The following referees have been appointed to handle the second legs of 2023/24 UEFA Europa League Round of 16.
Thursday 14 March 2024
18:45 CET - Vila-real (Estadi de la Ceràmica)Villarreal CF (ESP) [0-4] Olympique de Marseille (FRA)
Referee: István Kovács ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Vasile Florin Marinescu ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Mihai Ovidiu Artene ROU
Fourth Official: Andrei Florin Chivulete ROU
Video Assistant Referee: Cătălin Sorin Popa ROU
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Horațiu Mircea Feșnic ROU
UEFA Referee Observer: Dejan Filipović SRB
UEFA Delegate: David Pugh ENG
18:45 CET - Glasgow (Ibrox Stadium)
Rangers FC (SCO) [2-2] SL Benfica (POR)
Referee: Ivan Kružliak SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Ján Pozor SVK
Fourth Official: Peter Kráľovič SVK
Video Assistant Referee: Christian Dingert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Michal Očenáš SVK
UEFA Referee Observer: Stefan Meßner AUT
UEFA Delegate: Stijn Hutsebaut BEL
18:45 CET - London (London Stadium)
West Ham United (ENG) [0-1] SC Freiburg (GER)
Referee: Marco Guida ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Giorgio Peretti ITA
Fourth Official: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Luca Pairetto ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Luis Medina Cantalejo ESP
UEFA Delegate: Thibault De Gendt BEL
18:45 CET - Prague (Fortuna Arena)
SK Slavia Praha (CZE) [2-4] AC Milan (ITA)
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderqvist SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Frank De Bleeckere BEL
UEFA Delegate: Adrian Ixari MDA
21:00 CET - Liverpool (Anfield)
Liverpool FC (ENG) [5-1] AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
Referee: Artur Manuel Ribeiro Soares Dias POR
Assistant Referee 1: Paulo Alexandre dos Santos Soares POR
Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Ricardo Ferreira Ribeiro POR
Fourth Official: Gustavo Fernandes Correia POR
Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Bruno Lopes Martins POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Hugo Filipe Ferreira de Campos Moreira Miguel POR
UEFA Referee Observer: Drago Kos SVN
UEFA Delegate: Ronald Zimmermann GER
21:00 CET - Brighton (American Express Community Stadium)
Brighton & Hove Albion FC (ENG) [0-4] AS Roma (ITA)
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Lupp GER
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller GER
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager GER
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sascha Stegemann GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine NIR
UEFA Delegate: Łukasz Sojski POL
21:00 CET - Bergamo (Gewiss Stadium)
Atalanta BC (ITA) [1-1] Sporting CP (POR)
Referee: Sandro Schärer SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Bekim Zogaj SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Jonas Erni SUI
Fourth Official: Lukas Fähndrich SUI
Video Assistant Referee: Fedayi San SUI
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Lionel Tschudi SUI
UEFA Referee Observer: Carlos Velasco Carballo ESP
UEFA Delegate: Patrick Dempsey IRL
21:00 CET - Leverkusen (BayArena)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER) [2-2] Qarabağ FK (AZE)
Referee: Anthony Taylor ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn ENG
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Stuart Attwell ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gavan Gillett AUS
UEFA Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen NOR
UEFA Delegate: Duško Grabovac CRO
Well I guess the news is the return of Sharer in a important interaction competition after a very long injury. We wish him all the best, I guess that it's late for a nomination at Euro 2024 since 17 referees are head of him, but he can fully fight to gain a place at next Olympic games in Paris (July 2024).
ReplyDeleteFor the rest of the appointments, I'm a little bit disappointed to read the same names belonging to elite category; are they really necessary ? Matches are in safe hands and committee should be preserve by risk, but in tis case new generation has never possibility to grow up and. Especially for match between Brighton and Rome maybe a first class would have been enough
Well, if you say it's late for EURO 2024 nomination, then why Velasco Carballo? In my opinion it's the contrary, a committee member for him, should mean that they want to see whether this is still possible or not. For sure, given the circumstances, it would be a very forced call, but in my opinion committee still wants to do that, otherwise you can't explain such observation. No need to hurry with him if not planned for the big competition. We will see.
