FIFA rules out Deco appeal

Portugal will definitely be without midfielder Deco when they face England in the World Cup quarter-final on Saturday after FIFA told them to not to bother appealing against the red card he received against Holland.

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said yesterday he had not given up hope of having the suspended Barcelona star in his side for the clash in Gelsenkirchen.

He urged the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) to appeal over Deco’s first yellow card, awarded for a lunge at Holland defender Johnny Heitinga.

FIFA communications director Markus Siegler today confirmed there had been contact from the FPF but no official appeal had been received.

“There was a phone call and they were clearly told: ‘Forget it’,” he said.

Fellow midfielder Costinha was also sent off following two bookable offences and will also miss the England match, but Scolari accepted those decisions.