Wednesday 17 April 2019

Champions League 2018/19 - Referee Appointments - Quarterfinals (Second Leg, II)

Referee appointments for second legs of 2018-19 UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals. Games to be played on Wednesday 17 April. Thank to Kronikasedziowska.
17 April 2019, 21:00 CET - Manchester (Etihad Stadium)
Manchester City FC (ENG) - Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG)
Referee: Cüneyt Çakır (TUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Bahattin Duran (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Tarık Ongun (TUR)
Fourth Official: Artur Manuel Ribeiro Soares Dias (POR)
Video Assistant Referee: Massimiliano Irrati (ITA)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Marco Guida (ITA)
UEFA Referee Observer: Domenico Messina (ITA)
UEFA Delegate: Martin Sturkenboom (NED)

17 April 2019, 21:00 CET - Porto (Estádio do Dragão)
FC Porto (POR) - Liverpool FC (ENG)
Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Mario Diks (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Hessel Steegstra (NED)
Fourth Official: Anastásios Sidirópoulos (GRE)
Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel (NED)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jochem Kamphuis (NED)
UEFA Referee Observer: Alain Hamer (LUX)
UEFA Delegate: Per Svärd (SWE)

187 comments:

  1. Once again Sidiropoulos... but nice appointments for Cakir and Makkelie.

    I expect Skomina tomorrow.

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    1. Sidiropoulos must use his experiences as fourth official in such profile matches to improve some of his skills as for example assertiveness, communication with players and positioning. It is a big signal from Rossetti that he will stay in elite category in the next year.

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  2. Replies
    1. It could means Skomina in EL Quarterfinal and then in CL final. The only alternative i see is Rocchi but Juventus is still there.

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    2. Last year we had Mazic in EL QF and after that straight to UCL Final.

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    3. I think Skomina will ref EL final. I predict Italian crew for CL final unless Juve is one of the teams. I would not exclude Lahoj or Makelie or Turpin. I would like to see Turpin in a final soon.Very solid ref

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    4. Skomina already had EL final.

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    5. I do not think Skomina will get CL final this year. Kuipers might get his third final or Makelie his first. I can see Orsato in one of the finals and a Spanish ref if Spanish team in not involved. I would love to see Turpin for CL and Lahoj for EL.

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  3. Expected appointment for Danny Makkelie in a game, which is already "decided". On the contrary a spectacular game for Cüneyt Cakir, who is in my opinion a candidat for both European finals this year. He is a VAR expert, because of his home league (Süper Lig), WC games and tests with national teams (e.g. Italy vs. USA). In Europa League final VAR will be used, so he would be a "safe" option, because he had no EL Final appointment.

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    1. Decided is premature and dangerous to think. I can still remember Real Madrid vs Juventus and Roma vs Barcelona. If Porto scores quickly the game is immediately open again.

      I expect Skomina for the UCL final and Turpin for the UEL final.

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    2. Yes of course you are right.I wanted to say that the result is relatively clear. The game is of course not decided yet and anything can happen in football.

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  4. Observers and VAR from the same country. Messina will focus his report on Turkish team.

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    1. Interesting to point out that Guida has a game as VAR this evening in serie A (Atalanta - Empoli) in Bergamo.
      Bergamo is the city of Domenico Messina, you can esily guess that after the game they will travel together for Manchester.
      Very interesting to note that there is a specific criterion for some appointments.
      For those who are interested now Domenico Messina, after having been serie A referees head, is observer in serie B committee.
      Irrati will travel with them after having officiated yesterday in Turin.
      It is very rare to see a serie A referee getting two games in 48 hours but in this specific case the roles are VAR in a game and AVAR in the other one. So, still possible for Rizzoli who made this deliberate choice about today assignment.

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  5. OT: appointments for MD33 in LaLiga. And from now on, names become interesting. Some considerations before: the 7th place might give access to UEL if Valencia doesn't win the Copa del Rey final or if Valencia wins and qualifies to UCL/UEL via regular competition. At the moment, in relegation zones are Valladolid, Rayo and Huesca. In UCL are Barcelona, Atlético, Madrid and Sevilla. In UEL are Getafe and Valencia. 18 points remaining.

    Friday 19/04/2019
    21:00 Alavés (UEL qualification contender, 4 points to UEL places, 1 to 7th) - Valladolid (Relegation contender, 1 point to safe zone)
    Referee: Xavier Estrada Fernández (CT Catalán, FIFA 1st group)
    VAR: Adrián Cordero Vega (CT Cántabro)

    Saturday 20/04/2019
    13:00 Celta (Relegation contender, 1 point over relegation zone) - Girona (relegation contender, 3 points over relegation zone)
    Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande (CT Madrileño, FIFA Elite)
    VAR: Juan Martínez Munuera (CT Valenciano, FIFA 2nd group)

    16:15 Eibar (nothing to play for, 9 points to UEL; 9 points over relegation zone) - Atlético (almost nothing to play for. Title is 9 points away, 14 points in UCL qualification zone).
    Referee: Javier Alberola Rojas (CT Castellano-Manchego)
    VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández (CT Balear)

    18:30 Rayo Vallecano (Relegation contender, at the moment in the second to last position. 5 points to safe zone) - Huesca (Relegation contender, at the moment in the last position. 7 points to safe zone)
    Referee: José Luis González González (CT Castellano-Leonés)
    VAR: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández (CT Las Palmas, FIFA 2nd group)

