struggled make a midday kick-off. Many of those fans ended up paying hundreds of pounds at the last minute to arrive on the Saturday instead.
By the time the team landed in Mexico on Friday evening, FIFA had confirmed that the original kick-off time would stand with The Athletic reporting that concerns over the safety and security of supporters were at the centre of the rescheduling talks.
“The confusion about kick-off was a bit of a confusion, but I think only for me and our officials,” head coach Thomas Tuchel said at his press conference ahead of the game. “I don’t think the team was aware, we kept it away from the players completely. As soon as we landed, everything was solved. It was a good moment to be in the air for three and a half hours.”
Kick-off was ultimately delayed by an hour owing to thunderstorms in the area, before England went on to earn a historic 3-2 win. “We had to battle along with the FA to get (the kick-off time) back to where it was,” Starmer told a reception on Monday.
The FA and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
England’s victory saw them advance to the tournament’s quarter-finals, where they will now face Norway in Miami on Saturday.
