THE bungling ref who awarded Diego Maradona’s Hand of God goal against England is trying to sell the match ball for £3million.
Tunisia’s Ali Bin Nasser, 78, has kept it in a cupboard since the 1986 World Cup.
Gary Lineker, who scored in the 2-1 loss to Argentina, said sarcastically: “I’m so thrilled the ref will cash in on his cock-up.”
England footie heroes and fans last night blasted the rubbish Maradona Hand of God referee for selling the match ball.
Tunisian Ali Bin Nasser grabbed the ball at the end of the 1986 World Cup clash in which he gifted the cheating Argentina ace the first goal despite blatantly punching it.
Bin Nasser kept the adidas Azteca in a cupboard at home in Tunisia and aims to flog it at an auction where it could fetch £3million.
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England striker Gary Lineker, 61, who scored our late consolation in the 2-1 quarter-final defeat, slammed Bin Nasser yesterday, saying: “How the hell did the referee end up with the ball? Am I over it? Yeah, of course I am. Not.”
He added in a tirade on TalkSport: “I’m so thrilled the ref will cash in on his cock-up.”
Bin Nasser’s sale comes on the eve of the World Cup and six months after Lineker’s teammate Steve Hodge made more than £7million by selling Maradona’s No10 shirt which he received in a swap.
BBC Match of the Day host Lineker added: “I mean, it was fair with Steve Hodge.
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“But the gall of the referee keeping the ball in his cupboard for all his time and now he’s going to cash in on the biggest referee’s mistake in the history of World Cup football. I mean, really?”
Bin Nasser, now 78, has two grown-up sons and intends to split the proceeds of the London sale with his family.
He never officiated at a World Cup again after the glaring error.
England fan and retired council officer John Millar, 65, of Stourbridge, West Mids, said: “It’s outrageous. He’s profiting from the worst decision in football history.
“Maradona was a cheat but at least he was a great footballer. This guy has no shame.”
Trucker Carl Jackson, 35, from Newcastle, added: “Why was he allowed to keep the ball? Surely it’s the property of Fifa.
“The ball is only famous because of his terrible decision. The auction should be stopped.”
Chelsea fan Richard Wilson, 61, from West London, added: “It’s enough to make your blood boil.
“How could the ref make so much money from this and why has he got the ball? He’s clearly profiteering and selling just before the World Cup to make as much as he can. He’s a disgrace.”
Maradona was pictured hugging and kissing Bin Nasser on a visit to his home in Tunisia in 2015.
The ace presented him with a signed Argentina shirt and hailed him as his “eternal friend”.
Bin Nasser insisted he did not see Maradona punch the ball over England goalkeeper and captain Peter Shilton even though it was obvious on TV replays.
Maradona said later it was scored “a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God”.
‘Cash in on his cock-up’
He admitted it was a punch in 2005.
Bin Nasser has since said officiating when Maradona scored his second goal after dribbling 50 yards past England defenders was the greatest moment of his career.
Announcing the London auction, he said: “Refereeing the 1986 match was a dream come true.
“After Lineker’s goal bringing the scoreline to 2-1 my clearest memory is just hoping England would score an equaliser so that the crowd and I would get another 30 minutes of this magical match.
“As for Maradona’s first goal I couldn’t see the incident clearly, the two players Shilton and Maradona were facing me from behind.
“As per Fifa’s instructions issued before the tournament I looked to my linesman for confirmation of the validity of the goal.
“He made his way back to the halfway line indicating he was satisfied that the goal should stand.
“At the end of the match the England head coach Bobby Robson said to me, ‘You did a good job but the linesman was irresponsible’.”
Bin Nasser added: “This ball is part of international football history. It feels like the right time to be sharing it with the world.
“I hope the buyer is in a position to put it on display or share it with the public in some other way.
“England is the home of football, and has been since the game started.”
Bin Nasser has said he awarded the Hand of God goal because his Bulgarian assistant referee Bogdan Dochev did not signal that he had seen an infringement.
World Cup legend
TV footage shows Bin Nasser looking at Dochev after the goal as screaming Shilton gestures that Maradona used his hand.
But Dochev blamed Bin Nasser, saying that at the time assistant referees were not allowed by Fifa to discuss decisions with referees, whose decision was final.
Argentina won the final 3-2 against West Germany in Mexico City.
Maradona became a World Cup legend before his death aged 60 in 2020.
Adam Gascoigne, of Graham Budd Auctions, which is running the sale, said: “Unlike today where you have a multi-ball system at games, this was the only one used in the match from start to finish. There is no doubt it was the ball used to score the Hand of God goal.
“It has just been sitting in a cupboard for years and Mr Bin Nasser has decided now is the right time to sell. When you look at how much the Maradona shirt sold for, it is no surprise that the estimate for the ball is between £2.5million to £3million.
“The Argentina v England quarter-final is one of the most famous matches in World Cup history.
“It had the Hand of God goal, which is the most controversial incident in a World Cup match.
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“It had one of the best goals ever scored at the World Cup by Maradona five minutes later, and then it had Gary Lineker’s goal to win the Golden Boot for the competition.”
The auction takes place on November 16, four days before the World Cup kicks off in Qatar.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
