Ukrainian Kateryna Monzul has been assigned to 2022 Women's EURO Final between England and Germany.
31.07.2022, 18:00 CET
Wembley Stadium, London
ENGLAND - GERMANY
Referee: Kateryna Monzul (UKR)
Assistant Referee 1: Maryna Striletska (UKR)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulina Baranowska (POL)
Fourth Official: Stéphanie Frappart (FRA)
Video Assistant Referee: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1: Maurizio Mariani (ITA)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2: Pol van Boekel (NED)
UEFA Referee Observer: Roberto Rosetti (ITA)
UEFA Referee Observer: Roberto Rosetti (ITA)
UEFA Delegate: Iva Olivari-Ulisa (CRO)
Perfect fairy ending for Monzul, pure political choice by UEFA based on regional situation, but if you try to look more objectively this would be a bad indication for referees who don't have the "connection" like what happened to Makkelie last season.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that this was probably planned, but the appointment was allowed by her delivering good (or at least acceptable) performances and I don’t think it’s undeserved: this will be the biggest women’s final ever based on attendance, so you need a lot of experience (on big tournaments). Of those who have been at tournaments before, Monzul simply did the best
Deletehere my concern is about "influences" which is getting stronger day by day whether it is political influence, nationality, bigger federation, economic aspects, or "money from Qatar", defeating pure "professionalism" or bureaucrat where this will be very threatening the future of football in general term (in terms of else we can see Super League).
DeleteMore politics…
ReplyDeleteGreat match for Monzul!!! Very happy for her! Goog luck, Kate!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Monzul and her team!
ReplyDeleteOne side note: her appointments this EURO were not the most challenging or "sonorous". One could say: she has been planned and kept in the shadow like Bjorn Kuipers at EURO 2020. Tbh I'm not a big fan of that appointment strategy. In 2018, Collina did not hesitate to appoint a final candidate to a sonorous QF. That has my preference. A final should be earned during the tournament imo.
I'm happy for her though. She is a great referee.
indeed the strategy used is the same but it is clearly for a different purpose, Bjorn Kuipers, 49 years old really deserves it while Monzul he is only 41 years old and you agree or not 60-70% obviously this is a political decision fortunately Monzul's strongest opponent, Frappart made a mistake so make it easier for UEFA. For me this is between choosing from two bad options because if Frappart leads the final it will obviously also support "the big picture" in Qatar which I really hate it (double standards on gender equality).. so I can say Monzul is better for this reason because this is only temporary/short term political opportunistic from UEFA.
DeleteDeserved appointment! May be there was some political influence but you also can't deny that she is one of the two best womens referees,
ReplyDeleteWas planned before the start of tournament, enough for her, she hadn't any VAR intervention, differently from Frappart.
ReplyDeleteOT: Ball hits the referee after final whistle. VC?
ReplyDeletehttps://streamable.com/wiiibs
Like any other situation where a player kicks the ball at the referee: if they judge it's deliberate, yes VC (or dissent if they deem it's done with "negligible" force), otherwise, a verbal warning to be careful is plenty. Here, the referee didn't, and that's all fine. I presume that his assistants told him that they thought it was accidental, as it happened in his back.
DeleteWe see crap like this happen in which a referee completely fails to take the proper disciplinary action. But we whine and cry about how referees deserve respect. Respect is earned, it's not given. One of the easiest ways to "earn" it is by not losing it in the first place.
DeleteThe "player first" approach sets a dangerous precedent for referees. And we wonder why there's a referee shortage (especially here in the USA).
From what I have seen, it is a well deserved appointment. Monzul was convincing in her last match and I liked her body language. I wish her all the best. In terms of VAR appointments, Valeri has worked with Monzul in her last match, so he is the expected VAR for the final with Monzul.
ReplyDeleteLet's start with an analysis of Monzul games before this assignment: Austria - Norway, Spain - Finland and I think the least sonorous quarterfinal between Sweden and Belgium. This can suggest us that she was indeed already in mind of committee for getting the final, there are very strong signals, otherwise she would have got, given her reputation, at least a sonorous clash. On the other hand, this is what we very often see in UEFA club competitions, with a referee out from the spotlight to get then something big in the final stages.
ReplyDeleteI was sure about the appointment of Italian VARs for this game, given how they were managed in KO stage. Frappart will work only as fourth official. I think that the mistake she made in her first game, with VAR missed intervention, was significant, but still, committee had already the Ukrainian in their mind, indeed now without France she will not officiate the final, and this is the second missed opportunity for her in UEFA Women's after the miss of WCL final one year ago. What I also want to say is that nowadays UEFA seems to have very often clear ideas even before the start of a big tournament (let's remember Kuipers), and this is questionable under certain aspect, because the good performance are not rewarded, when everything seems to be already decided. I think that some referees are aware of that, others no, and maybe they disagree. Correct remark by some readers above, important thing was to show normal performances in her games. She had some minor mistakes and nothing more, this was OK for UEFA. And yes, I think we can say the current situation with Ukraine played a big role in that. We can see many political choices in recent years, this didn't happen in past, world has changed, one can disagree, but in my opinion acting in this way is too easy, because referee are rarely tested.
