2023-24 UEFA Champions League Round of 16, second legs. Last set of referee appointments.
13 March 2024
21:00 CET - Madrid (Estadio Metropolitano)
Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP) - FC Internazionale (ITA) Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Paweł Raczkowski POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Paweł Raczkowski POL
Video Assistant Referee: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bartosz Frankowski POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Neale Barry ENG
UEFA Delegate: Radenko Mijatović SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Neale Barry ENG
UEFA Delegate: Radenko Mijatović SVN
Borussia Dortmund (GER) - PSV (NED)
Referee: Daniele Orsato ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Ciro Carbone ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alessandro Giallatini ITA
Fourth Official: Fabio Maresca ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Ciro Carbone ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alessandro Giallatini ITA
Fourth Official: Fabio Maresca ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Paolo Valeri ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Massimiliano Irrati ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Konrad Plautz AUT
UEFA Delegate: Peadar Ryan IRL
UEFA Referee Observer: Konrad Plautz AUT
UEFA Delegate: Peadar Ryan IRL
The best comes last :)
ReplyDeleteAs written before, I like to see a very big name in Dortmund due to the tight game and the first leg controversy.
Valeri as VAR is probably just rotation (Irrati has the most CL games this season anyway) and not a reaction on a previous performance.
Good choice !!; the best referees. So it seems that Taylor, Nyberg and Soares Dias are sent directly to 1st leg QF
ReplyDeleteNot sure about Soares Dias...
DeleteExcellent appointments from Roberto Rossetti and his committee
ReplyDeleteParticular appointment with Irrati only as AVAR.
ReplyDeleteSince they are not from Nyon (not used in KO stage), it is a specific choice, they could have sent another AVAR with Valeri.
I think we can expect a game for Guida in Europa League, maybe with Di Paolo VAR.
Orsato in Dortmund in my opinion could also mean (I say that becuse there is a clear difference with first leg choice), that this assignment has been made following the controversial (wrong?) penalty by Jovanovic. Definitely unexpected to see the Serbian and then the Italian.
A similar scheme maybe can be seen in Porto - Arsenal, Gozubuyuk - Turpin, but the appointment of the Serbian for PSV - Borussia Dortmund had been even more unexpected, because almost not used at all during GS. So I think in case of rather "normal" first leg, another referee would have got the game in Dortmund. Of course, jsut speculation, but interesting to discuss.
About Marciniak, maybe unnecessary to say, but still 100% trusted even after the famous PSG incident (one could have had small doubts). Always the top for Rosetti and committee.
I don't think that the penalty given by Jovanovic is deemed as clearly wrong, but controversial and there was huge media focus on this decision, also in germany. Therefore I think the commitee wanted a very safe pair of hands in Dortmund, also because the german side also didn't have much luck in group stage with referee decisions (the game in Paris comes to mind) and the tie is very open.
DeleteI do not share the general enthusiasm that is here. When the draw was made in December, I thought that the game were more accesibile than ever, there is not even one game between 2 very top teams (one could argue only maybe with Atletico-Inter indeed). I think that if Rosetti wanted, he could have not use at all his Top3 referees. But it didn't happen.
ReplyDeleteFor the Quarter Finals, 6/8 games should be reserved for Marciniak, Orsato, Turpin, Makkelie, Vincic and Kovacs who are arguably the best 6 referees in Europe right now. Furthermore, all of them should be difficult/hot because involve only Top teams that qualified against a lower rated team. You say Dias, Taylor and Nyberg are sent directly in QF? I highly doubt. What about Letexier and Zwayer? They should be above. Maybe Oliver? Or a Spanish referee? There are not many games. The Round of 16 was the best moment to see some new names. Because the games were more suitable than ever I think. My point is, I would have chosed a very different strategy if I were in Rosetti's shoes.
I would agree 100%. Big chance missed by Rosetti. What I also dont get is the difference in how games are treated. How does Dortmund-PSV get Orsato, while Real-Leipzig had Massa. It is basically the same situation all around, with the game in Madrid being probably more challenging. The only thing that makes sense is how Atletico-Inter and Barcelona-Neapel are treated. Also with the 1st leg names it was reasonable to play it safe. The rest looks rather wild.
