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ITV escapes rap for World Cup gaffe

Ofcom says 'unfortunate error' in transmission centre led to HD viewers seeing advert instead of Steven Gerrard goal

Unfortunately for ITV, it was one of the most memorable moments of England's football World Cup. Now the broadcaster has revealed the full story of why high-definition viewers saw an advert instead of England scoring against the USA in the first five minutes of their ill-fated World Cup campaign – someone pressed the wrong button.

However, ITV has escaped censure from Ofcom, despite 823 complaints about the interruption to ITV1 HD coverage of England's opening World Cup match, with the media regulator accepting that the incident was an "unfortunate error".

Ofcom also noted that ITV had carried out an operational review following the gaffe and taken steps to prevent it – including putting covers on the relevant control panels at its transmission centre.

The incident occurred in the first five minutes of England's 1-1 draw with the USA on 12 June. about 1.5 million viewers watching ITV's HD channel missed Steven Gerrard's opening goal.

ITV blamed human error at the broadcaster's transmission provider, Technicolor, and said a "take next trigger" had inadvertently been activated which led it to cut to 21 seconds of adverts and a blank screen.

"ITV explained that the cause of the incident was a human error within the master control room operated by ITV's transmission provider, Technicolor," said media regulator Ofcom in its ruling today.

"It said that a 'take-next' trigger had been inadvertently activated which led to the next scheduled item, a Hyundai sponsorship bumper, being transmitted prematurely.

"Following the incident, ITV explained that while it could not identify what led to the human error, it had hired external consultants to critically review its operational procedures with Technicolor and would be introducing extra precautions to prevent further such incidents.

"In particular, Technicolor had removed the live edit functionality from the master control area and was manufacturing covers for the equipment consoles in order to avoid accidental activation of functions that could interrupt programming."

ITV pointed out that the vast majority of its audience for the game – more than 90% – watching on the main ITV1 channel were unaffected. It said it "deeply regretted" the incident and had "apologised publicly" to its HD viewers.

Rule 12 of Ofcom's code on the scheduling of television advertising said commercial breaks must not "prejudice the integrity of the programme".

The regulator said it understood the frustrations of viewers who complained, but said it considered the matter to have since been resolved and no further action would be taken.

"Ofcom notes ITV's acknowledgement of this error and that during half-time coverage of the match, an apology was broadcast to viewers by presenter Adrian Chiles," it said.

"Ofcom is also aware that following the match, both ITV and Technicolor apologised for the incident. Ofcom accepts that the incident was an unfortunate error and ITV made no commercial gain from it.

"We note the operational review ITV is carrying out and the immediate action taken both by ITV and Technicolor, including specific measures to avoid this type of incident recurring. In view of this, we consider the matter, on this occasion, to be resolved."

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Holland and Spain fined for World Cup final indiscipline

• Holland fined £9,075 for eight bookings and one sending off
• Spain fined £6,050 after being shown five yellow cards

Holland and Spain have been fined by Fifa for their players' poor discipline during the World Cup final.

The Dutch federation must pay 15,000 Swiss francs (£9,075) after eight different players received yellow cards, and defender John Heitinga was booked a second time and sent off. Spain must pay 10,000 Swiss francs (£6,050) after the referee Howard Webb booked five of their players.

Fifa's disciplinary code has a clause on team misconduct calling for a federation to be fined when five or more of its players are sanctioned in a match.

Spain beat Holland 1-0 after extra-time but the match set a record for most cards received in a World Cup final, beating the six yellows shown when Argentina beat West Germany 3-2 in 1986.

The final also was the worst behaved of the 64 matches played in South Africa. Chile's group match against Switzerland, where nine players were booked and one sent off, was the second-worst.

Nicolas Anelka sues l’Equipe over World Cup rant at Raymond Domenech

• Anelka alleges libel over published outburst at coach
• l'Equipe pledges to call 'witnesses to the scene' for court case

The France striker Nicolas Anelka is taking the French daily newspaper L'Equipe to court for libel after it printed details of his expletive-filled World Cup rant at the then France coach, Raymond Domenech.

