Kim Milton Nielsen recalls 1998 World Cup sending‑off of England midfielder

In a new book, former Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen recounts the moment he sent off an England midfielder for kicking Argentine midfielder Diego Simeone during the 1998 FIFA World Cup round‑of‑16 match at the Geoffroy‑Guichard Stadium in Saint‑Étienne. The book details how, at half‑time on 30 June 1998, Nielsen entered the changing room with the scent of wet towels in the air, hugging his assistants after a match that had already seen him award two penalties and Michael Owen’s blistering runs and a clever free‑kick that left the English defence scrambling.

Nielsen describes the first half as “the best half of football they’d ever officiated,” with Owen terrorising Argentina and the Argentine side capitalising on a free‑kick to level the score. He notes that he was eager for the second half but was unaware of the incident that would lead to a red card. The book gives a behind‑the‑scenes look at the referee’s decision‑making process and the pressure of officiating a high‑stakes World Cup encounter.

The account underscores the intensity of World