DeleteFurthermore how are we to judge the big names missing out on a L16 tie?
Nyberg is the only guy I would say save in a QF 1st leg. Also slightly weird management but Letexier had the same last year.
Taylor in QF I am not so sure. Allthough his struggeling form he got decent games in the GS so a complete knock-out miss would be a surprise.
Soares Dias continues to receive weird management. Great GS games, a lot of big observers. But still to wait for any international 2024 appointment. I am not convinced we see him in CL at all. He should also be a candidate for the EL or ECL final so even more strange.
Kruzliak not in CL would be against the performance principle and its hard to imagine him in a CL QF as his knock-out debut.
Gil Manzano is the only understandable miss. But its also gonna be interesting if he appears in QF. That would be quite curious depending who of the further does or doesnt appear. But if he is to not be appointed one could doubt his EURO spot.
To sum it up. Does anybody find a pattern on why those 4 (5) are not appointed now. I cant.
Good points!
ReplyDeleteBut probably it is not everything that clear. For Zwayer or Letexier, there could also be the plan of something really big, like a final. Then I also have doubts about Soares Dias. And for me it is not clear, that all of the named top referees must be used in QF. Some could have Semis and will be protected, like probably Marciniak and Orsato, some (Makkelie, Vincic (Taylor?)) will be in consideration for UCL final.
I think there is enough space to appoint some names of Letexier, Nyberg, Zwayer, Oliver, Manzano in QF. It will also depend on performance and the matches of course.
Eredivisie: PEC Zwolle - FC Volendam:
ReplyDeleteGoal OR offside for playing the uncontrollable ball?
https://youtu.be/oIpk7j-2rf4?t=446
I'm still a big supporter of this rule, but I've had a lot of doubts over the past few weeks about how well Dutch referees have applied it. A PEC player delivered a cross, two Volendam players collided a bit and the ball was not headed properly, and PEC's Velios, who was initially in an offside position, took the shot. It looked like a correct goal, but decision of referee Pol van Boekel was offside, and VAR Richard Martens confirmed it.
As was the case with Almere City FC - Feyenoord two weeks ago, I feel like they are focusing too much on the posture of the defensive players when they play the ball. What matters is how far the ball came from and at what speed, and what kind of movement did the defensive players use in their approach.
Frankly, I don't know what criteria they are currently using to apply this rule, so I'm hoping someone will step in front of the camera again, but I guess they won't...
Any possibility to see Jovanovic at Rangers-Benfica?
ReplyDeleteUEFA CORE 58 in course in Nyon with Elleray.
ReplyDeleteItalian referee Marcenaro.
It is reported the other referees are from: Netherlands, Germany, Croatia, Spain, Sweden and England. I'm looking for them, but nothing so far. Any info?
Badstübner was missing at the weekend and didn’t keep his postponed cup QF this week. And he would be the most obvious German candidate anyway, I think.
DeleteMateo Erceg (CRO), Víctor García Verdura (ESP), Oscar Johnson (SWE) are the remaining names.
DeleteAlex Bos (Netherlands)
ReplyDeleteMane strangling his opponent but only gets a yellow card. Then they score a minute later. Unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteThank for your answers. Here the full trios at CORE.
ReplyDeleteMateo Erceg, Anto Maric, Deni Grofelnik CRO
Florian Badstubner, Jonas Weickenmeier, Philipp Hüwe GER
Tom Bramall, Akil Howson, Wade Smith ENG
Victor Garcia Verdura, Carlos Alvarez Fernandez, Julian Villaseñor ESP
Matteo Marcenaro, Dario Garzelli, Davide Moro ITA
Alex Bos, Stefan De Groot, Murat Kucukerbir NED
Oscar Johnson, Sebastian Robertsson, Andreas Svensson SWE
Wie lange dauert dieser Lehrgang?
DeleteA week, it ends today: 5 - 12 March 2024
DeleteSorry, these are the countries that have been selected for the 58 core.
DeleteWill there be other countries?
For example, Albania, Romania, Greece ect.....
Do you have any information?