Having said that, good luck to Kateryna Monzul, ready to officiate another masterpiece of Women's International Football, basically she didn't need that, differently from other referees, given her palmares, but now the news of appointment will be mixed with her condition after the invasion of Ukraine.
About VARs, extremely disappointing how the called officials performed at this tournament, most of them with clear mistakes, and very soon reduced to only 3 or 4 trusted crews.
There are for sure some politics involved, but if we look at the alternative (Frappart) this would have been political as well, at least this decision is based on performance as well. If Martincic had done well in extra time of FRA-NED, we could have questioned this appointment for performance principle.
ReplyDeleteI’m very disappointed for Lehtovaara: she did well in her 2 games and would have deserved a game in the final stages. Moreover, her games in the group stage weren’t even that great, we could have given her the opening game at least if she wasn’t planned after group stage (which must be the case, as performance-wise this doesn’t make sense). I think Lehtovaara is also the only one who can be slightly upset with this final appointment regarding performance
Agree with this. Monzul obviously got the 'Kuipers treatment' at this EURO, but especially in AUTNOR she was good, and Ukranian would have been my choice too for the final all things considered. Lehtovaara did very well in ITAISL and deserved a corresponding appointment in the knockout stage. Martinčić was good but her 'Kulbakou' disciplinary plan was too limiting for a final call this time in all cases IMO, for me 1H of FRANED was actually more problematic than ET (besides bad penalty miss, of course).
DeleteYes, the "Kuipers treatment" and meanwhile burning all the other good referees in sonorous games. :D
DeleteSorry, I have to say it: I don't like that treatment at all... And I'm sure many readers agree.
Let's turn things around: Monzul was assigned to sth like England-Spain in the QF: packed stadium, a tight scoreline, the dissents, a 30 min extension, referee is under a under a magnifying glass in press, pressure from the benches.
More pressure, thus easier to make mistakes. If you can handle that QF... Perfect! That is how a referee should earn a final...
Btw, I'm not saying that Frappart deserves it more. I'm critizing the treatment, the strategy by committee.
DeleteIt’s quite surprising to me that UEFA have stepped away from their ‘go home if your country is in the semi-finals’ approach for a 4th official appointment
ReplyDeleteNot the same in women's football. Fans and media don't care about things like that. Just look at how scandinavian referees had games with scandinavian countries vs other countries. Nobody really cares. In men's football they try to find excuses when this happens.
DeleteLehtovaara got robbed there.
ReplyDeleteAgree. I don’t see how her performance in GS was considered worse than Frappart, Monzul, Welch, Martincic.
DeleteYet again, embarrassing to put men on the VAR for the final, when qualified women (indeed, women from the Elite group, while the men are ranked lower in their classification) are available. Frappart, Staubli, etc. all have their FIFA VAR badge.
ReplyDeleteUEFA shows absolutely no interest in developing women VAR, and it's an outrage. Four years from now, we'll probably still have men on VAR because UEFA is making no efforts to rectify the situation. Here, they could easily have put excellent, certified women on for the biggest European women's game, and they can't be bothered.
I think, we should distinguish Kateryna Monzul's treatment from Björn Kuiper's one. Of course, the decision to appoint her for the final might have been considered ex ante. But the Ukrainian lady is not "just" a woman from a country that is currently at war. She is directly affected and has to build a new existence abroad in a country with another language, another culture etc. Under these circumstances and accepting that also her performances justify such an assignment, we should not discuss whether she was indeed the best referee at this tournament or just the second best.
ReplyDeleteTrue, but still, if she is that good, give her at least one sonorous game as a final test. That would justify the appointment a bit more.. To the public and to other referees.
DeleteAt least we can say that Kateryna Monzul will have handled eight different teams during that tournament and not the same one twice or even three times like it happened with Nicola Rizzoli and Argentina at the World Cup 2014.
DeleteKuipers'
ReplyDeleteLooking more into Monzul's palmares, it is remarkable, that she did semifinals in the 2013 and 2017 EURO, so doing one of the last three matches for the third time. And in her first EURO 2009, she at least had two big GS matches, coincidentally this year's SFs FRAGER and SWEENG.
ReplyDeleteThen at World Cups, not only the final in 2015, but also quarterfinals in 2015 and 2019.
At Olympics, a QF in 2016 and a SF in 2021.
Clearly the most successful female referee of the last 15 years, maybe even of all times.
If you add the Women's Champions League final to the World Cup and Euro finals, Monzul is indeed the most successful woman referee ever!
Deleteit's not just politics. she deserves it!!!!! Con gratulation!!! Good luck and enjoy it!!!
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is clear that the same referee rarely gets two finals in the same year, this is clearly and expectedly a political decision.
ReplyDeleteFinland is a small country, which refereeing would have needed this. Especially when the level of Lehtovaara's performance would clearly have been enough for the final.
I do not agree here. If looking only at performance, for sure Monzul was better than Lehtovaara, who was not very good in either of the game she refereed. Missed clear penalti in Austria-Northern Ireland and control issues in Italy - Iceland. I would have expected more from a UCL final referee.
