A key advisor to Donald Trump has accused Sir Keir Starmer of putting lives “at risk” after the Prime Minister intervened to stop England’s kick-off time against Mexico being changed. Ahead of the game, it emerged that FIFA was considering moving the crunch last-16 clash fixture at Estadio Azteca in Mexico forward by six hours (from 1am to 7pm UK time) over concerns about thunderstorms.
But the move was opposed by both The Football Association, the governing body of association football in England, as well as the Mexican FA. Sir Keir also pushed back through diplomatic channels after the FA raised concerns that it would give the Three Lion’s less to acclimatise the high altitude, thereby handing Mexico an advantage.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force on the World Cup has since lashed at the PM over the move.
He made the comments as he was quizzed by TalkSPORT about the controversy surrounding Trump’s admission that he spoke with FIFA president Gianni Infantino about star USA striker Folarin Balogun’s red card before the player’s ban was suspended ahead of America’s game against Belgium.
Sidestepping the question, he said: “I would go and point to something I think is a much graver decision that was made just a couple days ago.
“Keir Starmer’s intervention through diplomatic channels of not allowing the Mexico-England match time to be moved. In the round of 32 after the match, three Mexicans died in this celebration.”
“And there were discussions about moving that match time from the evening [6pm, local time] to noon so then that way you would have less risk of life to Mexicans.”
Giuliani, the son of former New York mayor and closed Trump ally Rudi Giuliani, added: “That’s far graver when you actually think about the consequences, the potential consequences, that anything that happens on the pitch right there.”
“So I would point you to that and see the immediate precedent in heads of state looking at something that happens potentially on the pitch.”
However, the three Mexican fans who sadly died lost their lives during the celebrations after Mexico’s win against Ecuador in the round before.
They died from asphyxiation, and there is no evidence to suggest that the weather played a role, The Daily Mail reports.
In the end the Meixco-England game was actually pushed back by one hour, over thunderstorms fears. England won the game 3-2 and will take on Norway in the Quarter Finals on Saturday.
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