Yes there can be other sessions with referees from other countries, but I don't know more!
DeleteOk, Thank you!
DeleteDanny makkelie will referee UCL final this year in my opinion
ReplyDeleteI’m not sure. On paper, Makkelie should have the edge:
Delete-46th UCL game tonight
-Two semi-finals (one return in 2022)
-Europa League final 2020
Vincic:
-29 UCL games
-His ceiling were two quarter-finals (Just 1st legs – no returns)
-Europa League final 2022
Makkelie has been among the final candidates since 2021. He was already involved in the UCL final 2019 (as VAR), to support Vincic' compatriot Skomina. From an HR-perspective, not sensible to pass the Dutchman again.
Vincic' appointment in Munich could be a hint that he can already “get used” to the environment and atmosphere in the Allianz Arena (UCL Final 2025).
However, I have seen Makkelie domestically a few times in 2024 and I was not blown away by his form (and fitness level). He should improve that.
Anyway, I’m not convinced! Let’s see. A referee is only as good as his last game.
We need referees, not runners. I observe many referees with excellent fitness and running styles yet possessing weak personalities. Take Marciniak, for example: not a great runner, with slow anticipation, but he compensates with strong leadership and player management skills. The same applies to Makkelie and Orsato. Ultimately, it's about making the correct decisions, not how fast someone can run. Additionally, I assume they all pass the fitness test, which confirms they are fit.
DeleteCompare that to Jesus Gil Manzano who runs around a lot but thats about all he has
DeleteI saw yesterday that the observers for EURO play-offs semi’s have been released already. It’s interesting, bearing in mind that there are still many games to be played this week (and for some referees their very first game in 2024).
ReplyDeleteGEO - LUX Thomas Einwaller AUT
DeleteGRE - KAZ Herbert Fandel GER
ISR - ISL Elmir Pilav BIH
BIH - UKR Matteo Trefoloni ITA
POL - EST Carlos Clos Gómez ESP
WAL - FIN Tomasz Mikulski POL
On paper it seems that in Greece and Bosnia Herzegovina there will be more focus on referees by observers, with names such as Fandel and Trefoloni. And I wouldn't be surprised, these can be surely the most challenging matches, Ukraine after the famous penalty in Italy game and GRE - KAZ due to the "style" of both national teams.
Slavia Prague - Milan Nyberg (SWE)
ReplyDeleteConcerning the EURO 2024, I would expect the following refs as a safe bet:
ReplyDeleteFrance: Turpin, Frappart - Letexier for CONMEBOL only
Germany: Only Zwayer, but others not on a constant high level
Netherlands: Makkelie, plus very likely Gözöbüyük
Italy: Orsato plus Guida (or Massa, but he was weak too often imo)
Slovenia: Vincic
Poland: Marciniak
Rumania: Kovacs
England: Taylor, Oliver
Spain: Sanchez M. OR Hernandez H., Gil Manzano imo out of the game after the last catastrophes
Sweden: Nyberg
Conmebol: Tello or Sampaio
That leaves 3 places open, if we have 18 refs.
Candidates:
Turkey: Meler (imo likely and deserved)
Portugal: Dias (imo likely and deserved)
Slovakia: Kruzliak (good momentum)
Norway: Eskas (maybe too early)
Bosnia: Peljto (not consistent enough)
Serbia: Jovanovic (why not?)
Svitzerland: Schärer (too late?)
I do not think that Gil Manzano is out of the EUROS. But after the recent events he probably will not be trusted for the biggest matches.
ReplyDeleteI assume depending on performances also a second german is possible, most likely Siebert, but it wouldnt be very surprising if Zwayer is the only representant of his country.
And I think Letexier will be there and not Frappart. UEFA will not want to let him out after outstanding performances and a lot of potential.
Yes, this is my idea as well about Gil Manzano.
DeleteImpossible to think that his participation is in danger, but he can easily turn into Spain nr. 2 at that competition with just an appearance after Sanchez Martinez (following Rosetti's observation in CL game). No chances for Hernandez Hernandez as main referee, but he will be VAR.