DeleteWe all know that the appointments for the final are political (even with Frappart as 4th)
ReplyDeleteNo surprises at all here
Good luck to KM and the team!
For all the problems CONMEBOL has had at the 2022 Copa America Femenina. From the pre-tournament decision to not utilize VAR (it's only being used in the Final). To the overall poor performances of most of the referees. CONMEBOL made a positive choice in assigning an all-female crew (including the VAR crew) to the Final. Utilizing a female VAR crew shows that CONMEBOL (unlike UEFA) actually wants to develop its female VAR personnel. Of course, it would have been better if they had utilized it for the entire tournament (like CONCACAF did).
ReplyDeleteI said a few days ago it’s ONLY between Monzol and Frappart and we have a Mon / Frap final, it’s deserved they are the best 1/2 female in football in the world right now… and as a English person I am happy it’s Kateryna Monzul as the main ref.
ReplyDeleteLeg
2/2 Lehtovaara was only average and didn’t get the card out enough in the Italy game … same for Marta she didn’t have 1 card in 2 games, impossible at FIFA level, so the right person is on the final.
DeleteWell Frappart didn’t get her card out enough either and in her case it was even a red card. I’m (and I think most will agree) not saying that Lehtovaara should have been given the final, but now that all appointments are out she definitely got treated the worst
DeleteEx Eng Ref 25 July 2022 at 19:49
ReplyDeleteEngland v Germany - Monzul
I am available for lottery number selection 😊
I said Pitana would ref the WC final weeks before the WC even started. No lottery needed, that wasnt's a guess.
DeleteAnd your (not-)guess for the WC 2022? 😉
DeleteVery early but Faghani.
DeleteNot unimportant: Kateryna Monzul was added to the Serie C list of referees for the 2022-23 season in Italy. She joined their section in Torino and is refereeing in the third division.
ReplyDeleteYes, I reported the info earler on the blog, let's see how things will turn, maybe it is possible she did that just for temporary matters, being unsure about the future in Ukraine. We will follow her path, very strange that news was not spread as one could have expected. Under this aspect, being Rosetti Italian, the appointment of observer is a bit particular, but we know how it works in recent times! When Rosetti goes for a game, very often there are different reasons than a detailed technical analysis of the performance as head of UEFA refereeing. In my opinion he just wants to make his presence felt by the involved referees in a rather friendly context.
DeleteI thinks it also important to show consideration by being present on spot for chairman. Not being at final as observer would means he gives signal that he does not grant same importance to women. Some sad spirits would underline this fact. À final is not more a technical matter but management issue. His presence is more a support to Kataryna. Well deserved appointement IMO.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteUnder the assumption that Michael Oliver will officiate the UEFA supercup: who will be his VAR?
Kavanagh impossible. Atwell one final chance? Or if the Englishman are no longer trusted: Germans and Spanish are not possible. The Italians just had the Womens final. The French in CL. Van Boekel worked on the EL final. I can see some opportunities for the Polish / Portuguese…
I think it will be Kwiatkowski
DeleteOut of curiosity, anyone knows what happened with Alexandra Ihringova (SVK), who refereed the Women's Euro final in 2007 and then moved to England? Did she continue refereeing (as someone would expect in a top football country like England)?
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa%C5%A1a_Ihringov%C3%A1 doesn't help much. She refereed the Womens U20 WCF in 2008, in England's WSL in 2011 but didn't progress beyond AR in England's men's football. I think she had a job with a county FA in England. Whatever she is doing now, it's nothing to do with football in England.
DeleteKarolin Kaivoja from Estonia is the reserve AR
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely ridiculous YC
ReplyDeleteCorrect YC. In front of players there only was the goal.
ReplyDeleteNowhere near a promising attack
Deletehttps://ibb.co/zQkSdfz
Deleteclear SPA, IMO. Agree with Anonymous 18:23
Clear promising attack
DeleteI think it was Andorra v England men Monzul officiated and loved a YC, seeing similar today. A stark contrast from other recent Uefa finals
ReplyDeleteThat’s not fair, you have to show cards in Andorra games if you want to stay in control
DeleteFirst YC for SPA was harsh, also in comparison with the possible SPA situation near the German penalty area (only free-kick was given). Second YC was correct for me, it was borderline carless/reckless and there has already been a warning for the player. She has blocked the goalkeeper.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBig scandal. Clear handball. What did VAR check. This is a 100% penalty missed for Germany.
ReplyDeleteYes, I saw in slowmotion handball from England captain in front of goalline. Clear pk for me. I don’t know why no intervention from VAR after check.
DeleteI saw ball hitting chest
DeleteClearly hit the arm. Expected penalty for sure.
DeleteDo you have images, please
DeleteHaving rewatched it now at halftime:
Delete1- The ball hits the English player's chest then her arm, I believe.
2- The ball is kicked from a very short distance, and the arm is in a natural position given the movement of the player.
3- The player does not make a movement of the hand towards the ball. The ball deflects on her to her hand.
