FIFA warns El Salvador on government interference
Published:Wednesday | May 12, 2010 | 6:33 PM
FIFA has warned El Salvador that their World Cup refereeing team will be removed from the tournament if a dispute between the government and football officials is not resolved.
FIFA says the trio, referee Joel Antonio Aguilar and assistants William Torres and Francisco Zumba, will be barred under the terms of the country\'s suspension from world football because of political interference.
El Salvador was banned yesterday by FIFA after their government refused to recognise the authorities set up to run football affairs.
Football rules prohibit politicians from interfering in the election of officials to run the sport.
FIFA has given the government a June 8 deadline to back down.
The World Cup opens on June 11.
El Salvador did not qualify but is one of only 28 nations, which have supplied the 30 referees, chosen to take charge of matches.
The 30-year-old Aguilar is the youngest referee in the elite pool, and the 27-year-old Zumba is the youngest official among the 30 refs and 60 assistants.