Matchday 2 starts with Wednesday 16 June games. Here you can find the referees appointed by committee.
St. Petersburg, 16 June 2021 15:00 CET
FINLAND - RUSSIA
Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED)Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries (NED)
Fourth Official: István Kovács (ROU)
Fifth Official: Vasile Florin Marinescu (ROU)
Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel (NED)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1: Kevin Blom (NED)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pages (FRA)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 3: Jérôme Brisard (FRA)
UEFA Referee Observer: Pascal Pierre Garibian (FRA)
UEFA Delegate: Artur Azaryan (ARM)
Group A
Baku, 16 June 2021 18:00 CET
TURKEY - WALES
Referee: Artur Manuel Ribeiro Soares Dias (POR)Assistant Referee 1: Rui Licino Barbosa Tavares (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulo Alexandre Santos Soares (POR)
Fourth Official: Bartosz Frankowski (POL)
Fifth Official: Marcin Boniek (POL)
Video Assistant Referee: Joao Pedro Silva Pinheiro (POR)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1: François Letexier (FRA)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2: Iñigo Prieto López de Cerain (ESP)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 3: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández (ESP)
UEFA Referee Observer: Nikolai Levnikov (RUS)
UEFA Delegate: Irakli Nakaidze (GEO)
Group A
Rome, 16 June 2021 21:00 CET
ITALY - SWITZERLAND
Referee: Sergei Karasev (RUS)Assistant Referee 1: Igor Demeshko (RUS)
Assistant Referee 2: Maksim Gavrilin (RUS)
Fourth Official: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Fifth Official: Stuart Burt (ENG)
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert (GER)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1: Marco Fritz (GER)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2: Christian Gittelmann (GER)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 3: Pawel Gil (POL)
UEFA Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin (SVN)
UEFA Delegate: Angelo Chetcuti (MLT)
Kovacs is 4th again? I am suprised. I was expecting him at a game, maybe even this
ReplyDeleteKarasev for Italy - Switzerland. Interesting
ReplyDeleteSoares Dias for Turkey - Wales. Many have predicted this.
Blom switched with van Boekal as main VAR! So perhaps we have confirmation of committee's evaluation regarding 45'...
ReplyDeleteIf that’s the case all praises for Rosetti cum suis from around Europe for using the ‘new handball rule’ should be directed to the waste bin immediately ;p
DeleteWhat Mikael wrote is the reality and shows the poor knowledge of people commenting here. The ones claiming it should have been a penalty were in minority. Just answer the question: who would have said the penalty is a wrong decision if it was given?
DeleteBut fortunately there’s “The Punisher”, enlightening us, the ignorant, with his unfailing knowledge about refereeing and the laws. You make me laugh :)
DeleteJust follow what UEFA wants and you won't need to laugh :)
Delete"who would have said the penalty is a wrong decision if it was given?"
DeleteAnswer: I!
Then you are wrong according to UEFA!
DeleteYour comments aren't really a contribution. You don't even tell us, what is wrong about the decision taken on Friday. I strongly doubt that UEFA assessed this as penalty (especially as one that would justify a VAR intervention after having stated numerous times that an intervention is only needed when the error is clear and obvious).
DeleteI can't tell you more. Believe me or not but penalty a correct decision according to UEFA!
DeleteWell it's an interesting idea. I though that Mikkelie was sure of his call and that he rebuffed Blom's hints suggesting a proper review!
DeleteYour hypothesis surely makes much more sense and it explains the lack of an OFR.
@ Flip while debating if Makkelie's call was right or not is irrelevant, we should question if it should be a viable precedent.
In my personal opinion while Makkelie's call on the field was questionable, VAR's call was absolutely wrong.
I'll be happy to further discuss it.
Meanwhile i suggest you to view the clarifications and the videos available on the IFAB website explaining what is "unnaturally bigger" and what isn't.
https://static.theifab.com/files/law-changes/LotG-2021-22-Presentation-EN_with-videos.pdf
Thank you!
Oliver as Fourth Official on Wednesday means that we won't see him as main referee on Thursday. First possible match for him (and the only one on Friday) would be Sweden - Slovakia.
ReplyDeleteSweden-Slovakia is in Saint Petersburg, which is where Kovacs will be until at least Thursday morning. I suspect this is an indication Kovacs has Sweden-Slovakia. Flying Kovacs back from Russia on Thursday would probably put him out of consideration for a match until Sunday. That doesn't make a lot of sense.
DeleteHungary-France appears to be the most sensible assignment for Oliver now, based on geography, teams involved, and timing.