Therefore, no penalty is a correct decision IMO. It's a non-deliberate touch, therefore no foul.
Emil: Don’t believe. Actually watch it and then you don’t have to believe, then you will see it clearly hit the bicep and that’s it’s a clear penalty. Never natural position.
DeleteAs I said, I think it *did* touch the arm. I'm dependent on the images shown on TV, so I try not to be more certain than I can be. I'm sorry you don't like my phrasing.
DeleteNot every touch of the arm is a foul, and as I said, I consider the movement to be natural for a player moving laterally at speed with the ball kicked from a short distance. The natural position must be judged according to the movement of the player, not in the abstract.
SPA from ENG in 29'too much inconsistency from Monzul.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately Monzul is a bit inconsistent, if those 2 are YC for English players where was the YC for Oberdorf?
ReplyDeleteNot the best performance by Monzul, but this is what we already saw in Sweden - Belgium, one must be honest. Nevertheless, no big troubles. Be sure in case of clear handball, VAR would have intervened. Do you think an Italian VAR can miss handball? :)
ReplyDeleteYes no big trouble. Both teams can be upset with some decisions but nothing game changing until now at least
DeleteA clear handball that leads to a missed penalty is colpletely game changing.
DeleteWhat I like is that Monzul keeps calm. She does not allow the crowd to influence her decisions.
ReplyDeleteNow German player was clearly fouled and she gives a free kick to England. Not the best half for Monzul certainly...
ReplyDeleteThat‘s what the German commentator said but his expertise does not seem to be very high… Correct free-kick for me.
DeleteI watch English commentary but anyway my views are on what I see not on what commentator says
Deleteexcellent onside by AR1 now
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not a flawless performance by Monzul in the first half. Her strength is body language but there were too many incorrect decisions.
ReplyDeleteSaw only last ten minutes, but Monzul looked great during that time, with perfect foul detection and card issuance, with a by-the-book approach that I like much better than the more lenient approach pushed by certain committees on the men's side.
ReplyDeletedon't comment if you only watch for 10 minutes, referees are not assessed by their golden time
DeleteThis blog must retain an openness and feeling of community or it will drive people away. Everyone is free to comment about any refereeing topic, I believe.
Deleteregardless of openness you must be objective and know about the basic of making an opinion
DeleteOpenness means everyone is free to share their thinking. That is how we learn from each other.
Deletebeing free does not mean being free at all, freedom of opinion does not mean being able to freely give comments that tend to be tendentious and not objective. If you only watch 10 minutes? do you have to comment on it? Isn't football 90 minutes even you can give a comment after 45 minutes second half why don't you comment at that time to give you better objectivity and assesment. Its okay to mention some incident but never to give like a conclusion based on 10 minutes even you (the comment above) try to to compare it.
DeleteI agree, but one thing I've gotten from this blog over the last few years is an openness of thinking, knowing that what one person finds "objective" another person doesn't agree with at all. There are such varied opinions on this blog, and I've learned to respect each person's perspective, knowing that each person is at a different level of refereeing and that there may not be one perspective that is absolutely right in every case.
Deletejust make it simple, do you think that comment above is an "objective" one? You like it or not you must try to compare the others comments. The difference in levels of understanding does not mean that it can be directly related to respect for perspective. You must prioritize maturity in holding your fingers to give biased comments, if all comments we must "respect" first how we get quality and "repel" haters (if you are an old reader here you may know a person named Nole, a Serbian who only comments when the Serbian team is playing and only gives very biased comments).
DeleteMonzul as in Sweden-Belgium absolutely abysmal. Clearly only got the game because she’s from Ukraine
ReplyDeleteBBC Sport have spent multiple minutes at half time analysing Monzul's decisions - called her "very poor". They're not far off.
ReplyDeleteI think Monzul tried to apply med-high foul line detection at the beginning but her attempt failed and it caused her to lose focus a bit which led to her inconsistencies, late calls for clear fouls, and several times she was in awkward positions including incidents in front of the goal line (VAR check incident) where Monzul moves late to watch the friction.
ReplyDeleteI don't quite agree with some of you to be honest - for me, Monzul showed a good performance in the first half.
ReplyDeleteMonzul presents herself very sharp, active, in charge - she doesn't let the game pass her.
Foul detection and especially disciplinary measures are remarkably (for what we saw in the past) consequent and I agree with all bookings issued so far (great opening sanction for the SPA offence in 23' in my view!).
There were some minor mistakes, yes, including a missed YC and a wrong FK decision in favor of England after a foul by an ENG player, but the overall impression is quite positive for me.
I think some comments are a bit harsh and don't really correspond with what I saw in 1H.
A clear missed penalty. You didn’t even mention it.
DeleteIf missed penalty, personally don't see a clear touch by hand, we can't really put it on Monzul because it's impossible to see live
DeleteClearly missed penalty for Germany. VAR is sleeping. No good foul management. Poor game from VAR and Monzul after first half.
ReplyDeleteJonas Eriksson on Swedish TV: ”This is a clear penalty. Inexplicable from VAR, unfortunate for Germany”.