    20:45 Barcelona (9 points over 2nd) - Real Sociedad (small UEL chance. 8 points to UEL, 5 to 7th place)
    Referee: Pablo González Fuertes (CT Asturiano)
    VAR: Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva (CT Gallego)


    Sunday 21/04/2019
    12:00 Levante (relegation contender, 2 points over relegation zone) - Espanyol (small chance of UEL: 8 points to UEL zone, 5 to 7th place)
    Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano (CT Extremeño, FIFA, Elite)
    VAR: José Luis Munuera Montero (CT Andaluz, FIFA 2nd group)

    14:00 Getafe (UCL contender, 1 point to UCL zone) - Sevilla (UCL contender, 1 point in UCL zone).
    Referee: Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (CT Valenciano, FIFA Elite)
    VAR: Juan Martínez Munuera (CT Valenciano, FIFA 2nd)

    16:15 Real Madrid (almost nothing to play for. 9* points in UCL zone, 14* to title) - Athletic Club (UEL/UCL qualification contender, 3 points to UEL zone, 6 to UCL, placed 7th with 1 point over 8th).
    Referee: Mario Melero López (CT Andaluz)
    VAR: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández (CT Las Palmas, FIFA 2nd group)

    18:30 Villarreal (relegation contender, 2 points over relegation zone) - Leganés (almost nothing to play for, 9* points over relegation zone, 9* points to UEL zone, 6* to 7th)
    Referee: Eduardo Prieto Iglesias (CT Navarro)
    VAR: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (CT Navarro)

    20:45 Real Betis (UEL contender, 6 points to UEL zone, 3 to 7th) - Valencia (UCL contender, 3 points to UCL zone, 3 points in UEL zone, 4 points from 8th).
    Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez (CT Murciano, FIFA 2nd group)
    VAR: David Medié Jiménez (CT Catalán)

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    1. Well, I know I have included much information, but it helps to place each referee in their current situation for CTA. Three names are over all others.

      First is Mateu Lahoz. He will be the man in the middle for a decisive match for UCL qualification, as it will also define goal-average between two of the main candidates for the last qualifying spot, the third being… Valencia, from where Mateu is. Surely not a very aesthetic appointment considering how the season has developed and the fact that he has had Sevilla three times before in this 2nd leg, and in front of which teams: Barcelona, Atlético and Real Madrid. This will be the fourth. Shows how much trust CTA has in him, considering all this.

      The other one is José Luis González González, who will officiate a game that is almost last chance for Huesca and not much less important game for Rayo. A direct relegation zone game. He never became international, but inside CTA has such status. A very good and solid referee (IMO, better than many others with the badge) in whom CTA have their full trust.


      Last, del Cerro, with another direct relegation game. Both teams are at the moment out of relegation zone, but with a very narrow margin and a lost game can mean trouble for them.

      Gil Manzano and Sánchez Martínez also with important matches, specially the latter, as in Gil Manzano's game one of the teams doesn't really have much chances for anything. Melero López and Prieto Iglesias with matches similar to Gil Manzano's. If @Quilava is right and both are contenders for demotion, this might very well be a final test for them.

      González Fuertes with a sonorous but likely irrelevant match, as is Alberola Rojas, but without the sonorous part. I expected more for him, let's see if that means something.

      Regarding VARs, the same I said about Mateu and Getafe-Sevilla applies to Martínez Munuera regarding his origin. Significant absence that of Jaime Latre.

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  6. George! I missed your opinions about the performances in La Liga yesterday. Yo gave the opinion of saturday but not about yesterday... ;)

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    1. I didn't watch them all! Watched Undiano, though. I partly agree with what Vlad posted yesterday, that is, with the "unfortunate card selection". Missed many YCs, had a different criteria for each team and managed to get players and fans angry. So nothing new there, the usual Undiano of the last seasons. A shame, because it seemed he had improved in his final season.

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  7. I'm sure that Alberola Rojas will improve week after week, he wont be the new Vicandi Garrido. I perceive them as very different referees, with all the respect for the Basque. Do you agree George (and all the other Spanish readers)?

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    1. Yes, however he has things to improve. To me, he looks to passive at times, like he doesn't care about the match. He doesn't seem a new Vicandi to me. My feeling is that CTA doesn't want to rush him to prevent exactly that. Quilava said that he would likely take Undiano's badge. I personally don't think so. IMO, it will be for Cuadra Fernández. There is no need to give it to him so soon considering his age. He's 27...

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    2. I also feel that becoming FIFA referee in January 2020 could be a little bit early for Alberola Rojas, but my "criteria" to assign that badge to him is that he has already make the CORE course in Nyon, and I think there's no more non-FIFA referees in LaLiga fulfilling that condition.

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  8. About the new UEFA VAR Course (15 - 17 April), if I remember well, Quilava mentioned it, reporting that Estrada Fernández for Spain will be there.
    TFF reports that Mete Kalkavan and Ali Palabıyık will attend it.
    I'm looking for more info, in case I will publish the full list.

