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2ND DEC 2008
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 Wayne Rooney has been given until Thursday to file a statement about his red card in England's World Cup quarter-final defeat by Portugal.
The striker was sent off after 62minutes for appearing to stamp on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho.
But Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo will not be investigated by Fifa.
Ronaldo appeared to encourage the referee to send off his Manchester United team-mate, although he has since denied this was the case.
There had been confusion about whether Rooney was dismissed for the foul or the subsequent push on Ronaldo.
But England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed Rooney was given his marching orders for the alleged stamp.
"Wayne Rooney got a direct red card so he will automatically be suspended," said a Fifa spokesman.
"It will be a disciplinary case. Like any player (who gets a red card), the committee will decide on the penalty."
Eriksson, in his final news conference, urged critics not to be too hard on Rooney in the wake of his dismissal display.
The red card immediately brought comparisons with the sending-off of David Beckham against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup, which was followed by a year of vicious abuse on Beckham's return to England.We only needed to score one goal to win the game as one goal was always going to win it.
"Rooney got sent off through a bit of stupidity on his part but he also got sent off because the kid was irritated and he was frustrated.
"He was on his own, he was chasing hopeless balls and high balls and had nothing to play with upfront. He's young and he's inexperienced and we needed that double strikeforce."
"He lost control of himself and lacked a little bit of discipline but he's young and we know we have a terrific player in him. He's got to learn that the art of good behaviour on the playing field at international level is paramount."
"Pay attention, please," Eriksson told members of the media.
"He is the golden boy of English football. Don't kill him, I beg you, because you will need him.
"Wayne Rooney is a fantastic football player.
"If he did it with intention or not, leave it, because you need him for the qualification games and to win Euro 2008. I have no hard feelings."
Eriksson revealed he had spoken to referee Horacio Elizondo after the game against Portugal, which was decided by a penalty shoot-out, and had "no complaints" about the decision to send off Rooney.
"I spoke to Wayne after the game and he had no intention to do it," said Eriksson.
"I also went to the referee to speak and he was 100% sure it was a red card. He told me he hit the other player and where he was hit so I can't complain about that."
Former England manager Bobby Robson felt Rooney's dismissal could have been avoided had he not been used as a lone striker against Portugal.
Robson told BBC Five Live Sport: "We needed the support of a twin striker. We needed to score a goal.
Robson added: "Rooney has to apologise to the manager and the rest of the players.
Provided by Mike Harding (United Kingdom) |
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