DeleteAbout the big names for already decided ties, you know when first and second legs are in a week especially in EL and ECL, appointments are all made before. So, this is how they work, and it's impossible to make suitable assignments. There are too few days in the middle. So tt's just a question of luck for the assigned officials and nothing else.
Of course everything can happen (expect the unexpected :-)) but he has only one CL match in the group stage and probably only one EL match as well. Very poor utilization to me to be selected for the most important competition. To me Velasco is there just to check his recovery and his shape after a long stop time, but maybe I'm wrong
DeleteMost important assignment as said for Schaerer.
ReplyDeleteThey are still thinking to call him at EURO, I think.
About the rest, some referees got the second assignment after a first good display: Zwayer, Kovács, Guida, Kružliak (the latter would have deserved CL).
First game for Soares Dias and very unlucky with that score, overall still not clear the real reputation of the Portuguese, as we discussed many times. Never at very top level, had some attempts, but he rather failed. Still, upper Elite category, I think, if compared to others, but not a fully upper one.
Nyberg with De Bleeckere, rather good assignment, but game appears to be already decided. Possible that after this one he could appear in CL quarterfinals.
This is the first Italian team for Nyberg, I think. That’s still a good signal for sure. As Phillip wrote, it could be a similar treatment as Letexier last season.
DeleteI wonder what Zwayer has thought after the 1st leg score; happy that a Roma-game can’t run out of his hands (almost impossible now :)) or dissapointed to show what he can do in a more tight game
Surely the first option!
DeleteIn my opinion a referee should never have in mind to show that he is good at all cost, but the first and only wish is to finish a game without any controversy! And that's surely a big help, because, as we know, the fact that a game can be easy after first leg score, doesn't decrease the praise after a good / expected level performance. Then, if a referee is called to something more challenging in a game, well, he then makes everything to convince about his abilities.
True, the most important is to avoid controversial incidents and earn a spot in the QF.
DeleteThe reason I’m asking is because Zwayer might be in the running for one of the finals this season. In the end, if Referee A is a 8.3-8.4 expected level in most games and referee B + C were continuously at 8.5-8.7 level in more challenging contexts, they will get the final ahead of the former. Level of difficulty (scoreline, player management, KMI’s) becomes relevant when more candidates are performing well.
John Brooks has been appointed to Man United vs Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday. Anthony Taylor 40. VAR is Tim Robinson, AVAR's Chris Kavanagh and Eddie Smart.
ReplyDeleteQuarter Finals
Sat 16th Mar 2024
Manchester City FC (First Team) v Newcastle United FC (First Team) Live on BBC One & BBC iPlayer
FA Cup
Referee: Hooper, Simon
Assistant Referee: Holmes, Adrian
Assistant Referee: Long, Simon
Fourth Official: Pawson, Craig
Video Assistant Referee: Gillett, Jarred
Video Assistant Referee: Bramall, Thomas
Additional Video Assistant Referee: Davies, Neil
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (First Team) v Coventry City FC (First Team) Live on ITV, STV, ITVX & STV Player
FA Cup
Referee: Barrott, Sam
Assistant Referee: Perry, Marc
Assistant Referee: Scholes, Mark
Fourth Official: Salisbury, Michael
Video Assistant Referee: Scott, Graham
Video Assistant Referee: Attwell, Stuart
Additional Video Assistant Referee: Aspinall, Natalie
Sun 17th Mar 2024
Chelsea (First Team) v Leicester City FC (First Team) Live on BBC One & BBC iPlayer
FA Cup
Referee: Madley, Andrew
Assistant Referee: Lennard, Harry
Assistant Referee: Hopton, Nick
Fourth Official: Tierney, Paul
Video Assistant Referee: Oliver, Michael
Video Assistant Referee: England, Darren
Additional Video Assistant Referee: Robathan, Daniel
Manchester United FC (First Team) v Liverpool FC (First Team) Live on ITV, STV, ITVX & STV Player
FA Cup
Referee: Brooks, John
Assistant Referee: Betts, Lee
Assistant Referee: Wood, Timothy
Fourth Official: Taylor, Anthony
Video Assistant Referee: Robinson, Tim
Video Assistant Referee: Kavanagh, Christopher
Additional Video Assistant Referee: Smart, Edward
UEFA 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.
