Terry faces 'disrespectful' German referee

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England's World Cup crunch against Slovenia will be refereed by a German.

Wolfgang Stark, 40, will take charge of Wednesday's win-or-bust clash in Port Elizabeth despite being involved in one of international football's most notorious matches.

Stark was the ref during an infamous 2007 U-20 World Cup game Chile and Argentina in which the Chileans picked up seven yellows and two reds.

He had to be escorted down the tunnel by police at the end of the match to protrect him from protests and several Chile players were pepper-sprayed outside the stadium as the row continued.

Stark has already blundered at these finals, awarding Gabriel Heinze's goal in Argentina's opening win against Nigeria despite Walter Samuel’s obstruction in the build-up to the goal.

The German sent off Chelsea's Didier Drogba for stamping on Thiago Motta during their Champions League exit to Inter Milan in March.

mirrorfootball.co.uk

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• John Terry said Wolfgang Stark was 'disrespectful' in March
• England have played three, won three with German in charge

Wolfgang Stark – the referee accused by John Terry of being disrespectful towards him in March – will take charge of England's decisive World Cup game with Slovenia in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday. The 39-year-old German upset Terry with his behaviour during Chelsea's Champions League game against Internazionale at Stamford Bridge when they were eliminated by their former manager José Mourinho.

Terry has courted controversy this week with his comments in relation to an England meeting last night with the coach, Fabio Capello, and four months ago he vented his anger at Stark. "It was a bad performance by us but a really bad performance from the referee," he said after Chelsea's exit. "I'm not going to say the word conspiracy. I am not using that term – but I'm so frustrated by what happened. When a decision didn't go our way I, as captain, went to speak to the referee and he turned his back on me. I wasn't shouting. I went to try to talk to him and when he wouldn't talk that is when I got frustrated. That is just pure disrespect."

England have been officiated by Stark on three previous occasions – and have won all those games. He was in charge of a 2-1 win over Slovakia in a Euro 2004 qualifier and a 4-0 success over Northern Ireland in a 2006 World Cup qualifying game. Stark was also officiating when England beat Greece 4-0 in August 2006, Steve McClaren's first match in charge.

The German official has captured the headlines on several occasions and sent off three players during a Barcelona-Celtic game six years ago. In an Under-20 World Cup meeting between Chile and Argentina in 2007, he gave two players their marching orders and handed out seven yellow cards.