DeleteVAR had been awful the entire tournament. Never have I seen so many mistakes by VAR in so few games.
DeleteI certainly do not consider it a "clear and obvious error" to rule it an accidental touch by the hand, and therefore at the very least VAR was correct not to intervene. And as I wrote above, I think Monzul took the right decision there.
DeleteFor German TV, I can say that the possible handball penalty for Germany is not mentioned at all. I did not see the incident, but it is not discussed. Anyway, German football supporters accept much in respect to handball, I do not think it becomes an issue. Several German livetickers speak of an unintentional handball.
ReplyDeleteFor German TV, I can say that the handball incident has not been mentioned at all in half-time. Several livetickers speak of an unintentional handball. I did not see the situation, but it does not seem to be an issue in Germany. Anyway, much is accepted in respect to handball in Germany, so if not obviously intentional, no whistle normally is supported here.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Haven't seen a single comment about it in Germany.
DeleteBecause this Experts are amateurs. That’s why they don’t speak about it.
DeleteNow they spoke about it. Only comment: clear penalty.
DeleteVAR does not inspire confidence. Completely incomprehensibly bad efforts.
ReplyDeleteHow Monzul got every possible big match in womens football is absolutely a shocker to me. Monzul as I know her. Many mistakes and inconsistent. Frappant and Huerta are much better in my book
ReplyDeleteThe YC for kicking the GK at 57' is somewhat harsh, but necessary for match control and justifiable given the repeated contacts by German attackers on the English GK. Overall, decent match control with the two back-to-back German YCs.
ReplyDeleteShocking missed YC for reckless play by No.7 ENG directly in front of AR1. Not even a free kick was given.
ReplyDeleteI agree with that assesment.
DeleteAR2*
DeleteThe very good onside by AR2 on the 1-0 goal should be mentioned. Not the hardest decision, but still one which required good position and timing with an attacker at full sprint and two defenders in movement.
ReplyDeleteMissed YC for Russo, using elbow as a tool and hitting her opponent in the face. Cooperation with Frappart missing.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, this situation haven't caused a discussion yet - for me, rather a missed penalty but probably not enough for a final (weak Argument of course, but must be considered) and hence nothing for VAR:
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/RalphGoldmann/status/1553790200517648389?t=SmpeOGFtWxorEN5pjlv7_w&s=19
Great tackle on the ball. Why even super slow mo? Makes it look even more like no penalty.
DeleteSaw the incident in the match, nothing for me. Defender played both, ball and player. Hard but fair tackle.
DeleteFrom another angle that was shown I believe it was clear the German defender got the ball first and legally.
DeleteMore generally: Monzul lost the grip a bit at the start of the second half. Then, she issued some 'panicky' cautions - they worked out temporarily but caused inconsistencies in comparable situations in the further minutes (e. g. clear reckless actions not punished accordingly).
DeleteFor me, still a satisfying display in the 90 minutes but certainly not 'perfect'.
NOW, after real time, German TV showed the penalty incident from first half. Indeed, even as a German, it looks like a clear penalty for me. In case of penalty, RC had to be given too. Hand was over the shoulder, I do not think we can speak of a natural arm position. To be discussed, the comments above were right.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, looks like a very clear handling offence in my view.
DeleteItalien VARs not intervening for such a handball is very interesting, even more because I doubt that Monzul had a clear perception in this confusing situation.
Chefren mentioned it, it is very surprising that Italian VARs did not intervene in a situation, in which Germans think it should be a penalty for handball…
DeleteTo be honest I have still to rewatch the incidend and I can't believe that... unless, I can say, if the ball was coming from a teammate (defender), that's can be reason for assessing it as not punishable. This criterion is used very often.
DeleteDoes not look good for Monzul (who cannot really be blamed for missing the handball): Now, as online breaking news, German biggest newspaper headlines: "Scandalous scene despite VAR! We were cheated of a penalty".
Delete@Chefren : not deflected by teammate but her own shoulder. It first hit her shoulder, and then bounced on the (under) arm
Deletewith delay it has now also been noticed on German TV that a clear penalty kick was not given in the first half for handball..
ReplyDeleteThe last two incidents discussed on this blog - the 1st half handball and the 2nd half tackle - have both been shown in extreme slow motion (German TV showed the hand ball frame by frame). Slow-motion is a terrible way to assess fouls; as a reminder, VAR should use slow motion/still images only to establish points of contact. The direction of play and of movements can only be judged at real speed. A handball always looks really bad in very slow motion.
ReplyDeleteTough game for Monzul. Now, correct dark YC for Russo. IMO it would have been her 2ndYC if the reckless elbowing had been punished earlier in the match.
ReplyDeletePoor time managament, and however harsh might be,missed 2nd YC to Kelly kickong the ball after the whistle is just unaccetable.
ReplyDeleteNow you're just fishing for complaints. The time management was no worse than in other tight games. 2 minutes of added time was justified in the circumstances. Yes, there was time wasting, but not excessive compared to other games.
DeleteIt was laughable time wasting. The English players expected yellow cards and seemed surprised that they were allowed to fool around and not restart play.