But it would mean two Romanians in a row for Slovakia, furthermore even Kovacs is involved in the game today. IMO both points should be avoided, but UEFA could think differently about that.
DeleteHowever indeed difficult to find another match for Kovacs, given that he probably can't do Hungary due to his origin.
I agree that Oliver could get HUN-FRA, but would also trust him with ESP-POL. Probably depends also a bit on Taylor's next appointment. If he gets POR-GER, it would be more sensibel to use Oliver in Budapest to keep the option to appoint him in group E on MD3.
Makkelie again so early could mean, that they are going for 3 GS matches for some referees. Surprising that van Boekel and Blom change roles in his team. Therefore also a possibility that he replaces Kuipers.
ReplyDeleteKarasev with a surprisingly big match IMO. This could mean that UEFA ranks him higher than most of us would think. He certainly has more tournament experience than most others.
Soares Dias is a normal appointment, I think.
Kovacs and Oliver as 4th officials is another surprise. This should mean, that they won't get their first match soon, so maybe they are planned for only one match.
I'm baffled... Seeing Makkelie again and not Kuipers could be explained. Maybe physically he isn't yet at 100% moreover, barring unforseen problems, we would see Kluipers and not Makkelie refeering (semi)final.
DeleteOn the other hand could Oliver be preserved for the knockout stages instead of Taylor?
While i like Oliver (imho he's the better of the two) i don't think so.
Makkelie with a second appearance before all refs have handled their first game should mean that his performance in the opener was liked by committee.
ReplyDeleteVery happy to see Makkelie again as his performance was really good. Hope that Steegstra will do better on Wednesday and disappoint again! Probably Boekel VAR as he hasn’t be in that position yet because Kuipers not appointed yet too. Make sense to keep the rhythm.
Delete*not disappoint again
DeleteReferees from countries without own VAR only got VARs from Germany and Italy so far (Dankert, di Bello and Irrati).
ReplyDeleteNice to see Karasev back on track! Good appointment for him. Hope he can show his old shape. Dias with a normal appointment. Makkelie probably eligible for a third GS match after a second good performance.
ReplyDeleteKuipers ? When ? How many matches ?
ReplyDeleteI would guess he is saved specially for ENGSCO? Kuipers is VERY well liked by football people here, so he would be the 'perfect' appointment for many.
DeletePersonally I would invite Luca Pairetto for continuity, especially after his excellent season in Italy :P
I think either he is saved for Por ger or for Den-bel after todays appointments.
DeleteI expect Kuipers Saturday on Germany vs Portugal. Then also after on match day 3, so he will have 2 GS matches too.
ReplyDeleteThere is a mistake in spelling Karasev's second AR, Maxim (or Maksim) Gavrilin
ReplyDeleteI didn't expect Karasev for Italy - Switzerland, that's surely a surprise for me. Very curious to see how the Russian will perform in a potentially challenging game!
ReplyDeleteSoares Dias in TUR - WAL is a normal and predictable appointment, while Makkelie gets already his second game and this is very interesting, as Philipp wrote, regarding the fact that some referees could get three group stage games. It is definitely very early for getting a second match, considering that we have some referees still without games. Maybe Oliver, Kovacs and Rapallini could be planned for only one appearance, but we have also Kuipers, difficult to think he will handle only one game in group stage.
Good remark about VAR as well, given that Kuipers is still out from appointments, giving a game to van Boekel can be the reason for that.
Oliver meets Italy but only as fourth official, that's another important fact to report, unluckily, after so many years since Real Madrid - Juventus, it seems as this game is still influencing his reputation in some ways...
With 19 referees appointed, at least 2 referees will only whistle one match. For me it's quite sure that Rapallini is one of them. It would make sense if Oliver, Kovacs (2nd referee of their country), Ekberg (1st group) of Siebert (both) is the other ref with one match.
DeleteRegarding Makkelie, I don't think the UEFA will appoint referees three times in the group stage. I think in case of a good performance, we will see Makkelie directly into a QF.
Wow! Offside from corner kick and the second appointment in a row. Where is the justice?
ReplyDeleteClearly, as the well-established people here already stated, UEFA considered this mistake as peanuts without any influence on the game nor the tournament.
Delete+1
DeleteDFK or IDF, not important. Just a learning point regarding awareness, that’s all.
If someone else made this mistake they would have trouble, stop lying yourself.
DeleteOf course.. Calimero :D
DeleteIn my opinion, deserved appointment for Karasev. He showed a really good performance in his last EL Roma-Ajax.
