RIO DE JANEIRO, June 30- Dutch star Arjen Robben will not face any disciplinary action after admitting to diving during his team’s last 16 victory with Mexico, FIFA confirmed on Monday.
Robben, who won a match-winning injury-time penalty to secure a 2-1 win for the Netherlands, admitted later he had dived in a failed attempt to win a spot-kick earlier in the match.
However FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer ruled out any possibility of retrospective actions when asked about Robben’s comments at a briefing on Monday.
Fischer said sanctioning after the fact only applied to “serious infringements of foul play which have escaped the notice of the match officials.”
The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) said earlier Monday that Robben’s post-match comments had been misinterpreted.
“Media have interpreted statements from Robben in a Dutch post match interview completely wrong,” the KNVB said.
Meanwhile, the Dutch Football Association hit back at reporting of comments by Arjen Robben on the penalties he claimed in the World Cup victory over Mexico.
The association, the KNVB, said Robben’s comments, in which he admitted diving to try and get a penalty in the first half, were interpreted “completely wrong”.
It added that Robben would make a statement later in the day.
“KNVB is unpleasantly suprised by publications in the media about the Dutch penalty in the match versus Mexico,” read a statement.
“Media have interpreted statements from Robben in a Dutch post match interview completely wrong,” it added.
The 30-year-old Bayern Munich star won a penalty injury time that was converted by Jan-Klaas Huntelaar to win the match 2-1.