I'm starting to wonder why stories like this are always “in the open” when Marciniak has refereed a game. You never read anything like this when Orsato or any other top-flight ref had an excellent game. My impression is that Marciniak and/or the Polish media are running a sort-of campaign as we’re slowly heading towards the EURO final in July, which he’s aiming for. In my opinion it’s quite annoying - He doesn't need this. In Nyon they know what he’s capable of.
DeleteAnd although Marciniak is #1 right now, such campaigns are almost ‘derogatory’ towards Orsato/Turpin/Makkelie, who can be at the same level (or at least very close) when they are in top form.
@Unkown Correct, I've never seen anything like it before. Even the public service broadcaster is involved now...
DeleteElliot: Mazic... :))
DeleteStraight red card for serious foul play in Prague (19') after a very long OFR.
ReplyDeleteClip: https://streamin.me/v/aa4d4623
DeleteStrange red, I don't understand it after VAR
DeleteCmon, thats never a RC. Good example why point of contact alone doesnt serve justice
DeleteIt's easy to see why it's given, but I can definitely see why people feel it's harsh. I think the fact that Nyberg didn't even show a yellow played a big part in Van Boekel intervening (even though it shouldn't according to protocol), had he shown a yellow and given a clear explanation for it, I can't see a VAR intervention in this case
DeleteHigler, not Van Boekel* sorry
DeleteIt’s boarderline. If Nyberg issued the YC live, VAR probably would not call him… YC is not a clear and obvious mistake. But no card and Milan players frustrated is reason for VAR to let him rewatch the incident.
DeleteI think this could be assessed as very unlucky circumstance, you see literally (of course not deliberately) Milan's player putting his foot below the opponent. Then, contact that allows a red card, but can we only look at that? Don't know, maybe this time as VAR I wouldn't have intervened, a situation must be analyzed very carefully. Of course absolutely no problem in case of red card live by Nyberg, would have been OK decision.
DeleteBut I think we shouldn't categorize all red cards only looking at a point of contact. And, as you already said, Nyberg having a perfect view on the incident. That's very important to underline.
Wrong intervention, this isn't worthy of a red card. There is no brutality or excessive force involved. It's a step on the foot/ankle but without endangering the player's safety. This is not a case for VAR. Higler and Van Boekel are often overly involved in areas of refereeing where they should remain uninvolved.
DeleteVery poor decision, YC at maximum!
DeleteNothing more than a 'normal' step on foot really.
YC, no more, in my opinion.
DeleteI’ll go a step further and say this is only a foul, at most. The action by the Prague player is not reckless. The opponent puts himself in harm’s way.
DeleteNyberg 1 meter from red card situation and he almost did not even whistle a foul not to speak about yellow or red card. He is like that in allsvenskan to super lenient and missing many mandatory cards. This is his biggest weakness . If he correct this he will be top 10 referee in Europe very soon but this is huge minus in his style. Just watch this situation he is not even close to show a card.
ReplyDeleteI was impressed by Nyberg in Dortmund-PSG. But now, must admit that the style of playing of German/English teams etc suits his managing style better.
DeleteThis is the first time he referees an Italian team; a whole new experience for him.
Vejo que a UEFA relegou o Nyberg à Liga Europa naquele momento, como um possível teste envolvendo uma equipe italiana pensando as quartas de final da Liga dos Campeões. Por exemplo, se houver um confronto entre Manchester City x Borussia Dortmund ou Bayern x Arsenal, provavelmente Nyberg será escalado.
DeleteIn Rangers - Benfica, AR2 raised offside for a player in his own half, but it wasn't easy to see, very quick action. VAR needed time to correct and allow the 0-1 by Portuguese team.