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    1. Bas Nijhuis en Dennis Higler will attend this course for the Netherlands

      Off topic: Nijhuis started a Youtube channel about himself and refereeing

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    2. However, as we know him, mainly about himself. ;)

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    3. Thanks for the mention, Chefren. Accourding to my source, Spanish referees attending this VAR course are Estrada Fernández and De Burgos Bengoetxea.

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    4. Portugal: Luís Godinho and João Pinheiro

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    5. Hello guys. From France : ruddy Buquet and Benoit Millot will attend.

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  9. Cakir is the men for semi-finals ....

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  10. Makkelie was expected for Porto-Liverpool. Committee appointed Cakir for the English derby. A safe choice.

    Sidiropoulos is the only Elite with 2 FO appointments so far. Probably a good signal for him regarding his Elite status but I can't understand the committee. He missed Euro 2016, WC 2018 and will probably miss EURO 2020. So what's the point of keeping him to Elite?

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    1. Sidiropoulos will be present in Euro 2020 either as 1ST official or Var. You need to be less biased against him as he represents proudly your country internationally. As Greek Who lives abroad, I am proud of him and his efforts. He is not the best ref in the world but he does need our support and encouragement.

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    2. I am not biased at all. I am simply stating facts and my personal observations. He will never be a real Elite despite the fact that he started as a promising and talented referee. He had much support during the time he was at First Group.

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    3. In November during the game England-Croatia 2-1 the English Commentators said that Sidiropoulos has been one of the best refs that they have seen recently. It is very sad to get recognition for foreigners and not for us. It is a Greek thing. And to repeat what I said before, Sidiropoulos will take part in Euro 2020 as a VAR (probably). I would say not bad at all. He is pretty much the same level as other elite refs like Hategan, Collum, Kassai or Soares. Not as good as Skomina, Rocchi, Brych, Turpin etc but still reliable for group matches and important qualifiers. Your new support Papapetrou has failed 2-3 times in youth matches this year. I do not think Uefa will give him anything more than 1-2 Europa league matches next year. Rossetti is fair..

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    4. Sidiropoulos got the ENG-CRO match since UEFA believed the Spain would be Croatia and his match would be a dead one. After the unexpected Croatia win, UEFA was really anxious. Thankfully the match was easy without any crucial scenes. Hence his performance was good.

      IMO, you can't say that he is on the same level as Hategan, Collum or Kassai. Those 3 have done at least a SF on UEFA/FIFA level (2 of them had a Final). Sidiropoulos got only a CL QF which was already decided (even there his performance was not good). Now, 3 years in a row he only gets EL 32. Is that satisfactory for an Elite referee? Definitely not.

      About Papapetrou. I support him just as any other referee. He has improved a lot those 2 last seasons and I believe that UEFA knows that (btw He is voted as the best Greek ref 2 years in a row). So UEFA will focus on him more starting from the new season.

      And as you say, if Rosetti is fair, then I expect some demotions from the Elite group. I can't believe that only Moen wasn't an Elite material.

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    5. How do you know that UEFA was anxious before the England match? Any time he performed well the match was easy. Come on..That is the definition of you being biased against someone. I strongly advise you not to watch Euro 2020 as Sidiropoulos will be there as part of a team.
      Generally speaking the standards of refereeing in Greece are very low. Sidiropoulos does make mistakes under pressure but he is definitely a type of ref that Uefa likes. He lets the match flow and does not frustrate players. He just lacks experience in big matches and confidence in getting big decisions right. There are a few refs that fall in the same category as for example Collum, Soares, Aytekin, Karasev or Kralovec. I can only see from the 1st group only Treimanis achieving much better than them. Moen was a different story. He was trusted a lot and he literally destroyed games with his lack of discipline.

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    6. You called my biased a second time. That's a textbook case of discrediting someone because you don't have any argument. You simply can't answer on any of the facts that I stated. Hence the personal attack.

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    7. How do you know that UEFA was anxious before the England match? Are you expressing Rosetti's views on that matter? Do you personally know members of the committee? If not, it is clear that your arguments are not solid. All refs make mistakes, some make more mistakes than others. Sidiropoulos remains the most reliable Greek ref AND will continue to represent Greece in Champions league next year. He will gradually get more support from people outside the country than inside the country. It usually happens with all Greeks that excel in different parts of the world.

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    8. I am not oblidged to answer but I will do. When you are an active blogger for 8 years, then you have some very reliable sources.

      I don't deny that Sidiropoulos probably will referee at CL level again next year, but is it enough to whistle only medium or low profile matches? Especially an Elite referee since 2015?

      Talking about support. When a referee makes such a blatant mistake at Man. City - CKSA and is appointed again and he is even promoted 6 months later, that is called support. He got too much support (even last year when it was obvious that his form wasn't good) from the moment that he entered the Elite group. But, now, it's obvious that he has reached his peak and can't go further.

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  11. Richard Liesveld has retired as a referee in Holland. He was struggling with injuries for quite some time. His last match was in November '16.

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  12. https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2019-04-14-sporting-kansas-city-vs-new-york-red-bulls/details/video/188923

    OT: RC in the MLS given by Robert Sibiga (Non-FIFA).

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  13. A solid and unspectacular first half by Gianluca Manganiello in Atalanta Bergamo vs. Empoli. Three correct no penalty appeals, three yellow cards and solid fitness conditions. But in my opinion a missed yellow card in 18' for Empoli to calm the game down. On the contrary the game is until now fair, the match is full under controll by Manganiello and all three cards were normal fouls.