Anelka has never denied ranting at Domenech during half-time in the group match against Mexico on June 17, which France were drawing 0-0 at the time and went on to lose 2-0. But has said the newspaper distorted his words – splashed across the front page with the expletives included.

L'Equipe said on its website that the case is likely to start this autumn and the newspaper will defend itself by calling the "various witnesses to the scene".

The French Football Federation sent Anelka home from the World Cup as a result of the story, and the following day the entire squad went on strike in protest at the decision.

Diego Maradona accuses former mentor Carlos Bilardo of betrayal

• National team director 'worked in shadows to throw me out'
• Argentinian FA declined to renew Maradona's contract

Diego Maradona, looking close to tears, accused the national team director Carlos Bilardo of betrayal following his departure as the coach of Argentina.

Speaking the day after the Argentina Football Association declined to renew his contract, Maradona said Bilardo worked in the shadows to get rid of him. Bilardo was the national coach and Maradona the star player when Argentina won the World Cup in 1986.

Maradona said the AFA president, Julio Grondona, asked him in Monday's meeting to continue, but without seven of his assistants. Maradona said he could not meet those conditions.

"They called me to put out a fire, and we put it out," Maradona said. "Grondona lied to me. Bilardo betrayed me. While we were still in mourning [the loss to Germany], Bilardo worked in the shadows to throw me out."

Maradona read from a prepared script for about 10 minutes in a restaurant in the Buenos Aires suburb of Ezeiza. In a room packed with reporters and family members, including his two daughters, he took no questions.

The 49-year-old suggested that the 21 months he spent as coach were not enough and said this was the fifth successive Argentina team that had failed to get past the World Cup quarter-finals. Argentina were beaten 4-0 by Germany in the last eight in South Africa.

"My technical team and I were prepared to keep going," Maradona said. "Grondona, in the changing room in South Africa, said in front of witnesses that he was very happy with my work and wanted me to continue. But back in Argentina things started to change."

Maradona was hired by Grondona despite having little coaching experience and some thought he was out-coached in the quarter-finals by the Germany coach, Joachim Löw.

"I've given everything, everything," Maradona said, ending his speech. "I am convinced that Argentinian football needs to be in a better position. I have tried to transmit the pride that I feel, being Argentinian."

Hugo Lloris says France players were ‘totally stupid’ at World Cup

• Lloris desperate to 'restore the image' of France side
• Goalkeeper says team went 'way too far', with strike

The France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris says that he and his team-mates on the national side were "totally stupid" for going on strike during a World Cup training session, and said he is desperate to "restore the image" that was so badly damaged in South Africa.

France walked out of a training session shortly before being eliminated from the tournament at the group stage, prompting sharp criticism of Raymond Domenech's squad from French fans and politicians. The players refused to train in protest at the treatment of teammate Nicolas Anelka. The striker was sent home for insulting Domenech during the second group match, a 2-0 defeat to Mexico.

"Going on strike was the decision of a group that felt isolated, that felt no one had protected it, and that wanted to get a message across," Lloris said on Friday in an interview with sports daily L'Equipe. "We went way too far. It was a clumsy decision, a big mistake. It was totally stupid."

The former France defender Lilian Thuram, now a French Football Federation council member, has called for some players, such as the former captain Patrice Evra, never to play for the national team again because of their decision to strike.

"We acted more like a team in the bus than on the pitch," said Lloris. "We all want to restore the image of Les Bleus. I'm not asking for us to win everything, just that we all make an effort, that we give everything. We need to get back to basics, respect for the jersey, for ourselves, our team-mates and the institution that is the France team."

France also played badly, failing to win a game at the World Cup, just like two years earlier, when Domenech's team failed to progress from the group stage at the European Championship without winning a game. Lloris stopped short of blaming Domenech, though he did accept that France had underperformed for the last two years under Domenech.

Laurent Blanc has replaced Domenech as France coach and his first game in charge is against Norway in a friendly in Oslo on 11 August, followed by a 2012 European Championship qualifier at home to Belarus on 3 September at Stade de France. Blanc may decide to drop some players for his opening game in charge to send out a strong warning.

Lloris, who has 14 international appearances and is expected to stay as No1, accepts the players have an obligation "to make sure what happened in South Africa never happens again, that we don't self-destruct in that way ever again".