Former Maccabi Tel Aviv Coach Draws Scrutiny in Saudi Arabia's World Cup Draw

Former Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Georgios Donis made his World Cup coaching debut overnight Tuesday against Uruguay, as Saudi Arabia drew 1-1. Donis, appointed in April to replace Hervé Renard, became the center of attention in the 60th minute when he was accused of taking advantage of a new FIFA rule.

Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais, who was widely credited as the hero of the draw, went down on the pitch for treatment. Under the new rule, players are supposed to stand in the middle of the field until the injured player recovers, in an effort to prevent stoppages. During that pause, Donis reportedly called over one of his players and handed him a note with tactical instructions.

The accusation was that this violated the rule intended to stop coaches from using fake injuries by goalkeepers to halt play and pass on instructions. Uruguay, which came from behind to level the match, finished frustrated despite dominating the second half.

Afterward, Donis said, "I am trying to learn the players. We cannot be flexible during matches, I have not been here long enough. We are not flexible enough." Uruguay created more shots on Saudi Arabia's goal in the second half than any other team in a single World Cup half, but still failed to beat Donis's side.