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    1. Overall a solid performance by Manganiello in an interesting floodlight game in Serie A. In the second half only one missed foul and a potential missed YC at 70'. Another correct no penalty appeal and a fully deserved YC (Empoli) for a reckless challenge. But at 89' a clear YC missed because of time wasting and unsporting behavoir.

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  14. It's a bit unreliable to compare referees basing on one game but, for the use of our discussion about future FIFA referees from Spain, such observation could be useful anyway.

    Medié Jiménez faced a not so difficult Leganés v Real Madrid game today. He was very alert through the whole game (maybe apart the last scene) and was able to deliver verbal warnings, strong reactions against dissent, preventive talk, etc. In overall, he gave the impression of very firm and reliable official who also has the soft skills needed at UEFA niveau.

    If it was my choice, I would give him the nomination for 2020 list. I can see a talent in him, contrary to Cordero Vega who's in Medié Jiménez' age.

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    1. Quality of English refereeing is dropping. With the exception of Oliver and Taylor, there is not much talent and the problem arises every single weekend with crucial mistakes usually against the smaller team. The examples of Pawson, Dean, Moss, Tierney etc influencing directly results show that Mr Riley should resign as soon as possible. English FA must follow Mr Rossetti 's example and allocate/support refs from championship to make the step further. It cannot get worse.

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    2. It's worth to add 'allocate/support YOUNG refs from Championship' as there was a case of promoting a 47yo ref some seasons ago.

      There are no many FIFA referees from England but on the other hand The FA is able to deliver the top-level refereeing star all the time: Poll -> Webb -> Clattenburg-Atkinson -> Oliver-Taylor

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    3. I fully agree with the comment about the one man show in English refereeing amongst years. There are some very good young refs in Championship such as Jones, Brooks, England etc. that deserve a chance to ref in Premier League. Unfortunately Mr Riley uses the same refs every week to the extent that some refs would play the same team 7-8 times a year or even more. I do believe that Mike Dean was a good ref maybe 10 years ago but not now.
      The problem is worse with the assistants. Watch Derek Eaton or Andy Halliday on Spurs-Huddersfield match and you will see my point. Some of them are too old or not fit enough for this level.

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    4. I'm hoping and looking for Jarred Gillett to make the step up from Championship to Premier League within the next couple years.
      https://www.efl.com/news/2019/january/jarred-gillett-to-join-select-group-2/

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  15. I was planning to do it for a long time, and finally I have some time on my hands and I was inspired by an excellent discussion about future FIFA referees from Spain, so here is a holistic analysis of Premier League refereeing- a topic much discussed on here.

    I want to say that I disagree with the many calls that Michael Riley should be sacked as head of PGMOL, they run English refereeing at the Elite level, and on the contrary I think he does a relatively good job. The problem runs much beyond his door.
    As I see it, there are two fundamental issues that trouble top-level refereeing in my country:

    1) A stagnation of development of young referees. There are many reasons that can be attributed to this but most can be pinned to a court ruling that a formal retirement age of forty-eight was unlawful in 2010, and hence most referees in Premier League are indeed over forty-five; the discussion about future FIFA referees currently in PL list can be a very short one (Coote). I would even argue that English referees are (among) the best managers in the world, one would partly expect that at such ripe ages, but considering that important cognitive faculties involved in computing crucial decisions start to fade in the mid-forties, it should be no surprise to see the quite high number of crucial mistakes that we see week-to-week.
    Another point to note, David Elleray (I would argue the most powerful man in the world regarding football refereeing) was fully cognisant of this some years ago and pushed very hard four referees when they were still in lower leagues: Michael Oliver, Stuart Attwell, Geoff Eltringham (Championship list, not much scope for more), and another referee who got injured but still officiates at a lower level. Some ended better than others...

    2) Premier League referees are used as a means to control the style of football in England to help promote the league around the world; this was even privately stated to PL refs by a former director of the league who said in a pre-season conference that "the atmosphere in the stadiums and the refereeing are the reasons why is the most successful league in the world". This helps explain the 'forced' English style of remaining in the background as much as possible, but remaining concentrated regarding when it is fully required to step in and regarding crucial decisions, the referee who does not fulfill this style will just be removed. Even more, the clubs compute a mark for the referee in each match that contributes to the ultimate ranking table, which helps explain the high level of leniency that English referees show at the top level. As far as the Premier League are concerned, they are the biggest stakeholders in PGMOL, they prefer to see referees making crucial mistakes as long as the referees facilitate a flowing football match. The planned lack of OFRs when VAR is introduced next season is testament to that.
    Personally, I really hate these facets of top-level refereeing in my country.