DeleteWeak time management in the final stages. The English delaying each and every restart and Monzul ending the match exactly after 2 minutes of added time.
ReplyDeleteNo sufficient action taken against England's time wasting IMO. Absolutely ridiculous behavior.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, the missed handball casts a shadow over the match and to be honest, I can't underscore what I commented after 45 minutes now: this was not a good performance!
Funny moment where Monzul was pointing for the goal and England goalscorer thought she was disallowing it :D. Unlike men's EURO, I think the hardest game of the tournament was saved for the final one! For sure the Ukranian made too many mistakes in individual situations, but actually I think she showed her top class ability today in terms of managing the game / event. For sure she has a - let's say - 'idiosyncratic' leadership style, but look how many times she was focused on talking to players, trying to calm them, keeping control of the game. And the difficulty was (verrry) high today. Not perfect, but all-in-all, UEFA will (and should) be happy I think.
ReplyDeleteSth more detailed to follow in coming days.
Clear red card for Russo missed. After freekick whistle 119“ Kelly kicked ball away. No second yellow. Timewasting from England and final whistle 122‘. Very poor management from Monzul.
ReplyDeleteThis is why Uefa make a politic announcement for this final.
You are implying that Monzul favoured English team? Thats absurd, if she was so pro-English then why didn't she send off Oberdorf (should have gotten the first yellow already in the first half). Also England also could have been awarded a penalty at the end of the first half. All in all, very difficult match for any referee, she was far from perfect but she didn't lose the control of the match and thts the most important thing.
Delete"she was far from perfect" That's an understatement.
DeleteSince the match didn't devolve into an all-out riot. She must have done an acceptable job. Never mind all of the other things she and her crew missed or failed to do.
I agree. Overall, good performance (though I'm not a fan of Monzul's style), perhaps a bit too reliant on YC but the match demanded it. And I continue to think the key incidents were correctly decided. In the end, a fair match, and a satisfactory referee performance.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Good performance overall.
ReplyDeleteHow can UEFA be happy with so many (crucial) and crystal clear mistakes. If this is "top class management" we for sure have seen a different game. Stop trying to defend what is not defendable. Monzul showed tonight why she should not have had this match IMO
ReplyDeleteCongratulations the English team. Unfortunately, we will have to discuss the crucial penalty incident in the first half. The No-intervention did influence the outcome of the match. In respect to this incident, it is not Monzul to be blamed but the VAR crew. Nevertheless, I did not see a convincing performance by the referee. Many mistakes on both sides, no clear line in respect to disciplinary control. Also, there was (again) no action against time wasting but points for improvement in team cooperation (e.g. foul signal of AR2 in 120', Monzul initially did not want to give it). Without the crucial incident, it was still a performance with much room for improvement. However, one cannot ignore the missed handball penalty in first half. It will definitely be heavily criticised in Germany.
ReplyDeleteThe blaming has already started: BILD, Germany's biggest newspaper, headlines "Wembley Scam Again – clear handball penalty denied"
DeleteBild is a perfect example of tabloid journalism. In the serious German media nobody will blame Monzul
Delete~7,3 performance with a missed penalty and several mandatory YCs in a not so challenging game. Overall a quite disappointing tournament from referee perspective with a logical conclusion. My impression is that female football improved alot in the recent years in terms of phyiscal and technical strength, but referees didn't develop accordingly.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the handball: it was not a natural position, however the ball bounced from England player’s shoulder on the arm.
ReplyDeleteAnyone have a replay of the handball check?
ReplyDeleteBig scandal is the not given penalty in first half. VAR checked, an Italien VAR.
ReplyDeleteUEFA will say at the end everything was correct and perfect.
If it is so please Mr Ceferin and Mr Rosetti finish your work and stay at home for the future.
Very poor management of Monzul. In regular time clear penalty for Germany not given and over that many "little" decisions are incorrect (especially a few wrong corner/not corner decisions). Moreover clear second YC in 119' not given and not any yellow card for timewasting - very ridicolous. That was nothing, Monzul...
ReplyDeleteThose of you who think it was poor referee preformance should complain to whoever appointed her for the final.
ReplyDeleteWho sent Monzul to the final?
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Emil and Anonymous. Monzul is a very bad referee and has no well deserved for the final appointment. Sorry, it’s my opinion.
ReplyDeleteGerman press: germany was cheated again at wembley
ReplyDeleteClear handball not given.
As a referee, if you are one, you should rely on other sources than the press.
Deletehttps://twitter.com/i/status/1553820814474190848
ReplyDeleteThis angle wasn't shown on our television... Valeri must have used the "from a teammate" criterion (I recall a revoked penalty in a Sánchez Martínez EL game last season for that reason?). Otherwise that's a clear penalty (+ RC).