ReplyDeleteI slightly disagree with some comments. I do not think it is a surprise to see a referee getting a second match so early. It is not important whether some referees have their second match before others have their first one. The game itself has to "fit", we would have criticised if some referees were appointed for the remaining matches because they had to get their match. Does it play a role whether e.g. Grinfeeld will get his match on the first day of MD2 or on the last one of MD2 as he can just whistle one match per MD? And there had to be some referees who get their second match on MD2.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find more interesting are two things:
- Karasev's appointment for ITA-SUI definitely surprises me. I think it is a good sign for him to be appointed for a match like this. As I predicted Björn Kuipers, one could have expected a "bigger" name. I wish him all the best.
- Despite what I have said above, we could be more concerned about the appointments for Oliver and Kovacs (even his second match) as Forth Official. Until now, there should be two free days between a second appointment as FO due to traveling (Kovacs today in St. Petersburg, on Wednesday in St. Petersburg seems to be an exception because he does not have to travel). If UEFA does not change this "appointment rule", the only way for Kovacs and Oliver to get a first match on MD2 is the matches on Saturday (I would exclude POR-GER for both of them) or they get only one on MD1–3.
Kuipers:0
ReplyDeleteMakkelie:2
What???
Maybe some issues for Kuipers? Do you know more?
DeleteWe’re all making quite a fuss about Kuipers
Deletewithout an appointment yet. I guess he will be totally satisfied with only one GS game if he will be appointed for the final in the end :)
Why does everybody just so conveniently forget the tragicomical performances of Kuipers in this year's Champions League?
DeleteI think Kuipers for POR-GER, then for low profile round of 16 match and the final.
ReplyDeleteI expected a high profile referee for Finland - Russia. Two countries with a long past, with some sensitivity, and Finland won their first match, while Russia did not. The appointment of Van Boekel as VAR implies to me that it may have been Kuipers first. I can't see that Blom would be replaced immediately, especially since he also is appointed the day before. That'd not make much sense.
ReplyDeleteThe game is indeed important, with Finland having a real chance to qualify, while Russia, a big team on paper, must win.
DeleteFor sure MD1 scores have given more difficulty to the game and I think they wouldn't have appointed Makkelie in case of negative assessment after TUR - ITA.
OFF TOPIC
ReplyDeleteHere the most predicted referees for the MD2 games:
FIN - RUS: Grinfeld (50 votes / 27,8%)
TUR - WAL: Soares Dias (30 votes / 16,9%)
ITA - SUI: Oliver (31 votes / 17,4%)
UKR - MKD: Rapallini (41 votes / 22,9%)
DEN - BEL: Kuipers (41 votes / 21,8%)
NED - AUT: Oliver (30 votes / 16,7%)
SWE - SVK: Karasev (40 votes / 22,5%)
CRO - CZE: Karasev (27 votes / 15,1%)
ENG - SCO: Brych (33 votes / 18,4%)
HUN - FRA: Taylor (30 votes / 17,4%)
POR - GER: Orsato (42 votes / 23,3%)
ESP - POL: Turpin (30 votes / 16,8%)
Furthermore, here the results for the referees already published:
FIN - RUS: Makkelie (1 vote / 0,6%)
TUR - WAL: Soares Dias (30 votes / 16,9%)
ITA - SUI: Karasev (4 votes / 2,2%)
Makkelie isn't too surprising for me. I actually think that 3 GS matches are possible for some referees. Interesting indeed to see the VAR roles, but I think, we shouldn't read too much in this appointment.
ReplyDeleteKarasev is indeed surprising, but could mean that he is ranked higher by commitee than we thought.
Dias' match is a normal appointment.
The appearance of Oliver and Kovács is also quite extraordinary, but de will See, how they will be handled. One match only could be possible for them.
With 15 matches appointed so far, I have to say that Rosetti has done a good job in terms of appointments. The only questionable choice is Karasev on ITA-SUI.
ReplyDeleteYup for me the appointment should have been the other way rond (Oliver in the middle.) But we will see how it goes with the russian in the middle. TBH Im a bit worried. Lets hope he warrants his selection for this match
DeleteIn my opinion also Makkelie in FIN-RUS is questionable if there isn't a particular reason for it (e.g. a replacement).
DeleteI wouldnt be that surprised if UEFA decided to give both group B matches to both Dutchies after what happened last saturday. However I too think that other refs than Makkelie would have been an option
DeleteReally surprising for me that Ita-Swi is not considered top game for one of the best referees. Anyone who watched MD1 could predict very interesting and unpredictable game. But as we have seen so far, there are some surprises, so lets see what happens.
ReplyDelete