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    1. Of the six referees who are currently in the FIFA list, I only see one with chances to become a 'real' UEFA Elite referee: Anthony Taylor.
      - Craig Pawson disappointed me in the Olympiakos - Dynamo Kyiv game with an incredibly passive attitude which he also showed in months since and despite good soft skills is no candidate for promotion to Elite IMO.
      - Christopher Kavanagh is pushed a lot by PGMOL but I don't see any talent in him.
      - Paul Tierney is a good referee for PL but he is much too relaxed for UEFA.
      - I am at odds with many readers when I say that Michael Oliver is no 'real' Elite referee- he is a solid communicator in England who deeply understands how to officiate in the 'English way' and executes that very well, indeed he is comfortably the best referee for PL matches. My feeling is that only top mental strength, which seems to have left him at UEFA level c. Real Madrid - Juventus although I don't say it won't return, and okay skills beside (no sophisticated manager nor a firm authority, and a partly weak foul detection) are not enough to be a top referee in UEFA.
      - I doubt that UEFA will give Attwell a second chance but I think he could actually reach a lot internationally, Elleray now puts his loud voice in the committee behind Oliver instead.
      - Anthony Taylor has realised an excellent season internationally, and he should now attend UEFA EURO 2020 in my opinion if he carries on this way. He has all the skills to succeed internationally and become a big name in UEFA refereeing sphere.

      Talking about future FIFA referees.
      - Robert Jones will be promoted soon to PL and he is a future UEFA Elite in my eyes.
      - PGMOL are also very excited about what Jarred Gillett from Australia can reach; I look forward to seeing him next season.
      - Darren England, David Coote, John Brooks are also surely future FIFA referees, although I only ever saw a big talent in the foremost. Ross Joyce, Ben Toner and Michael Salisbury are names to watch from lower down.
      Let me say, thanks to the court ruling, it is very hard to find DoBs for English referees and hence to assess their potential for the future.

      I would be really happy to hear from other readers what they think of English refereeing!

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    2. I know the issue and I think Riley's hands are tied due to court-ruling and due to power of clubs.

      Clubs should never ever have an influence on refereeing!!!

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    3. Well done Mikael.Excellent and very detailed analysis. Robert Jones should have been a PL ref from last year as the most talented. England and Brooks must get promoted this summer. Simon Hooper should get demoted to championship and David Coote deserves more chances to shine. I am not sure about the issue'Oliver or Taylor'. I personally love Oliver's style but I accept Taylor as an excellent referee. I agree that Pawson is not always reliable but I do believe that Kavanagh has potential considering and his young age. Tierney and Attwell are just very average. I can also see a problem with assistants. Too many wrong non-offside calls this year. I only trust fully a few linesmen as very reliable such as Gary Beswick.

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    4. I did not know about the the fact that Premier League clubs influence decisions. I am an active ref in grassroots football in England and the method is the same. Teams judge the ref. Just sad...

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    5. I'm with John here, I prefer Oliver over Taylor and I think Kavanagh has potential. But I'm not in country like Mikael.
      I've said before that I'm a fan of Oliver's, and I see him as the next Clattenburg. You have to remember how 'lenient' a referee Clattenburg was in the Premier League yet he was able to adjust his game in UEFA to become a "real" UEFA elite referee. Howard Webb has also talked about adjusting between the PL and UEFA matches in his book.
      You have to remember how young Oliver still is, there is still time for him to make some slight adjustments to his UEFA games and become a true "real" UEFA elite.

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    6. And let's not forget that Taylor doesn't have age on his side to really become UEFA elite as Mikael said.. I can even say with 5 years left for him I don't think he can officiate any UEFA finals.

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    7. Kavanagh does have a lot of potential and his fitness is outstanding. How would you expect him to progress though when Dean, Atkinson, Friend, Moss or Marriner are still given bigger matches than him?

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    8. Excellent analysis, Michael. Can't really argue with what you said about the FIFA referees.

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    9. Mikael, could you give us an in depth analysis on assistants as well? I think the biggest issue in Premier League is linesmen.

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    10. I think Kavanagh's biggest match this year was a Merseyside derby at Anfield. He should get better appointments.

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  16. Appointments in Spain for the next week:

    Alavés - Barcelona: Cordero Vega

    Atco. de Madrid - Valencia: Hernández Hernández

    Getafe - Real Madrid: De Burgos Bengoechea

    Real Sociedad - Villarreal: Munuera Montero

    Leganés - Athletic Bilbao: Iglesias Villanueva

    Levante - Betis: Jaime Latre

    Espanyol - Celta: Undiano Mallenco

    Huesca - Éibar: Medié Jiménez

    Valladolid - Girona: Martínez Munuera

    Sevilla - Rayo: Cuadra Fernández


    Very good matches for the new referees in top category Cordero Vega and Cuadra Fernández.

    Jaime Latre again with an interesting match.

    The best match of the week again for Hernández Hernández. The new committee trust him 100%

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    1. De Burgos Bengoetxea also with a sonorous clash. Getafe is 5th, only 1 point of difference with UCL spots.

      Martínez Munuera, very important relegation game.

      Cuadra Fernández, match between relegation candidate (Rayo) and UCL/UEL contender (Sevilla)

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    2. Well, I don't really think Cordero Vega's match is that good. Only Alavés is fighting for something and in their current form, not with many options. Difficult to find a worse match in this MD. Maybe Leganés - Athletic.