Yes, after having finally watched the video of this incident, I think we can say that only motivation for the decision by VAR is the ball coming from a teammate, this is used as criterion in serie A, but of course on the line and in a very crucial context, can be different. It is considered the same like a defender who makes a deliberate play and then hit directly the arm, even in open position. Without this reasoning, it would be very clear RC for DOGSO, but let me say that I'm not sure that VAR checked this video, because I didn't see it here, in this case would be a significant mistake by VAR, in the previous case surely one can discuss, but the guideline about ball coming by defender is not universal... the problem stays always the same with handballs. Also, more communication for such incident would be needed.
Deletesadly chefren, this is not seria a...and italy are not playing...and that criterion does apply to seria a only...the rest of the world is sticking to the lotg...this is not a natural position, the hand is there already before the ball hits her body and bounces on the arm. therefore this is making the body unnaturally bigger, hence punishable handball, no matter where and from whom the ball came from...if you dont intervene here in derby della madonnina i guess you might make your last game as a var in professional italian football...no matter whether the ball came from opponent, teammate, the moon or damkovas clown show...
DeleteHere the full sequence of the handball penalty situation.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.veed.io/view/502099f1-8bb2-4147-a4de-12f5aecadf26?sharingWidget=true
Thanks for the full sequence, there are some replay in which the handball is hidden, hopefully VAR make his assessment, but still in that case, as I wrote above, we have to discuss.
Deleteso what's your opinion, chefren? I see no reason why the fact that the ball came from a teammate should be relevant here for the assessment of whether it is a punishable handball.
DeleteMy opinion is that this was rather a penalty, but the most important issue is about handball. We will never find a solution.
DeleteDon’t normally any interest in womens football but that’s not a penalty, it bounces at her from about 10 centre meters away with no time to react. No penalty is correct. A penalty given onfield would be supportable just, but VAR cannot give a penalty there for me
ReplyDeleteAgree. It's not a penalty for me either. The ball comes from a teammate and she has no time to react, for me there is no intention to play the ball. I think penalty + RC here goes against common sense. In any case, I admit that I am lost with the issue of handballs, I think it is a tremendous mess and it is urgent to clarify the rule, for the good of football.
DeleteOh but she's so calm on the pitch. Oh but she goes out of her way to talk to and connect with the players. Oh, but I like her firmness and demeanor on the pitch. Oh but she's not influenced the crowd. Oh but UEFA can be happy with her "overall" performance.
ReplyDeleteJust overlook (ignore) the missed fouls, the missed cards, the missed penalty, the lack of VAR intervention, the missed 2nd yellow card, and the unwillingness to clamp down on time wasting.
Overlook all of that (amongst other things), and of course, you've got an excellent performance utilizing the ridiculous "big picture" theory.
Isn't it weird that those commenters who profess their love to the Laws of the Game and distaste for ignoring the Laws often are the first to violate the rules of this blog and personally attack those who don't agree with them?
DeleteThere are no longer Laws of the Game. They shall now be known as "Suggestions" to Manage the Game.
DeleteThe initial comment is more directed at the Referee Committee's attitude/approach and not at the blog contributors. Because those are the type of statements (excuses) I can actually imagine Rosetti making to justify anything and everything that Monzul and her crew did or failed to do.
DeleteAs a neutral viewer, I’m glad that PK + RC wasn’t issued. That’s an extremely heavy/harsh punishment here.
ReplyDeleteSure, the position of the arm was not natural, but like others said, it was a scrimmage, ball shot from very close by a teammate. How can that ever be an intentional movement… In a final it should be 200% clear for VAR to intervene.
If it’s not natural then why are you even arguing against a penalty? It was a penalty and that was it.
DeleteThe hand/arm was in unnatural position, making her body bigger and preventing a ball going onto the net. Despite the fact that the ball came from a teammate in a short distance still that was a punishable handball for the reason i mentioned above. As example in the rap videos we have plenty of videos when the ball goes to a unnatural position of the hand/arm as a deflection/block by a teammate and the explanation of uefa is penalty for unnatural position when the ball came as a result of a deflection/blocking by a teammate and not punishable when the teammate goes and played the ball. Example of this explanation: Chel- Ren. Ref: Felix Zwayer
ReplyDeleteDisagree with many here.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.veed.io/view/502099f1-8bb2-4147-a4de-12f5aecadf26
At 1:52 and the other angle at 2:00, you can see that the ball first touches her shoulder and then bounced on her wrist. Hence, we are talking about a handbal deflected by her own body. And yeah, it was a scrimmage, from very close distance and came from a teammate. Enough "room" for a VAR to stay quiet, especially when its a double(!) punishment case in a final. Come on.
When it’s unnatural position it doesn’t matter if it first touched another body part. Unnatural is always a handball offence.
DeleteWell, not according to the RAP.
DeleteThe criteria in UEFA RAP:
Delete-Ball movement towards hand
-Ball coming from short distance / unexpected ball
-Hand/arm in natural position
-Player tries to avoid hand contact with the ball
-Palyer unable to avoid hand contact with the ball
-Hand / arm supports the body, but not extended
-Ball coming directly from player's OWN head or body
I think, VAR found some room to support on-field decision, because 1) the ball bounced from shoulder to the wrist and 2) the distance was very close.
In addition, if VAR requested an OFR, the next step is to decide the colour of the card. And I think, that decision would be even more difficult to take for Monzul in front of the monitor and would lead to a lot discussion in media...
