Sol Campbell fears corruption denied England at World Cup

Former England defender Sol Campbell has questioned whether corruption played a hand in his side’s second round defeat against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup finals.

Michael Owen’s memorable goal and a red card for David Beckham preceded a penalty shoot-out defeat for Glenn Hoddle’s side in Saint-Etienne, yet Campbell’s 81st minute headed ‘goal’ could have changed the outcome of that high-octane encounter if it had been allowed to stand.

Referee Kim Milton Nielsen cut Campbell’s celebrations short as he ruled the goal out after adjudging England striker Alan Shearer fouled Argentina keeper Carlos Roa, with the former Tottenham and Arsenal defender telling us he has doubts about that decision 20 years later.

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“When I look back at that Argentine game now and the goal I scored, I do have questions about it,” Paddy Power ambassador Campbell told Yahoo Sport. “All the corruption that has happened at FIFA in the years since may not have been confined to Sepp Blatter and his pals, who have all been thrown out of office.

“The question I would ask is why was there no corruption outside of that? Are we to believe that most of FIFA was corrupt back then, but none of that filtered onto the pitch with the referees? I have often wondered whether someone had a word in the ear of the referees with a simple message; if England don’t score a perfectly clean goal don’t give it.

“In my mind, that goal would have been allowed to stand in most games, but someone decided that was not going to happen in that game. So many people have said that corruption inside FIFA was outrageous and you do have to wonder about so many things that happened in World Cups down the years when you see the kind of people that were running the game.

“Did the corruption stop on the pitch? That is all I would ask.”

Campbell went on to back England’s attacking line to make an impression at this summer’s World Cup in Russia, but he admitted he has concerns about their qualities at the other end of the field.

“Going forward, they are in great shape, everyone is buzzing and everyone is flying,” added Campbell. “The only problem for me is the backline and the keeper and that is going to be a big problem. I look at the back line and we need something to fall into place pretty rapidly over the next couple of months because it looks like a weak area.

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“Defenders, keepers and the unit need time together to get into the groove. They need to understand how to work together and it can take a long time for that to kick in. We have had injuries to defenders this season, players out of form in that position and then you look at the keeper situation and it has been up in the air all year who will play there. That is not ideal.”

Sol Campbell spoke to Yahoo Sport in association with Paddy Power. Read his football columns at http://news.paddypower.com