FIFA president Sepp Blatter has insisted under-fire English referee Howard Webb had a “very hard task” in Sunday’s fiery World Cup final.

Webb produced a record 14 yellow cards plus a red in the final but Dutch players have claimed he favoured the Spanish.

Other critics have suggested that Webb should have been even tougher and sent off Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel rather than just booking them.

Blatter said: “The final was not exactly what I expected in terms of fair play.

“It’s not up to me judge the performances of the officials, I can only say it was a very hard task that the referee trio had on the field of play. It was not easy, really not easy and they were really not helped in this task I can say.”

The FIFA president apologised to England over Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal.

He said: “This was a case that has happened in a preliminary competition and now we are at the end of the World Cup, and it is odious to reopen discussions.

“A goal was not given in a match between England and Germany and it went all around the world, it was like a cry, an alarm that something very, very important has happened.

“It was said ‘will you reopen the file of technology’ and I have said ‘yes – goal-line technology will be looked at again by the International FA Board’, but only goal-line technology.”