DeleteRC would be too harsh for many of us, I think.
Enough reasons for VAR to support the on-field decision.
Article in German yellow press, BILD:
ReplyDelete"Wembley scandal: VAR is muzzled!
Referee Kateryna Monzul does not see a clear handball by England captain Leah Williamson on the line. The video referees Paolo Valeri and Pol van Boekel also agree: no punishable handball. The scene is therefore not even reviewed!
BILD confronts Monzul about the scene after the match: "What happened in the 25th minute with England's handball?" Monzul shrugs her shoulders, spreads her arms apologetically - and leaves. No explanation.
But that's not all: Video referee Valeri walks past in the mixed zone after the final whistle. In response to the Italian BILD question, he smiles and says: "Non posso dire niente, mi dispiace."
That means as much as: Got muzzled.
The referees are silent, the Germans are angry! National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg: "At this level in a European Championship final, something like this should not happen. I want the people to deal with it. I don't want them to just walk away from it."
When a title is taken away like that, it hurts," says sporting director Joti Chatzialexiou. "We always talk about fair play. The fact that there was no penalty in this situation is incomprehensible to me. It couldn't have been clearer. That makes it even more bitter. It makes me wonder why there are video assistants."
Defender Sara Doorsoun also asks herself: "Now we have the discussion again about what the VAR is for. Maybe the game would have gone differently. Of course, it can completely change a game if we take a 1:0 lead."
Again the national coach: "The question I have is: Why does something like this happen, why is it not looked at? Why is there no clear communication? That is what concerns me."
The clear communication did not work with the referees even after the match..."
I don't say I agree with everything written by BILD in this article - but it emphasises one thing: the idea that a penalty in a final must be 200% clear to avoid headlines is not working here, as the decision indeed causes great anger in German media and within German football community.
On a wider note, I think that goes along with the capriciousness regarding handball (guidelines) within UEFA countries in general. The criterion with the ball being deflected by a teammate does not apply in Germany - rather, I'm certain a German VAR would have intervened here. The differences in the assessment of handballs among associations, referees and fans undoubtedly causes situations like yesterday's and needs an urgent realignment!
Referees are never allowed to talk about decisions. Even when we all agree about the outcome of the KMI. Media policy.
DeleteAnd we can be sure that the VAR’s checked everthing and have their reasons to not intervene…
I what BILD has to say on this should be irrelevant to a refereeing blog. If there would have been a penalty and a red card, we'd have similar headlines coming from the Sun.
DeleteI'd also be extremely cautious with what they have to say about the referee's behavior after the match as they have a history of dishonest reporting on referees. E.g. when Florian Meyer and his team missed a goal in the DFB Pokal final a few years back, they spread the news that the assistant signaled a goal and that Meyer over-ruled him. It was completely fake
I think*
Delete@Anonymous: In international matches, referees are not allowed to talk with media after the match. However, in Germany, every referee decides by himself whether to speak with media or not. It has become normal after controversial or wrong decisions that referees give an interview in order to explain the procedures or their perception. Last interview was with Felix Zwayer two weeks ago. This is well-accepted. BILD always tries to find headlines but maybe it has also something to do with being used to a more open media approach by German referees.
Delete@ Ref_1707:
DeleteYes, in my country, referees are also allowed to talk with the press about their decisions in domestic league, however they never talk about decisions in UEFA games. UEFA policy. :)
I don't think that Valeri is allowed to talk about the VAR check. Even when Rosetti fully agrees with him...
The outrage of the article (its factual usefulness not considered!) is only the basis of my consequential demand to pay more attention to (more) equal criterions regarding handball offence etc. That's it :)
DeletePerhaps someone told Mr Čeferin about the missed penalty during halftime? :)
ReplyDeletehttps://imgur.com/a/H6SWxKu
Many players scrambled for the ball; Williamson slipped, hence the position of her arm was natural when we consider the position of the player's body. No handball for me, whereever it could have happened on the pitch. As for those on this site who argue for a pk+rc - no, even had the pk awarded, there was no reason for rc, as there were two defenders and the goalie behind Williamson, which refutes any claim for dogso.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I have an issue with the treatment of England's time-wasting after they had scored the second goal. Monzul should have been firm, brandishing yellow cards and if necessary, red ones. I would also like to see her adding some 8-10 minutes to the second half of extra-time as a lesson to the English as well as a precedent, warning other teams in the future.
The continued silence from referees and the lack of transparency from the Referee Committees are why the chasm between fans and referees continues to grow. More referee committees and individual referees should become more transparent and openly/willingly engage with the media. If more follow the example set by a select few Referee Committees and referees. I am sure that it'll be a step in the right direction to begin bridging the gap between referees and fans. It may even humanize the referees in the eyes of the fans.
ReplyDeleteI think some referees might not be comfortable explaining their decisions to international media (aka in English). However, I would propose a weekly (?) moment in which decisions are explained (and wrong decisions are categorized accordingly), this could simply be on the UEFA website, I do think that would help
ReplyDelete