Lazy Assistants Cost Referees World Cup Spots

Add referees to the list of people who hate referees. Greece’s Kyros Vassaras and Spain’s Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez have both seen their World Cup refereeing dreams fall by the wayside because their assistant referees failed to pass a required fitness test. Under new FIFA rules introduced ahead of this year’s tournament, all three members of a refereeing trio had to pass a fitness test by last week or they would all be dropped. This seems ridiculously unfair to Vassaras and Gonzalez, who managed to pass the fitness test despite living in countries with excellent food and booze.

We can’t blame them if they are a wee bit unhappy with their brethren.

Fortunately, World Cup Blog hero Coffi Codjia is fit as a fiddle and his slacker assistants managed to perform 20 situps in 60 seconds or whatever it takes to be deemed a fit referee these days.

Meanwhile, Iran has some of its own fitness worries now that it has been revealed that those stinkin’ cheats Mexico are possibly employing witchdoctors for nefarious purposes. Iran better hire that Ecuadorian shaman to chase away the spirits pronto.