ReplyDeleteShould be an easy night for Soares Dias who can count himself very unlucky
ReplyDeletePositioning a bit iffy at times, close to getting in the way on a couple of occasions
Delete30 mins in and the whistle has gone just twice. One free kick and the whistle to start the game
DeleteNext time I read Italian teams only are simulating…
ReplyDeleteSurprised by NO VAR in Brighton
ReplyDeleteZwayer disallowed a goal by Roma for dangerous play, something you don't see in modern football anymore. Very brave decision, and fully correct according to how this rule was applied in past times, but some people, especially commentators, have even lost knowledge about that, they couldn't understand.
ReplyDeleteItalians not happy with the decision, going back to Mourinho times with booking for De Rossi
DeleteNow Roma players are very nervous, Mancini simulating a violent conduct, The clasic scenes we remember from Mourinho's times indeed... the German must be careful even if the score is still far away from saying that it's an open tie.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn’t I read anything about the blatant simulation for which Mancini was booked?
DeleteWhat’s your point here? You’re entirely free to bring up the Mancini yellow card and start a discussion about it! What would you like to discuss?
DeleteMy point is that, as usual, here I read always comments against Italian teams, while a Brighton player did exactly what Mancini is being accused of
DeleteAnd here we start with insults! Admin should stop that, shouldn’t you Chefren? I know it’s plenty of anti Italians here, but wasn’t it a refereeing blog?
ReplyDeleteConsidering what is tolerated to say about referees in general football forums, I wouldn't even call this insults
Deleteso what? We can stop discussing about refereeing and start insulting teams/players? I thought the blog wanted to be something better, my bad
DeleteThe "bunch of cheaters" comment was out of order and has been deleted.
DeleteThanks Mikael, at least one admin exists
DeleteSorry, I missed the insulting comments, otherwise I would have deleted them! Thanks Mikael.
DeleteAny reports about Schärers performance? No cards so far, it seems to be a fair game without focus on referee...
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely nothing to report, no focus on referee. Velasco Carballo not having anything to assess.
DeleteHard to say if that helps his chances to attend the EURO or not.
DeleteI was live in Bergamo. It has really been a very easy match for Schärer, nothing to say about his performance
DeleteAbsolutely wrong call by Attwell for a possible RC for DOGSO!
ReplyDeleteNever a clear one, not central position and another defender who could have tried the last attempt... Taylor changed the YC but he was not convinced.
I agree, never clear and obvious mistake. A bad few days for Attwell...
DeleteAgree, didn't expect an intervention there.
DeleteI wouldn't deem this "absolutely wrong" but certainly a hard decision. Striker is running straight towards the goal with control of the ball. He could gave easily taken a shot before the other defender reaches him. That does support the RC.
DeleteI regard it more like a 50/50-type of situation which implies that I don't see YC as clear and obvious mistake.
Video: https://www.streambug.io/cv/494c20
DeleteBad call by Atwell, but Taylor was not forced to issue the RC if not convinced…
DeleteI would have preferred yc but at least its not as awful decision as earlier rc for Slavia player
DeleteRed card for me. Quite obvious
DeleteTaylor was also very bad in the previous round. Nevertheless, UEFA continued to give him matches. For UEFA it doesn't matter whether a referee officiates well or not. They have grouped referees according to their minds. They assign matches accordingly. Real Madrid player shouldn't have been sent off in that position.
DeleteThats a RC for me. The only thing maybe not that clear is if the little grab is enough.
DeleteKlopp wishes to make a change. Dias allows quick free kick instead. Player to be subbed then makes a challange and gets a YC, Klopp furious and also booked. All could have been completely avoided had the suubstitution occured in the break of play. Dias making an easy game a little less easy and I understand Klopp's frustrations
ReplyDeleteShouldn't have been a YC anyway
DeleteI agree. Never in England, maybe Europe sees the studs as reckless, maybe Dias was bored
DeleteLiverpool fans. Always against the referee. Also in Premeir League
Delete2 half at the moment in full control of Felix. The cards was need for the control I guess.
ReplyDeleteThe game calmed down after the agitated moments in first half.