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  17. OT:
    CAF releases shortlist of referees selected for the African nations cup come June 21

    Mostafa Gharbal (Algeria),
    Helder Martinez (Angola),
    Joshua Bondo (Botswana),
    Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (Botswana),
    Aliom Aliom (Cameroon),
    Gehad Geresha, Mahmoud El-Banna, Amine Omar (Egypt),
    Bakary Gassama (Gambia),
    Daniel Laria (Ghana),
    Peter Waweru (Kenya),
    Mamadou Keita (Mali),
    Radwan Jaid, Nour ElDin El-Jaafari (Morocco),
    Jackson Bafaza (Namibia),
    Jean Jack Ngambo (DR Congo),
    Louis Hazikimana (Botswana),
    Megete N’Diaye (Senegal),
    Bernard Camille (Seychelles),
    Al-Fadel Mohamed Hussein (Sudan),
    Victor Miguel (South Africa),
    Sadek Al-Salmy, Youssef El-Sarairi, Haitham Kairat (Tunisia),
    janny Sikazwe (Zambia).

    So many surprised here ,some are mainly selected as VAR but some surprise here as abed Charef of Algeria was not selected and more surprising is the absence of bamlek Tessema wayesa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. According to my source, the Ethiopian is there (see new post on the blog).

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    2. Sorry my bad I just confirmed indeed he is part of the shortlisted referees

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  18. Did you see this? I think that the explanation is not enough.
    https://twitter.com/theifab/status/1118498426524700672?s=21

    ReplyDelete
  19. A solid first half by Gianpaolo Calvarese in Lazio Rom against Udinese. A correct yellow given for Lazio player Felipe (No.3, 28') for a tactical foul. Good foul detecion and clear communication with his assistents. In 45+1 in my opinion a correct disallowed goal against Lazio because of a handball (after an OFR).The arm is in an unnatural position during an air duel and then it creates an advantage. The only question is if it was a clear mistake by Calvarese?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In Italy all handballs before a goal / leading to a goal are punished in any case.

      Delete
    2. Not a convincing second half by Calvarese in a unspectacular Serie A game. Weak, inconsistent foul detecion and a too lenient card management. Two missed yellow cards (51': foul, 61': dive). In 51' a controversial penalty call for Udinese. For me it is a 50/50 decision and in conclusion a correct no VAR intervention.In 63' in my opinion a correct play-on call in favour for Lazio.
      Overall a okayish performance because the game was normally and the match was 90 minutes full under controll. But the second half showed clear lack of weaknesses (e.g. arbitrary card management and no clear gestures and body languages). Sometimes he waits too long to making a decision (absolutely contrary to Antonio Mateu Lahoz).

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  20. I know that not much can be done there by Cakir. But those pushes are becoming more and more common. And they're are quite dangerous with the billboards that surround the pitch. A player can very easily be pushed in a similar manner and go head first into a billboard. God only knows how severe of an injury can happen.

    ReplyDelete
  21. In case of a offside AR in Porto correctly waits with the flag but afterwards Makkelie mostly gives an advantage. Wouldn‘t it be better to whistle for an offside even if the defenders already got the ball?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After that advantage LIV scored.

      Delete
    2. I mean if the defenders get the ball back he should IMO give an indirect freelick. Instead game goes on even when AR has his flag raised. That looks a bit strange to me... When Liverpool scored he didn‘t give advantage he just waited until the ball went in (luckily he did!).

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  22. VAR allowed the goal scored by Liverpool, AR1 had annulled it for offside.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very hard decision. LIVE looked like a clear offside..

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    2. https://twitter.com/reinerkuhn1982/status/1118598506481180674

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  23. Am I the only one who hates when UCL referees wear black kit with different colour socks. I know that he cant wear black socks because of City's socks, but whats the problem with red kit and red socks today?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are not. I don't understand why they need differently-coloured socks either. Very unlikely the AR or the players will make a mistake because the ref was wearing black socks.

      Delete
    2. Tottenham's keeper in red, the other one in yellow.

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    3. Well spot on, didnt see that.

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    4. In all honesty, is it truly that big of a deal if a referee wears the same color shirt as one of the keepers? What's the worst that could happen? Genuinely would like to know.

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    5. What could happen if they are full in black today?

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    6. Yes complete black would be phenomenal and sharp looking. Instead they look clownish. Are players going to really pass to Cakir because of his socks? Are they players really going to think that Cakir is a keeper running around the field is he wears a red or yellow jersey?

      Delete
  24. What was the YC for Sissoko for?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Great call by Cakir to give YC to Sissoko

    ReplyDelete
  26. Now strange YC to Sissoko for time wasting,very rarely you see that when player is injured.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sissoko was ordered to leave the field closest to where he was, but he decided to leave the field somewhere else (not where Cakir indicated) and therefore he got a YC.

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    2. Completely useless and unneeded. Adding insult to injury. Let the distraught lad walk of and them simply add the appropriate amount of time.

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    3. I disagree, for me this is how every referee should manage the match.

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    4. Almost every time when player is injured and even if he is wasting time he doesnt get yc.
      So thats why this is strange decision.

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    5. Yes but, Cakir called medical team to take him out on a stretcher, he did not complain. The sudanly, he stud up, he doesn't need stretcher any more. And finaly you ignore referee instruction where to exit. Clear waste of time and deserved YC IMO.

      Delete
  27. YC to Sissoko: top class refereeing.

    ReplyDelete
  28. For me a great call by Cakir. He clearly showed Sissoko with his hand to leave the pitch on the AR2 side but Sissoko ignored it and exited next to the fourth official.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Cakir positioning has so far left a lot to be desired. He's already been hit once and has interfered with the build up of play on a few occasions.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Solid first half by Cakir, I did not even notice him. IMO correct YC for ignoring Cakir's instruction where to leave the pitch.

