The Romanian referee is about to officiate his second UEFA final. Let's comment about his performance.
22 May 2024, 21:00 CET - Dublin (Aviva Stadium)
Atalanta (ITA) - Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER)
Referee: István Kovács (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Vasile Florin Marinescu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Mihai Ovidiu Artene (ROU)
Fourth Official: Ivan Kružliak (SVK)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Branislav Hancko (SVK)
Atalanta (ITA) - Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER)
Referee: István Kovács (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Vasile Florin Marinescu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Mihai Ovidiu Artene (ROU)
Fourth Official: Ivan Kružliak (SVK)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Branislav Hancko (SVK)
Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel (NED)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Cătălin Popa (ROU)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Cătălin Popa (ROU)
Video Assistant Referee Support: Rob Dieperink (NED)
UEFA Referee Observer: Vladimir Šajn (SVN)
UEFA Delegate: Thibault De Gendt (BEL)
UEFA Referee Observer: Vladimir Šajn (SVN)
UEFA Delegate: Thibault De Gendt (BEL)
I'm curious about the approach by the Romanian. I hope we will see again the referee from Barcelona - PSG, if needed. I also think that Kovacs is a referee who, if he tries to change the style, he can absolutely fail and make things worse! Remember Milan - Napoli, this was a lesson for him. Better to stay as he is, consistent during the full match.
ReplyDeleteKovacs style in my mind : 1. Cold
Delete2. Less expression
3. No smile
4. Straight face, intimidative
I'm sure Chefren's comment is more about the offense criteria, the relationship with the players, the disciplinary criteria :)
DeleteBut yes, in a terms of self-expression, you are right.
Well with the caution to Wirtz for mobbing, we should have an answer to the question posited by Chefren! :)
DeleteVery good by Kovacs so far!
ReplyDeleteHe is indeed refereeing the game, without the final approach.
Rather a very fair and amazing game to watch, with teams focused on football, but when the Romanian had to step in, he did that.
Correct to issue the first YC, then the one to Bayer Leverkusen playera few seconds ago was a clue of the new trend at EURO (but still, itt's Kovacs, so I don't know if another referee would have done that! :D). Correct YC to Atalanta player as well and good assessment of the penalty area incident, 29', attacker running into defender, nothing.
i dont lik wirtz yellow, bit harsh
ReplyDeletelike
DeleteExcellent Kovács in the first half. Very good selection of most serious offences and nice stepped / balancing disciplinary approach (warning to 7ATA for late cynical challenge in 9', no sanction to 3LEV after SPA-like step on foot in 17' and finally a YC to 19ATA for off-the-ball tripping in 22'; YC to 10LEV for mobbing was great and surely an effect of (EURO) instruction from the top). Firm but unobtrusive when stamping his authority while connecting with players, not allowing players (' reaction to influence his line). Well done!
ReplyDeleteVery good example for young referees. Full control and great football understanding. Good luck in 2nd half.
ReplyDeleteEverything in full control until now. In my view, Kovacs could let the game flow more. Some soft free kicks.
ReplyDeleteThat’s exactly what I wanted to say. This is by no means a challenging game, nowhere near last year’s final. And still are on 19 vs 11 fouls and 4 vs 3 YC’s. I’d like to see a somewhat higher bar on foul detection and a little more personality to manage the game.
DeleteWhats happen here
ReplyDeletehttps://ibb.co/WffMrNv
The Romanian has fully kept his style, another YC for dissent followed.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I will say something very trivial, but this game shows us that the modern approach, at least in a final, is not something strictly required by UEFA, otherwise Kovacs would have forced himself to change. This luckily didn't happen and we saw exactly the same referee who officiated previous games.
It's refreshing, but I want to wait for some confirmations watching the other finals.
For sure Šajn must be pleased today and the performance should be assessed, at least so far (85'), with a high mark. This is not the modern refereeing UEFA is asking for, so keeping a hope for us to see still referees with personality against players seems possible. Vincic and Soares Dias, even more in case of challenging finals, will give us more details about the current trend. At moment we can only say very well done to the Romanian. The final score shouldn't allow to think that this was an easy game. It wasn't surely a challenging one, but the work of the Romanian was great, as many readers here also agreed, in first half, making things absolutely easier for him with that appoach.
Correct by van Boekel right now, not VAR stuff, only to be confirmed if whistled by referee.
DeleteAlso another confirmation of how VAR will work at EURO.
I can only echo the rest of comments. Good/expected performance by 'Stephen Smith', with the question mark of that possible late PK, play-on supported by VAR.
ReplyDeleteVery glad that he didn't change his unobtrusive but strict and active style for the final. The Romanian should be proud of his performance and goes to EURO with high morale, while Rosetti/Sajn should be satisfied with the outcome.
Overall a solid expected level performance by Kovacs.
ReplyDeleteTwo interesting moments:
- Scamacca tackle in the first half. I think from a technical point of view that ticked a lot of boxes for SFP. But, we know in a final it is not the expected decision, especially not, and I hate to say it, against an Italian team
- Penalty in extra time. For me clear foul, should have been called by VAR, but didn't influence the result. Still though, very interesting that for the third time in a couple of games a high profile Elite referee makes a big mistake in extra time. Do we have a mental focus problem on our hands here?
