Official statement by UEFA following Paris Saint-Germain v İstanbul Başakşehir FK facts.
Following an investigation conducted by a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector regarding the events that led to the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and İstanbul Başakşehir FK on 8 December 2020 being abandoned, and the subsequent proceedings opened against the match officials Mr. Sebastian Constantin Coltescu and Mr. Octavian Sovre, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) has taken the following decision:
- To suspend Mr. Sebastian Constantin Coltescu from carrying out any referee’s function until the end of the 2020/21 season, i.e. until 30 June 2021, for the violation of Article 11(1) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (DR) and Article 6(1) of the General Terms and Conditions for Referees officiating at UEFA Matches (GTC), i.e. for inappropriate behaviour during a UEFA match for which he was appointed.
- To order Mr. Sebastian Constantin Coltescu to attend an educational programme before 30 June 2021 under the conditions determined by the UEFA refereeing services.
- To reprimand Mr. Octavian Sovre for the violation of Article 11(1) DR and Article 6(1) of the General Terms and Conditions for Referees officiating at UEFA Matches, i.e. for inappropriate behaviour during a UEFA match for which he was appointed.
- To order Mr. Octavian Sovre to attend an educational programme as soon as possible but before 30 June 2021 under the conditions determined by the UEFA refereeing services.
With this decision, the CEDB has therefore considered that both match officials violated Articles 11(1) DR and 6(1) GTC (obligation to behave in an appropriate manner), but not Article 14 DR (racism and other discriminatory conduct).
The CEDB also agreed with the EDI that UEFA officials should be adequately and specifically trained to make better decisions on the choice of language and words to be used in UEFA competitions. In the international context, correct use of language is essential to avoid situations such as those that occurred in the above-mentioned match.
The motivated decisions will be published in due course.
In relation to the same match and the red card of İstanbul Başakşehir FK assistant coach, Mr. Pierre Achille Webo, which occurred before the incidents which sparked the above sanctions and was therefore not provoked by them, the CEDB has taken the following decision:
- To suspend İstanbul Başakşehir FK assistant coach, Mr. Pierre Achille Webo, for one (1) UEFA competition match in which he would otherwise participate, for unsporting conduct.
Source:
This decision is beyond understanding.
ReplyDeleteUEFA essentially admit that it was Octavian Sovre who used the word "negru" - if not, there would be no reason to reprimand him and order him to attend this entirely symbolic "educational programme" (seriously, come on, are there anyone in the world who have received more education on how to behave after this incident after the media outcry and certainly internal reaction within UEFA?)
This also means that an innocent man - Coltescu has been convicted. Completely unacceptable, and by this UEFA has legitimized the view of Coltescu as a racist. He has been sacrificed at the altar of political correctness and fear of headlines á la "racist referee freed by UEFA". Shameful behaviour against a man who has had enough to struggle with in his life.
Fully agree. I think that if both had been just warned there might have been too many reactions against UEFA, so I guess that they decided to sacrifice Coltescu, just because this poor guy already retired from international football so UEFA doesn't care anymore about him.
DeleteIt seems that both used the same word. Why the outcome is different?
DeleteSince Coltescu is not an international referee anymore, he does not take part in UEFA competitions anyway. Can UEFA impose this sanction on his domestic activity?
DeleteIt's possible that both used the same language to describe the coach.
DeleteThat said, if what we currently know about the situation is correct, I strongly disagree with the decision. It seems as though UEFA has decided that pointing out someone by the color of their skin in this context is inappropriate, and I disagree with that stance... but, I guess we have to accept UEFA's decision and move on with it. It's a shame because I don't think this would have been blown up into such a big deal if the team officials hadn't initially misunderstood the word "negru." I hope, at least, that Hategan isn't impacted by this. Hopefully he and Sovre alike will be on a Champions League game soon.
It's a clearly poltical decision.
DeleteColtescu is somehow sacrified just in order to avoid public controversials from people, who didn't even informed themselves about what has happened in the match. I'm honestly disappointed.
@ Anonymous 19:50 "It seems that both used the same word. Why the outcome is different?"
DeleteThis is a very good question! Perhaps there were some differences?
Does anyone know if Coltescu's suspension applies to domestic matches as well? If not, it's interesting that this punishment just so happens to be the largest possible punishment there can be (optically) without any actual effect.
.... to answer my own question:
Deletehttps://twitter.com/emishor/status/1368963393936371723?s=21
Emmanuel Rosu, a Romanian journalist who has covered this incident very thoroughly from the beginning, says that Coltescu’s suspension does not apply to domestic matches in Romania, according to “well informed sources.”
So, lol. This suspension seems to maximize the perceived punishment without actually punishing anyone... in particular, Coltescu’s suspension seems to be completely on a symbolic basis (or, if I may be more cynical, a PR basis...) as he was already done with UEFA matches anyways.
1)At least the allegations of racism were denied.
Delete2)A mandatory educational programme?!?! This is beyond nonsense and humiliating. If they said they will issue special guideline regarding language usage, I would praise that, but "teaching" INDIVIDUAL referee about something... Maybe they can invite Webo and Demba Ba as lecturers then, it would not surprise me.
If I were Coltescu, I would hire a good attorney and appeal or sue UEFA, either in Swiss court or in CAS. This decision can not stand.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree.
DeleteAs others have said here before, this is about politics and not fair sports arbitration. So this is not going to happen because it would likely undermine Hategans chances of getting to EURO. Coltescu will probably never attend this course (and who will care/check?) because he knows UEFA aren't going to use him as 4th official again anyway. In return, he might get consolation from the Romanian FA in the form of a cup final or similar before retiring.
DeleteReading some Romanian sites, it seems as Colțescu's ban will be only for UEFA games, but not domestic ones. Given that he has retired as FIFA referee, this definitely doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.prosport.ro/fotbal-intern/liga-1/asta-este-adevarata-bomba-desi-e-suspendat-de-uefa-sebastian-coltescu-poate-arbitra-linistit-in-liga-1-care-e-scaparea-arbitrului-roman-exclusiv-19220684
@Chefren
Delete4th referees do not have to be with FIFA badge, maybe that is the reason.
Yes but this is very marginal, you can't even be sure that he would have got games as fourth official in UEFA KO stage. It sounds like a "no punishment" masked as "punishment".
DeleteI agree, just saying what it could mean in practice.
DeleteSo if UEFA decided, that there was no racism, shouldn't one conclude that it was wrong to abandon the match?
ReplyDeleteI mean, normally teams would probably be heavily punished, if they force a match to be abandoned without good reason (or by bad behaviour).
PERHAPS, just perhaps, determining that an Eastern European referee squad is racist before hearing all the evidence - as the players did to walk off the field - was the real discrimination in París that night.
DeleteThis decision is a cover up for abandoning that match... all for public image...
DeleteVery interestingly, former CONMEBOL Ref Com Miguel Scime tweeted that Seneme replaced Baldassi, Ruiz and Larrionda from the current committee, but then deleted his tweet within less than 2 hours... does anyone know what happened? There is never smoke without fire...
ReplyDeleteAccording to that (now deleted) tweet, the replacements are Otero, Buitrago and Ubriaco, exactly from the same countries as those removed.
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