About Germany, the treatment of Soebert doesn't speak in favor of a call. If second German,. more spotlights are on Stieler, but it's indeed still hard to believe that one of them could be called, when at moment committee is focusing only on Zwayer.
Letexier is a mandatory selection after what he did, and think Frappart times are definitely over. But if they want to call her, I think it is possible they will not look at nationality (called because woman), and in that case we would have three French.
not a good positional game by Orsato
ReplyDeleteThe same as last night in Barcelona. Limited forward-looking management and reactive instead of pro-active!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteConfusing signaling by Orsato. Correction by 4th official who is 50 meters away while Orsato stands 15 meters away!!
ReplyDeleteMarciniak is handling the game well so far, maintaining a balanced approach by not calling some minor fouls for Inter at the start, which hasn't impacted the overall control he has over the match.
ReplyDelete1-1 by Atlético at least three situations to check.
ReplyDeleteVery good and visible cooperation between the Polish and his AR2.
Morata offside wasn't punishable, then a correct assessment on the following possible offside, and no handball.
2 fouls so far in Dortmund. These teams can almost referee themselves.
ReplyDeleteJust make sure you don’t obstruct anyone and let it flow…
This is what can happen very often with German teams (not against Spanish and Italian sides) and appointing an Elite referee for a certain game, as you can see, it's always a particular choice. Going to officiate Spanish and/or Italian teams is a totally different chapter.
DeleteYes. Domestically, it can be different though (e.g. a Classico). Other Dutch teams play quite rough. But in the top-tier it’s very fair and clean atm. I don’t think Orsato was the Refcom’s initial choice
DeleteJovanovic struggled a lot more with the same teams unfortunately
DeleteNot before the whistled PK imo. And the game in Dortmund is more one-sided than the game in Eindhoven so far.
DeleteIn a fair and respectful game with hardly any incidents, it does not automatically mean that the ref. did a good job!!!
ReplyDeleteLooking into the observer report he displays in the area of positioning absolute areas for improvement... thus minus point(s)
The question Is: how much important are such remarks about positioning, if the game ends without controversy? We know That we are talking about a very old refeee at the End of Career.
DeleteThis a typical view with which I disagree. In top sports, every athlete eagerly looks even for detailed improvement areas instead of saying: We are satisfied", by mentioning them paves the way for further improvement. With denial, you achieve the contrary.
DeleteWas the offside in Dortmund given without an OFR for interfering with an opponent?
ReplyDeleteThe player shown in the animation was the player actually scoring the goal, so no OFR needed. Interfering with play instead of interfering with an opponent.
DeleteThanks. Was watching the TV from the other side of the room in Spanish!
DeleteEhm, was offside technology actually right to disallow Dortmund‘s 2-0?
ReplyDeleteObviously very tight, but what makes you think technology wasn’t accurate?
DeleteThe SAOT freeze frame here didn‘t really prove it, because it is not clear, why the exact points on the shoulder were used for the defender and for the attacker.
DeleteI think, this would have been controversial in case of a BVB loss.
It's the same for every SAOT line right? There's a "point" in the upper arm that is tracked on each player and the line seems to be drawn through it. It's seemed pretty consisted everytime we've had one of these decisions.
DeleteI was wondering for the reason Philipp described above. The pictures were rather confusing than clearing everything. It seemed as there were body parts "over the line" (offside) only with which you may not legally score a goal.
DeleteSee the picture on X (profile of former FIFA referee Manuel Gräfe): https://twitter.com/graefe_manuel/status/1768034244910039222?s=46&t=6wGZXxrvv3E8OPiku0gCSQ
DeleteAgain a Marciniak masterpiece. Full respect, full control and contributing to the game so well and having such a great flow. I guess other referees could struggle with that approach. Hopefully he can keep up for the the extratime. Also worth to mention he has not only 2 brilliant ARs in Sokolnicki and Listkiewicz, but apparently 3, as Kupsik is just as great.
ReplyDeleteI thin we discussed this earlier, but I have to ask what's the point of the teachnical areas if basically Inzaghi and Simeone is spending most of the time out of the zone? I know we have to understand the emotions and so on, but I am just thinking how is it possible to keep those people there without being annoying and grabbing the attention which in public just ruining your refereeing image?
