PLATINI BACKS MASCHERANO RED CARD
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PLATINI BACKS MASCHERANO RED CARD
UEFA president Michel Platini believes last weekend's sending off of Javier Mascherano was the "right thing" and has backed the Football Association's clampdown on dissent.
The Liverpool midfielder was sent off after confronting referee Steve Bennett in the Reds' 3-0 defeat at Manchester United last Sunday - his dismissal coming just days after the outrage generated by Ashley Cole's behaviour towards Mike Riley, who did not red card the Chelsea left-back.
The FA has launched a campaign to promote respect to referees in the amateur game, and it appears that a more hard-line stance has now been adopted by professional officials. Platini believes it is not before time and has predicted that when the initial controversy dies down, players will soon get used to keeping their mouths shut.
"The decision of the English FA to insist on showing yellow cards to any players arguing with referees in amateur games is a good one," Platini told the Mail on Sunday. He added: "Mascherano got a yellow card for running at the referee, which is correct. He won't do it again now. What the referee did was good, it was the right thing to give him the second yellow card. "We have to make sure the referees are respected. Of course the players don't like it at first but they won't do it a second time and if it means other players learn to restrain themselves, that's a good thing."
Platini revealed he is also working with the French government and European Commission in a bid to stop big clubs poaching promising youngsters under the age of 18. "I have told the European Commission that we should ban the transfer of minors," he said.
"The first football contract that a player signs should be for club that trains them. You don't train someone to be sold, you train a player to play. "It is important to protect our young people. Minors shouldn't be seen as a machine that can be transferred for the benefit of agents or clubs. They have time enough for that.
"It's to do with protecting social values, family values. There is no justification for buying them at 15, getting them over with parents, that is just not on. "We're going to fight it."
Platini added: "I am speaking to the European Commission regarding the specific nature of sport in European Law."