DeleteYes, Zwayer controlled a difficult match very well - more in the second half. Roma are a very difficult team
DeleteCan anyone explain why Tayler didn't show a RC in min 82?
ReplyDeleteAnd when Attwell could have made a rather correct intervention, he didn't!
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/c453ac
Better to call referee to OFR for this one than for the DOGSO, of course you can't compare such kind of incidents, but the problem with VAR is that very often you see such odd things.
@ Chefren: You are perfectly right.
DeleteWhat a mess in the VAR cabin ...
Anthony Taylor at risk of missing out on UCL knockouts and Euros? His form really is poor
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's not Tayler to blame; Atwells performance was the crux in this game.
DeleteTaylor had a blinder, not his fault Attwell called for an unnecessary review
DeleteImpossible to say a 'blinder'. Yellow on field and red after OFR both can not be correct. Also missed possible RC tackle
DeleteTaylor also missed a Red Card. OFR should have been rejected
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSome referee's who deserve matches will get matches, other's who do not will get matches. This is always the way
DeleteVery first prediction for the extremely difficult set-up for the remaining games.
ReplyDeleteArsenal-Bayern Kovács/Makkelie
Atlético-Dortmund Letexier/Taylor
Real Madrid - Manchester City Turpin/Marciniak
PSG - Barcelona Vincic/Orsato
I think we won't see any Spanish referees from now on. Only one game available, but my feeling is that this game can be the last for Makkelie for the final.
Orsato used for PSG-Barcelona would make him available for SF between Real-City/Arsenal-Bayern. And I think Real-City can be treated as sort of final, so for sure two referees can be used who already refereed CL final.
I really want to fin Zwayer in the mix, but could not for now as he basically can be used for PSG-Barcelona, but I think the good old game we remember by Aytekin is still has an influence on that. (Not because he is German, but it will be treated as a really high profile clash)
And at the same time in EL there can be some really big clashes having Milan, Roma, Liverpool, Leverkusen there.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteHinting at conspiracies about the draw can be done elsewhere, please.
DeleteSth random: it wouldn't be the first Paris-Barça clash for Zwayer to be involved in :P
My prediction:
DeleteArsenal - Bayern: Nyberg / Kovacs
Real Madrid - Manchester City: Makkelie / Orsato
Atletico - Dortmund: Soares Dias / Turpin
PSG - Barcelona: Vincic / Marciniak
Milan - Roma: Oliver / Letexier
Leverkusen - West Ham: Meler / Massa
Liverpool - Bergamo: Sanchez Martinez / Zwayer
Benfica - Marseille: Siebert / Kruzliak
For me its a test, either Vincic or Makkelie with the final. Letexier possible with Atletico but I got the feeling we see Soares Dias in CL. I would agree with Zwayer, he would have deserved a CL match but I dont really find a match.
@Mikael,
DeleteThat was not a conspiracy, more a conclusion that a French team COULD potentially spoil Makkelie’s final chances again.
If my memory serves me right, there was no French team in last year's final.
DeleteUEFA Elite referees called to big CL quarterfinals, I think we can talk about the most sonorous pairings of recent years at this stage.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, PSG - Barcelona, a game that includes also the "French affair" in what is alreasy a top clash, then to follow in my opinion Real - City, third ranked is Arsenal - Bayern and then the last one in which in my opinion there are the only chances for very alternative names, Atlético - Borussia Dortmund, but maybe not that much due to Atlético... it will be interesting to see the appointments.
Oliver or Taylor likely to appear in PSG-Barceloan first leg?
DeleteOliver did PSG last round so may make it less likely.
I suspect one English will be in either that or Athletico Madrid vs Dortmund.
Otherwise its Europa, Taylor impossible in AC vs Roma. Oliver perhaps unlikely with a double Italian team. So its Marseille vs Benefica as the main option.
Semi Finals likely to have a first leg only option for the other side of the draw from the English Teams.
I can see Michael Oliver in the Conference League Final should Aston Villa be knocked out.
It also depends on how UEFA see Anthony Taylor and Stuart Attwell's performance last night.