Too many people here talk about bad positioning. But sometimes, as a referee, there's nothing you can do; your position is logical, but the play develops in an unexpected direction. Like yesterday with Makkelie twice and today three times with Orsato. It also depends on the play and the unexpected. Also, Marciniak was in the pass line two times. As long as you don't hit the ball or affect the play, what's the problem?
ReplyDeleteI noticed the positioning issues happened when the games were very intense and dynamic. More difficult to ‘read’, even for very experienced refs.
DeleteMakkelie wasn’t hit by the ball, but few times had to swerve last-minute to avoid the obstructions.
Orsato obstructed and was hit twice in very short period, and looked like he blamed the players :D As soon as the game calmed down, Orsato had no issues with his positioning anymore.
Fyi.: By wrong positioning, you can seriously hinder the play without hitting the ball.
ReplyDeleteI agree, but that wasn't the case yesterday and tonight in Madrid.
DeleteTo add: As a referee, you should always be prepared for the unexpected.
DeleteI was looking to the game in Dortmund!!
DeleteMissed RC for VC by Marciniak? Difficult to detect on the pitch, but VAR should have had an eye on this one...
ReplyDeleteNah. VC has shifted so much since the intro of VAR. Never going to be given in the modern era.
DeleteThuram literally grabbed Savić's balls? WTF
Delete(I'm inclined for VC too)
They seem to have been just joking about it afterwards, I'm not sure how clear the intention was. Probably better by VAR to stay out
DeleteI think this was rather unsporting behaviour which was impossible to detect. YC should have been given, but I would not blame Marciniak too much for missing that.
DeleteI think we could only talk about VC and RC if there is some force in the action. Savic also overreacted it a bit.
Beyond VC, you could even call it an “abusive action.”
DeleteWell, this might be "common sense" in modern era, as you called it. But there were times in which grabbing your opponent's balls would be punished with a RC. And indeed, the German commentator was also asking for a RC.
Deletehttps://twitter.com/tekkersfoot/status/1768036227217846560
DeleteI’m shocked that there are people arguing that grabbing another player there shouldn’t be a red card. This is ridiculousness.
DeleteI'm not saying it shouldn't be a red card. But much like the little kickout that used to be a nailed on red, VC has shifted to a point where a red here would be seen as wildly over-reactive I think.
Delete@smala017 A genuine grab would obviously be a red card, I'm just not sure there is
DeleteThe LotG REQUIRE still the same punishment and looking away, due to "modern times" is wrong. Reward it with a RC and let's stop this bad and unacceptable behavior.
DeleteIn Germany we had clear angles and replays. It was definitely intentional.
DeleteIf you don’t think there is a real grab there I think you need to watch again…
Delete@Ref_1707 Fair enough then, big big mistake by Kwiatkowski if so is the case
DeleteDisturbingly offensive behaviour. It's a clear red card. There is absolutely nothing else to say.
Delete@smala017 I didn't say it wasn't, I just said that I wasn't sure from the one angle I've seen. But if you have seen others then I'm obviously open to accept that it was a big mistake by Kwiatkowski
DeleteNow a missed YC for ATM8 at 112'. Reckless challenge for sure.
ReplyDeleteAnd a questionable FK and YC for INT31 after a seemingly correct tackle clearing the ball.
DeleteMy opinion: both are reckless challenges.
DeleteThe second one yess he gets mostly the ball, but it’s directly from behind and fails to consider the danger towards the opponent.
Agree with smala017, even though he gets the ball mainly, from behind pretty reckless manner and also caught at the same time the attacker, so I think it was an okay decision to give YC.
DeleteWrong yellow card for Inter, the ball was clearly played here. From the free kick, no goal, which is helpful.
ReplyDeleteGreat match by Marciniak! Full control. Great decision to have no RC for Thuram. For all the uninitiated... watch the replay from minute 102 of how Savic behaves with Thuram 😉
ReplyDeleteVery good Marciniak tonight, as expected. The level of respect that he has among players in unmatched. But that RC for VC is an unacceptable mistake by the VAR especially.