    ReplyDelete
  31. A solid performance by Danny Makkelie in Porto vs. Liverpool. A correct given goal, solid fitness and positing, good card management, clear gestures and body language. He is very calm and the game is until now full under controll. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Fernandinho is not wrong when he adamantly tells Cakir, "I got the ball". He really did. It was a great ball winning tackle in the midfield.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I really like Cakir’s style... IMO the best referee in Europe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think so. IMO, Kuipers is the best!

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    2. Let’s say that they are the two best referees in Europe. ;)

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    3. Also, Clatts and Mazic (but China)... 😉

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  34. Replies
    1. Almost simultaneously off of the elbow and hip. No substantial enough video evidence to overturn the initial call on the field

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  35. In my opinion 4-3 goal is regular. Cakir goes for an OFR.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. New IFAB rules don't apply yet, correct?

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    2. To be honest, I didn't see a touch by hand / arm at all.

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    3. Based on his reaction after OFR, I think Cakir agrees with you Chefren ;)

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    4. Yeah that reaction was great :)

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    5. On one replay angle it looks as if the ball simultaneously hits the elbow and hip. But definitely, nothing substantial enough to overturn the initial call on the field.

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    6. But I agree with Irrati here since in Italy every handball is punishable if a goal is scored so better to let Cakir to make final decission.

      Delete
  36. IMO, a wrong replay was shown to Cakir.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, these two angles were wrong. There is one from opposite side of the goal which shows that the ball first touched the arm. But, was it irregular, punishable? Arm was stick to the body. For me correct final decision.

      Delete
    2. Another camera could be better to take the correct decision

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    3. But even if there was a contact with a hand, based on current laws, goal was regular I think.

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    4. From what I know, refs are asked to follow the new 2019/2020 LotG regarding handball.

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    5. I did not know that, who know then what would Cakir decide if he had seen the other angle.

      Delete
  37. IMO another unnecessary OFR. The ball did not touch the arm at all. Cakir‘s gesture said everything: ' I do not see anything, why do you call me to rewatch the incident?‘

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The ball did touch the arm. One angle showed it, believe me (camera on the left side). But, that angle wasn't shown to Cakir.

      Delete
    2. In this case, I definitely prefer him to go over and take a look. As City was adamant that Llorente had handled the ball into the net. Checking helped Team Cakir "sell" the goal as regular

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    3. Honestly there was not a single protest. No need to 'sell' the goal.

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  38. Speaking of Cakir's sock colors, MLS refs in the U.S. are the only refs I've seen who wear non-football shoes, and to me, it looks ridiculous. When you wear running shoes, it says to the players, I have never played football and don't know the game. I actually emailed the PRO ref organization there but unsurprisingly didn't get a reply.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Frank De Bleeckere, (one of the best referee's that UEFA has had) wore running shoes, as do many referee's around the world. Furthermore, your choice of footwear doesn't make you and better or any worse of a referee. I've seen countless referee's who are dressed impeccably. To include perfectly styled hair and glass shined football boots. Yet, they're terrible referee's. All look and no substance. IMO, it all comes down to personal preference and comfort.

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    2. Interesting and good to learn. Yeah, I looked great this season in a high school game on tv, but my partner, whose had one sock coming down around his ankle, made the better calls.

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    3. Sounds like you got assigned a referee who is uninterested in maintaining his referee gear in working order. Lemme guess, he was also wearing running shoes. Lol :D

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    4. The reason many MLS referees wear running shoes is that a lot of MLS teams play on artificial turf fields. Wearing regular boots on turf fields can be potentially injury-causing if you plant your foot a certain way, because turf is designed to not give way under pressure like natural grass does.

      Delete
  39. So why decisive clip not shown to Cakir?

    ReplyDelete
  40. BTW, Cakir didn’t do the VAR gesture to assess the goal as regular.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Because he didn't change his decision.

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    2. Yes I know, but there was a debate about it with Turpin yesterday.

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  41. Plus, apparently no slow motion when showing Cakir the clips. That is very strange.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Cakir with a new whistle (Valkeen). Is it his first match without the Fox?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No,he whistled with the Valkeen a long time before especially in Süper Lig. :)

      Delete
    2. Interesting. I do not remember having seen him with the Valkeen yet. In my mind there is only a Cakir with his red Fox whistle ;-)

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    3. I think you can see him with his black Valkeen in Saudi Arabia's top match Al Hilal against Al Nassr. The highlights were uploaded on the blog.

      Delete
  43. I think the Fox Sonik Blast is one decibel below the Valkeen (125 to 126). I use the Blast, but it hurts my ears a lot, as well as players' ears, when I blow it loud.

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  44. My two Fox Sonik Blasts both stopped working this season at the same time. Now I'm always going to keep an unopened one as a spare.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Great and amazing match in Manchester. But I'm surprised at how poorly these English teams defend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I dislike City. But, honestly speaking, they were much better side tonight. Cakir excellent. His AR2 should notice offside from Aguero.

      Delete
    2. That is tooo hard to detect.

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    3. I agree. Maybe AR had doubts. So he kept the flag down as instructed and allowed VAR to do its intended job.