I think that committee is aware of Taylor form, the assignment for Leverkusen - Qarabag is a signal of that (first leg: Bastien). So, after the controversial performance, but yes more blame must be given to Attwell, I think it is very unlikely to see him in CL and more generally, at this point one could draw maybe the conclusion that even without English teams in final, Taylor shouldn't be a candidate for that game.
DeleteMore chances for Oliver, but I think he is possible name for Atlético - Borussia Dormund, than PSG - Barcelona.
Arsenal - Bayern: Nyberg / Kovacs
ReplyDeleteReal Madrid - Manchester City: Letexier / Makkelie
Atletico - Dortmund: Soares Dias / Turpin
PSG - Barcelona: Vincic / Orsato
Milan - Roma: Kruzliak / Marciniak
Leverkusen - West Ham: Meler / Massa
Liverpool - Bergamo: Sanchez Martinez / Zwayer
Benfica - Marseille: Siebert / Oliver
I think Anthony Taylor may be out, too many VAR interventions
Almost certainly, the Refcom will appoint one of Turpin/Marciniak to the Roma-Milan return game. Followed by a semi-final CL.
ReplyDeleteI predict Turpin, because his countrymen Letexier is also in the running for a QF CL appointment.
It doesn't particularly feel like a Turpin game though, didn't he have a few issues in the all italian Milan UCL clash?
DeleteInteresting draw, with of course top clash matches. I see Makkelie as the prime candidate for the final, just as in 2022. He's having a good season. However, if PSG reaches the final, I'm curious to see if UEFA will dare to set aside political emotions and support their referee, who otherwise might miss another final due to matters beyond his control.
ReplyDeleteMy predictions would be:
ReplyDeleteQ1: Arsenal - Bayern: Letexier/Marciniak
Q2: Atletico Madrid - Borussia Dortmund: Oliver/Makkelie
Q3: Real Madrid - Manchester City: Kovacs/Turpin
Q4: PSG - Barcelona: Vincic/Orsato
I will expain step-by-step the way I thought the appointments predicted.
Unfortunately I don't see where Zwayer could be appointed and Oliver therefore became the main solution for the eight choice. For semifinals we have Q1-Q3 and Q2-Q4.
In my predictions Turpin and Letexier are not involved with PSG possible future opponent from Q2. Neither is Oliver for Q1 and Q3 with English teams. Marciniak, Makkelie, Kovcs, Vincic and Orsato are now neutral.
Based on previous round appointments, now we can have
Orsato - Q 1,3,4
Marciniak - Q 1,3,4
Q3 second leg seems perfect for Turpin so I chosed Orsato in Q4 and Marciniak in Q1 because the latter had a recent controversy with PSG.
It remained in Q2 second leg, Q3 first leg, Q4 first leg and Makkelie, Vincic, Kovacs
Again, based on previous round appointments
Kovacs available for the Q 3,4
Makkelie available for the Q 2,3
Vincic available for Q 2,3,4
Makkelie looks to be higher rated so he would be the logical option for Q2. So we remained with Kovacs in Q3 (he had an excellent performance in a previos game between the teams) and Vincic in Q4 (very suitable game for him)
Nice post Matei! I can follow your logic.
DeleteHowever, I don’t think it’s fair and sensible to appoint Vincic with PSG. Cause in some way, he can increase his own final chances if you get what I mean.
And secondly, imagine that Mr. Ceferin is watching from the stands next to El Khalaifi (talking about appearance and neutrality..)
I predict we will see Zwayer in PSG-Barcelona.
My early predictions
ReplyDeleteArsenal - Bayern: Nyberg / Kovacs
Real Madrid - Manchester City: Makkelie / Vincic
Atletico - Dortmund: Oliver / Letexier
PSG - Barcelona: Massa / Taylor
Milan - Roma: Schärer / Turpin
Leverkusen - West Ham: Kruzliak / Orsato
Liverpool - Bergamo: Gil Manzano / Marciniak
Benfica - Marseille: Peljto / Sanchez
Brugge - PAOK: Collum / Stieler
Olympiakos - Fenerbahce: Grinfeeld / Siebert
Aston Villa - Lille: Meler / Eskas
Plzen - Fiorentina: Hernandez / Jovanovic
No Zwayer?