ReplyDeleteAnd here we are, there are no easy games in QF, because there were not surprises in this round.
and one more thing...
ReplyDeleteif Savic actually got hurt, he would be jumping around there like a crazy rooster. The player's behavior will tell you everything.
The theory and to stay clear on facts and not be driven by opinions: According to the LotG the attempt (intention) is also punishable. The result is secondary.
ReplyDeleteGotta disagree with matei. Marciniak only lives of his indeed unmatched authority. The actual foul detection was rather weak. In OT that was basically control lost. He got more fouls wrong then right. For the possible VC only Kwiatkowski is to blame. Impossible for Marciniak to see.
ReplyDeleteOrsato was the big winner yesterday, all Italian teams are out ;-)
ReplyDeleteSpanish referees have almost nowhere to go now, but that’s a blessing in disguise.
Orsato had nothing to win, since he already officiated a CL final, his focus is clearly on the next UEFA tournament, and he would have easily renounced to a CL semifinal :)
DeleteOrsato will be the first candidate to referee Euro 2024 final in Germany like kuipers in 2020
DeleteIMO we should start appreciating the referees a bit more who are always appointed in the most difficult contexts. It's so easy to criticize Marciniak for his foul detection or loss of focus after 90 exhausting minutes, after what was probably the #1 toughest match this round, followed by Barcelona-Napoli. Sometimes a game has all the ingredients to be very difficult: high intensity, more fouls, dynamic, tight scoreline, and players do everything to win, including perceiving a referee and pressure from the benches. It is difficult to be 100% flawless under such circumstances. You won’t see a ‘wet cookie’ there. The best referees can make a questionable call without any consequences: they are always in control. That's a testament to their abilities.
ReplyDeleteI’m always a bit surprised when reading the amount of (exaggerated) praise comments here, when a referee handled an easy (1st leg) snoozefest or return games that are already played within 45 minutes, with one team not even trying. Think again, there is a reason some referees always get a 1st leg.
I agree. But squeezing the balls of a player should be a RC. Probably Marciniak told his VAR after the wrong intervention in PSG to not call him to OFR anymore.
DeleteMaybe
DeleteI gotta agree with close to everything. But you gotta be allowed to criticize a referee. That with all the circumstances it will rightfully have no big consequences is ofc right.
DeleteTwo further points.
I think we are allowed to expect more from names like Marciniak, Turpin or Orsato. They have done close to everything and we know that at their best they are simply phenomenal. So e.g. the game in London on Tuesday. Mikael rightfully said Turpin was "okay". If it was a younger Elite it would have been justified to compliment him for a well solved game.
And second, I would love to see some new names for the returns, I dont quite understand why UEFA is not actually appointing Kovacs, Zwayer or Letexier for returns. I dont have doubts they would handle normal return games well.
That’s right Stockholm.
DeleteSome people tend to zoom in into small details (and just reporting the missed fouls/YC’s), while we also have to zoom out, not losing the big picture, consider the context and appreciate the referees in the most difficult (chaotic) games. I hate it that the Refcom cares so much about headlines, when some referees are always more challenged than others.
It’s true that we've seen a better Marciniak, he’s not flawless and leaning a lot on his authority, but at the same time I don't see who else could have blown the whistle there. Frankly, I can see Letexier or Kovacs easily lose control there, even if their foul detection is flawless. They are still gaining experience in heated games, building a reputation, developing their personality, etc.
I just watched the Savic incident now. Thuram's grab might have been something of a d**k move (pun intended), but come on: if a refereeing decision would blatantly go viral for comedic purposes on Tiktok or whatever, as a general rule, that means it isn't a good one. Maybe in an unserious competition, Sivakorn Pu-udom or whoever would OFR-RC, but it is detached from reality to think it would be a good idea to even consider sending Thuram walking for that (and yes it was obviously deliberate). This is also completely beside the modern day 'reconsidering' of what a VC is, too. Not everything has to be policed by the (video) referee with cards!
ReplyDeleteAgreed
Deletehttps://imgur.com/a/21j3MQZ
Deletehttps://imgur.com/a/OK9nycH
In the spirit of the game, sending Thuram off there would be obviously wrong. Sometimes the best decision is not what the law says by definition.
