A LEADING Canadian referee has criticized Rafael Benitez for "insulting" comments made by the Liverpool manager after Sunday's FIFA's Club World Championship final.
The Anfield club had three goals disallowed during the 1-0 defeat to Sao Paulo in Japan, the third of which - a late effort from Florent Sinama-Pongolle - was subsequently proved to be legitimate.
Hector Vergara was the Canadian linesman who disallowed all three during the clash, which was refereed by Mexico's Benito Armando Archundia.
And Benitez, who lodged an official complaint with FIFA, said: "You wouldn't get a Mexican referee and a Canadian linesman in the final of the World Cup." Liverpool's Luis Garcia also said he felt "cheated".
But now Kevan Pipe, the chief operating officer of the Canadian Soccer Association, has hit back.
He said: "It is an insult. And in fact I was quite offended when I saw the comment. It's a very unfortunate comment. And I don't think in retrospect he (Benitez) would probably go forward and say that again.
"Hector has been called upon on multiple occasions to do World Cup qualifying throughout the continent."
Seems to me that what Rafa is trying to say is 'whaaaa, whaaaa, whaaaa, I lost a game'.