DeleteI was thinking, he could skip this round.
DeleteIn CL, he had Barcelona in R16 and there are bigger names available for Real - ManCity. But not impossible, that he gets one of the games anyway.
And in EL, there are simply many options, of which one can only choose eight.
I also left out Gözübüyük, Guida and Soares Dias in this selection, who all should get a further game somewhere - but you can't use everyone in the QFs.
UEFA usually tries to avoid 2nd leg appointments of referees from countries that could be faced in the next round. In this specific case Letexier should not be an option for Dortmund - Atletico with PSG as potential semi-final opponent. Given the presence of three clubs from Spain one could think about the possibility that the 1st leg Arsenal - Bayern goes to a Spaniard.
DeleteFor the same reason I would exclude Orsato from the 2nd leg Westham - Leverkusen.
DeleteAnd also Meler from Aston Villa - Lille (although you considered him for the 1st leg).
DeleteYour selections make sense except for Oliver. Atletico he could not handle
DeleteI agree with many of the comments. UEFA will try to avoid conflict and use some referees on first matches to stop complaints about countries / teams.
DeleteAbout Oliver - didn't people say the same about PSG in the last round? I didn't read any problems after the match
Orsato - To be kept for top UCL semi final?
Taylor - Should really be out from now, but we know he will have matches.
Vincic - 1st Leg QF (not PSG) as a final test?
Yes, good remark regarding next round appointments. I think, in my predictions I could simply swap Letexier and Oliver around and replace Orsato by Soares Dias.
DeleteAnd yes, for Orsato my idea would be indeed to keep him for the SF - same for Marciniak and Turpin.
A final test in the QFs could be done for all of Kovacs, Makkelie and Vincic.
My try would be:
DeleteArsenal - Bayern: Nyberg / Orsato
Real Madrid - Manchester City Zwayer / Kovacs
Atletico - Dortmund Letexier / Soares Dias
PSG - Barcelona Taylor / Marciniak
Milan - Roma Scharer / Vincic
Leverkusen - West Ham Peljto / Turpin
Liverpool - Atalanta Kruzliak / Makkelie
Benfica - Marseille Oliver / Gil Manzano
Club Brugge - PAOK Stieler / Hernandez Hernandez
Viktoria Plzen - Fiorentina Bastien / Gozubuyuk
Lille - Aston Villa Meler / Eskas
Fenerbahce - Olympiakos Sanchez Martinez / Guida
I expect Vincic, Oliver, Turpin to be saved for UCL semifinals. Makkelie for final
I expect Massa to be saved for UEL semifinal, Letexier my favorite for the final
Peljto would be my pick for UECL final right now.
Predictions for play-offs (VAR in brackets)
ReplyDeletePOL-EST: Oliver (Attwell)
WAL-FIN: Vincic (Kajtazovic)
Final A: Kovacs (Fritz)
ISR-ISL: Makkelie (Dieperink)
BIH-UKR: Turpin (Brisard)
Final B: Marciniak (Kwiatkowski)
GEO-LUX: Zwayer (Dankert)
GRE-KAZ: Letexier (Irrati)
Final C: Orsato (Valeri)
Predictions (could imagine Taylor and Zwayer getting compensation for no more CL)
DeletePOL-EST: Taylor (Kavanagh)
WAL-FIN: Vincic (Kajtazovic)
Final A: Zwayer (Dankert)
ISR-ISL: Kovacs (Valeri)
BIH-UKR: Makkelie (Dieperink)
Final B: Orsato (Irrati)
GEO-LUX: Letexier (Millot)
GRE-KAZ: Marciniak (Kwiatkowski)
Final C: Turpin (Brisard)
Any predictions for the play-off finals?
ReplyDeleteMost predictable names would be Turpin, Marciniak, Orsato, however:
- Path A can’t be Marciniak (Poland) and Turpin (winner is in groupstage with France). And Orsato refereed Poland in his last game. Not sure this is a problem though. A potential final is Poland-Wales which can be a rough but fair one.