DeleteUEFA had no doubts who should lead the most difficult round of 16 match. Polish judges traditionally rose to the challenge. There are voices that it was Marciniak's best match since the final of the Qatar World Cup. Refereeing experts and journalists from all over Europe strongly praise Polish judges for Wednesday's meeting.
ReplyDeleteThe referees were an "addition" to the great show at Wanda Metropolitano and for them it is the greatest compliment. They "felt" the match perfectly, allowed the teams to play and did not whistle "soft" fouls. Both Atletico and Inter like this game and the players' reactions showed that they "buyed" virtually every decision of Marciniak.
In the 100th minute, i.e. in the first half of extra time, when the Inter team was preparing to take a throw-in, Marcus Thuram grabbed Atletico's Stefan Savić's genitals with his left hand and gently squeezed them. Marciniak did not react in this situation. According to TVPSPORT.PL referee expert Rafał Rostkowski, VAR should help in this situation. The former referee claims that in this situation the Frenchman deserved a red card. As we found out, the observer did not find this situation controversial...
The work of the Polish judges was assessed by Englishman Neale Barry. We learned that Thuram called the situation... a cabaret. Marciniak could not draw a red card in this situation. If the incident had been more severe, the Frenchman would have only been reprimanded. In the event of exclusion, there must be "excessive force", i.e. disproportionate force, according to the regulations. We have established that the UEFA observer did not consider the Inter striker's behavior to be aggressive. He assessed Marciniak's decision as very good. An incorrectly shown red card would make the Polish referees blame for the defeat of the Italian team...
A similar incident occurred during a match between Juventus and Valencia in 2018. Then Cristiano Ronaldo pulled the hair of one of the defenders of the Spanish team. The goalkeeper gave a tip to Felix Brych and eventually Ronaldo received a red card. The Portuguese's play was even stronger, and yet UEFA decided that the German referee made a bad decision and only a yellow card was due.
After the match, coaches of both teams appeared in the Polish referees' locker room. Simeone and Inzaghi emphasized how good a job Szymon Marciniak's team did. The coaches of Atletico and Inter did not refer to any of the situations on the pitch. After the competition, nothing better could happen to the judges.
Here is a link to the article (in Polish): https://sport.tvp.pl/76430243/znakomite-oceny-marciniaka-kontrowersja-byla-kabaretem
DeleteI don't know whether the source is trustworthy or not, but one thing is for certain, Polish media follow Marciniak more than any other country's media follow their referees, at least in Europe
And by trustworthy I mean not twisted and turned into Marciniak's favour, I don't think the public service broadcaster of Poland would completely make up a story but I do think they like any media would want clicks and also always want their country to do well and get good recognition
DeletePlease Samuel, stop this favoritism. Marciniak is an excellent referee but not god. Please. If this is true then he and Neale Barry are in big troubles for disclosing information which should remain confidental. People follow football because of players, not referees.
Delete"... and gently squeezed them" - at least some fun in your mostly sad contribution.
Mikael W also confirmed this in his post. Regards
DeleteIts a clear red card end of story, this "lack of intent or force etc" its rubbish. If you brush someone's face with your arm is a red so why is this any different? Its VC end of story.
ReplyDeleteIts another huge error from Kwiatkowski
People! Stop writing nonsense! There was no RC at all! Correct decision. Do you want to turn it into a cabaret like Thuram did with Savić?
DeleteCorrect VAR reaction! Do you think they are behind those egg monitors? You must be kidding...
ReplyDeleteThey analyzed the entire incident thoroughly, you don't even know the context of the situation. Is what Savic or Thuram verbally conveyed to Marciniak irrelevant?
Well, Savic was talking to Marciniak again before penalties started. He was showing in the direction of the "grab incident". It seemed like he was arguing, why there was no punishment. So it is not fully correct to say it was all fun or "cabaret". Still, there are some people agreeing with how Marciniak solved the situation. I accept that, but: What makes a VC a VC then? Does he have to pull on his d***? What about a slight kick? Is a punch still fine? It gets a bit ridiculous to differentiate...
Delete