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  46. To think, that without VAR. City would be unjustly and unfairly going to the semi's.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cakir semi-final appointment saved by VAR :D

      Delete
    2. Well, if there was VAR, Real Madrid wouldn't win neither one of last 3 titles!!! And I speak about titles, not only about progressing to next round.

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    3. Before VAR, wrong decisions are parts of the game hahaha

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  47. Cakir's control is very good. But his position is not ideal and he interfered the play several times. Maybe the movement of the game is too fast.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Isn't it deflection instead of deliberate play?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You don't assess the intention if the ball is played or deflected from an attacking player.

      It's different with defending players.

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    2. https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/afdeveloping/refereeing/5.%20law%2011_554.pdf

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    3. That only matters if it comes off the defender. But this was the attacker.

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    4. Spot on Jackson. That's exactly how it is interpreted.

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  49. My compliments to Cakir. To be so calm in match like this, after making such calls Cakir made today.

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  50. I think Cakir's place in CL semi-finals is booked. If so, this will be his 5th SF match in 4 years. One of the greatest. Maybe even a candidate for EL final?

    ReplyDelete
  51. Is it possible that the A2 kept his flag down because it wasn't a clear offside like we saw under the WC? ( I'm not updated on the VAR protocol in CL)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's possible, but to be fair I reckon AR2 was just surprised by the deflection and couldn't completely accurately assess offsite.

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    2. IMO, the AR got caught "ball watching".

      Delete
  52. https://streamable.com/sizaq
    Cakir assessed that there wasn't any touch by arm, you can read his gestures after OFR.

    ReplyDelete
  53. lots of questions being asked by broadcasters as to why Cakir was not shown the angle from the left behind the goal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What stands out to me about Brych yesterday and Cakir today. Is that they "rushed" their decisions without ever seeing all the camera angles available to them.

      Delete
  54. Poor VAR in those second legs:

    - big mistake with annulling a rightly given penalty in Barcelona - Man.United (how can you even recommend an OFR there?!), OFR lasts too shortly to interpret the situation

    - unnecessary OFR (goal) in Juventus - Ajax

    - wrong replay shown to Çakır in Man.City - Tottenham (handball at 4-3 goal)

    I believe Roberto Rosetti won't be happy with that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After that... the VAR from Netherlands and Spain are the best for semifinals and final

      Delete
    2. IMO, Tottenham's 4-3 goal is still correctly allowed.

      Delete
  55. The post game show is showing replays of the correctly disallowed City goal for Aguero's offside. On the replays I notice that Cakir's AR wasn't IMO properly positioned. Yes he was in line with the second to last defender. But his head (attention) and body was angled towards where the ball was coming from. Not perpendicular with field/defenders.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also, maybe he didn't notice that City player touched the ball and thought that it was an Spurs player deflection.

      Delete
    2. I agree Quilava. There was a lot for him to take into consideration on one single play. IMO he clearly sees the Spurs playing attempting to pass the ball back towards his goal and he simply doesn't detect or is unsure if the City play actually touches the ball.

      Delete
  56. Salah with a goal and assist today in a match in which IMO he should have been suspended from. Goes to show how a previously missed decision can influence future matches.

    ReplyDelete
  57. For the semifinals and finals, do you think they will continue to use uniform teams (i.e. Spanish referees with Spanish VARs) or do you think they would change to appoint the best. For instance, if Turpin were on the EL final, would they go with a French VAR or would they use a Dutch or Italian VAR?

    ReplyDelete
  58. Any commentary on Makkelie second half, (Ref545)?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a solid and unspectacular second half by Makkelie. Solid foul detection and strong verbal warnings (e.g. after advantage given).

      Delete
    2. Makkelie might be one of the candidates for the UEL final, Ref545? He seems to have a great season.

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    3. Absolute! His season is top-class up to this point. He has no problems in his games, full control and a strong body language and facial expressions.

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    4. Thank you!

      Delete
  59. Close replays of the most controversial incidents

    Foul on Rakitić: https://streamable.com/8i8rj

    Llorente's handball: https://streamable.com/h9nva

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You've convinced me Vlad. Though I suppose the main point is that VAR should never have got involved.

      Delete
    2. On Llorente's handball, ball touches the arm but arm was stuck to the body, so imo it is not intentional and goal decision is right.

      Delete
  60. Can somebody explain me why VAR Irrati did send Cakir for an OFR? The ball hit the hip and not the arm. By sending the referee you put enormous pressure on the referee and the expectation of the crowd in the stadium will be against the original decision. If Cakir wasn't strong enough, like we saw with Brych in Barcelona, this goal could have been disallowed! Then it would have been a scandal. Irrati is very experienced, but this decision was not good at all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're right ProRef, Irrati's decision was not good at all. The decision not to show Cakir the definitive angle where it is clear that the ball hits the arms first.

      Delete
    2. I do agree with Vlad. Arm was first, then the hip.

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    3. ProRef - it's just a tactic. And I think that we will see increasing number of such OFRs. Why? Because it's a very good way to eliminate almost all protests.
      Imagine Cakir not going for OFR - there would be a lot of space for comments 'hey, possible illegal goal, why didn't he watch this?'. So, he watched. Even if he was 99.99% sure that the goal was legal. That's dealing with expectations. People around the world would expect OFR here. So it happened.

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