- Path B has some political backgrounds. A potential final could be Israel - Ukraine and Refcom must be very aware of that. Marciniak seems unlikely here, due to the tight connections of Ukraine and Poland. Orsato seems a better fit here than in A.
- For Path C, I don’t see many restrictions but two teams that can be difficult to officiate (Greece and Kazakhstan). Marciniak is the best fit here.
If they want to use the Top 3, it will be Orsato (A), Turpin (B) and Marciniak (C). But I wouldn’t be surprised to see Orsato in B and a different name in A.
Yes, path A is tricky. Also Makkelie not available due to the EURO group. Orsato also had POL in the WC play-off final, which might be another argument.
DeleteSo Kovacs, Vincic and Zwayer seem to be the options for the A final.
I don't see a big problem with Marciniak and Ukraine, but if there is, Turpin is a good alternative.
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DeleteI predict Makkelie for the most difficult match in path C ( Greece and Kazakhstan )
ReplyDeleteThis weekend again in the Netherlands, an unbelievable decision was made depending on whether 'the ball hit the hand/arm first or the body first.'
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/ESPNnl/status/1769093718395539649?s=20
ESPN did receive a response from the VAR (Laurens Gerrets), which stated that the ball appeared to fall between Dijks' head and arm and that there was no clear evidence as to whether the ball had landed on the hand or the arm.
You may not believe it, but they are serious.
Scandalous VAR decision and explanation. But when reading the name of the VAR, don’t make too much fuss of it. The VAR (Gerrets) does not have the level for some time now and they are well aware in Zeist:
Delete1) Approx three Eredivisie matches a year
2) He is not a FIFA Video Match Official (and never will be)
3) Is never assigned as VAR in top matches, just low ranked games not crucial for the standings. And you almost never see him behind the screen in Makkelie/Gozubuyuk games. That already says enough. We can assume at some point it has consequences for him (relegation).
Very interesting set of appointments coming up indeed.
ReplyDeletePath A
Wales - Finland: Vincic
Poland - Estonia: Kovacs
Final: Zwayer
Path B
Bosnia - Ukraine: Oliver
Israel - Iceland: Marciniak
Final: Makkelie
Path C
Georgia - Luxemburg: Letexier
Greece - Kazakhstan: Turpin
Final: Orsato
I am most curious about Path B.
DeleteIt is possible that the (cross-border) conflicts in Israel and Ukraine can influence the appointment of referees. In games that involve Israel, they’ll strive to appoint a referee from a country that has a neutral position (not pro/contra). It is more probable to see a Swiss referee than a German, to give a random example. Perhaps, Schärer isn’t a bad shout at all :)
Orsato, Turpin and Makkelie are possible too.
Furthermore, the option Marciniak with Ukraine, while Poland has most Ukrainian refugees, I think this will be avoided.
My prediction
ReplyDeleteQF:
Atlético - Dortmund: Letexier / Vincic
PSG - Barcelona: Zwayer / Orsato
Arsenal - Bayern: Sánchez / Makkelie
Real Madrid - Man. City: Kovacs / Turpin
Roma - AC Milan: Marciniak
SF:
ATM/BVB - PSG/BAR: …?* / Marciniak
ARS/BAY-RMA/MCI: …?* / Orsato
*Depends on the teams involved
F:
Vincic or Makkelie
I would go for
ReplyDeleteARS - BAY Guida / Marciniak
REAL - MCITY Turpin / Vincic
HF Ars/Bay - Real/MCity Makkelie/Orsato
ATL - DOM Oliver / Makkelie
PSG - BARCA Kovacs/Orsato
HF Atl/Dom - PSG/Barca Taylor/Vincic
CL Final Marciniak or Kovacs
MIL - ROMA Bastien/Schärer
LEV - WHAM Soares Dias/Nyberg
HF: Letexier/Kovacs
LIV-ATA Meler/Zwayer
BENF-MAR Hernandez H. /Siebert
HF Sanchez M. / Marciniak
EL-Final Vincic or Zwayer