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Rediff.com  » Sports » World Cup sidelights: Robben trolls are all the rage on the internet!
This article was first published 10 years ago

World Cup sidelights: Robben trolls are all the rage on the internet!

Last updated on: July 01, 2014 16:04 IST

Image: A troll on Arjen Robben on the internet
Photographs: Trollfootball/Twitter

Controversy swirled over Dutch forward seldom out of the headlines -- Arjen Robben.

All of Mexico was still fuming at Robben's tumble that earned a last-ditch penalty to put the Netherlands through on Sunday.

Mexican fans excoriated and mocked him mercilessly on social media, some depicting an arm-flailing Robben leaping into the sea off rocks at a famous diving spot in Acapulco.

Robben, 30, fanned the controversy further by insisting the tackle from Mexican captain Rafael Marquez was a penalty, but confessing he had dived in another incident.

"In the first half I went to ground without being fouled, without being touched and that was a stupid action," he said.

"I am an honest guy ... I apologise."

FIFA said there was unlikely to be any retrospective action, drawing accusations of hypocrisy given the punishment to Suarez.

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Algeria zapped with FIFA fine over lasers

Image: Algeria fans cheer at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil
Photographs: Julian Finney/Getty Images

The Algerian Football Association has been fined 50,000 Swiss francs ($56,400) by FIFA after its fans shone lasers at players during the World Cup Group H game against Russia.

Television images showed a green light, typical of the kind generated by laser pens, being shone in the direction of Russia's goalkeeper before Algeria's equaliser in the 1-1 draw on Thursday.

FIFA's fine also included punishment for the use of flares and smoke bombs by Algerian fans during the game.

"The Algerian Football Association has been held liable for the improper conduct among its own group of spectators after incidents of crowd disturbance during the FIFA World Cup match between Russia and Algeria on 26 June 2014," a FIFA spokesperson said on Monday.

"The incidents in question included the use of lasers, Bengal light and smoke bombs. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee imposed a fine of CHF 50,000 and pronounced a reprimand against the Algerian FA," added the spokesperson.

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