Ivana Knoll, the Croatian DJ and influencer dubbed the World Cup's 'sexiest fan,' publicly slammed referee Espen Eskas after a controversial VAR decision disallowed Croatia's would-be tying goal in a Round of 32 match against Portugal at Toronto Stadium on Thursday night.
VAR Decision Sparks Outrage
With Portugal leading 1-0 in the final minutes, Croatia thought it had equalized. However, after a VAR review, the goal was disallowed because a Croatian attacker was ruled offside after the ball grazed the hair of teammate Igor Matanović in the build-up. The decision led to near-riotous behavior from Croatian fans, who littered the field with water bottles and beer cans for several minutes.
FIFA later released a statement confirming the call: 'According to the data provided by Connected Ball Technology housed within the Trionda … it was proven that contact was made by Croatia's #20 Igor Matanović in the build up to the goal against Portugal, allowing the referee to correctly determine offside and disallow the goal.'
Knoll's Reaction
Knoll, who attended the match with 43,036 fans, posted her frustration on Instagram. 'This was so sad,' she wrote alongside a clip of the decision. 'Norwegian referee you did such a s*** job,' she added, sharing a video of fan protests and a middle finger emoji. She also reposted a fan recreation showing the ball lightly brushing a player's hair.
Knoll, performing as Knolldoll, has attended every Croatia match this tournament, supporting her home country.
Praise for Ronaldo
Before the match, Knoll praised Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, calling him 'the best player ever in history. There's nobody close.' When asked about the Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi debate, she sided with Ronaldo. On comparing Ronaldo to Croatia's Luka Modric, she said, 'That's impossible to compare because they play such different positions.'
With Croatia's loss, Modric's career may be ending. Ronaldo, a former Real Madrid teammate, said: 'I spoke with him, he's a legend of football. I wish him all the best and I hope he continues to play.'