The late VAR review looked as a penalty to me. But is seems like an attacker in offside position is challenging an opponent in the APP. Could this be the reason that the penalty wasn’t given here with no further explanation?
Delete@Dr. Jazz An OFR should always be recommended in case VAR detects a clear foul in the box. If there is an incident in the APP as well that would negate a penalty being awarded, that should be shown to the referee at the screen as well
DeleteNo. If Van Boekel thought it was a foul by Scalvini, he would have to send Kovacs to the screen, so he would have 2 incidents to review, as it’s a subjective offside (imo he’s not interfering at all)
DeleteThat makes sense. Besides that, Kovacs was absolutely brilliant tonight.
DeleteAt first, I am not sure if there is an offside position at all. Even if, not punishable. Then, very tricky regarding VAR intervention. It's 100% VAR intervention in case of kick having an impact on the attacking player. On the other hand, intervention is not required in case the attacker is kicked AFTER losing the chance to play the ball. Van Boekel assessed it as the latter and one can agree.
Delete>intervention is not required in case the attacker is kicked AFTER losing the chance to play the ball.
DeleteI don't agree with this method at all, but if that's UEFA's method, then it can't be helped.
Biggest incidents:
ReplyDelete29' - PAI kicking
https://streambug.org/cv/d84ab3
35' - Reckless vs SFP; YC for mobbing
https://streambug.org/cv/533cf6
55' - Potential 2YC 20ATA after illegal use of arm
https://streambug.org/cv/44c46e
77' - GK ATA handling the ball on the edge of the penalty area
https://streambug.org/cv/786222
90' - PAI kicking
https://streambug.org/cv/4d0d3d
+ decoration
https://streambug.org/cv/621178
The more I rewatch the 35' incident, the more the question raises why this wasn't judged as SFP. It's a fast and high impact tackle, leg fully stretched, studs up, hitting point just below the knee. Which arguments (based on the law) the referee has to give a yellow card?
ReplyDeleteFor me YC is the only correct desicion. The mitigation doen from red. Is the lowering of the studs and bending of the leg once he arrived at the ball. The most contact is the lower leg. Reckless.
DeleteBecause it wasn't a SFP, and YC is ok for Scamacca.It it wasn't intensity and a dangerous tackle for me, only a normal foul who is ok to be yellow.
DeleteYC, no SFP here. The intensity was mid-ish, but it was not a dangerous tackle. The studs were elsewhereand not made contact with the opponent's foot.
DeleteRC only to be confirmed if issued by referee, but many people would have found it harsh. I think Kovacs found the correct decision by issuing yellow card. I also think that for such challenges is always very difficult to read the details from the pitch, he went immediately for a classic reckless action, that one can't deny. Intensity is not high and the contact is not full. Still, very dangerous, but fouling player was lucky. I fully agree with van Boekel NO INTERVENTON.
DeleteIt's a clear YC. Scamacca goes in quite hard at first, but then fully pulls out of the tackle. It is a very comparable incident in this regard to the famous Ibrahimović RC in Chelsea-Paris 2015. To be honest I'd be quite happy with a VAR intervention in this scene if the on-field decision was red card.
DeleteAbout 90', I'd agree with Van Boekel: not (quite) clear and obvious.
Two observations:
ReplyDelete-Good game, but it wasn’t the most difficult Europa League final to officiate, particularly due to the fair and football focused teams and respectful coaches involved. For example Taylor (2023) and Makkelie (2020) had a much tougher game at hand.
-Kovács clinical style is indeed refreshing, but I don’t think this game really needed a law enforcer. The Wirtz YC was harsh. I mean, ‘35 was an endangering tackle with high speed where a player can easily get injured and Wirtz has the right to complain about that IMO. Better to use soft skills there.
I prefer to see Kovács and his law enforcing style in games with a hot nature where this style is really needed. In general, the best referees should be able to adapt their style, but that is a different topic.
True that it wasn't a game like the ones you mentioned from previous finals, but the management of the Romanian about dissent should be now the standard at EURO, regardless of the nature of the game, according to Rosetti words. So I think we should expect all referees acting in this way.
DeleteAnd about the last argument, as I wrote above, I think indeed the Romanian is not able to change a style, he must referee the game as he is. But that's not a big issue in my opinion, I prefer a harsh referee than another who is passive when players make mobbing against him.
I would be pleasantly surprised when lenient Turpin and Vincic would change their styles tbh :)
DeleteKovacs indeed he should not change his style, because we have seen in the past it didn’t work for him. Rosetti should use Kovacs in specific contexts though. Some games require a more modern and emphatic referee. Kovacs feels misplaced and wasted in such games
Personally, I enjoy it the most when a referee is able to adapt his style from a ‘players friend’ to a law enforcer when the game needs it. That skill is very underrated imo and only a few are capable to do that. It’s the definition of being prepared.
"Right to complain."
DeleteOn a yellow card tackle where the referee was giving a yellow card and the player ran in screaming like a maniac and trying to pressure him to say a red and using who knows what sort of language.
"Right to complain." Unbelievable. We are our own worst enemies.
I completely agree with usaref on this one. I don't believe it was Kovacs who fouled the Leverkusen player, so why should he be the one getting the blame ? Referees are not the player's doormats.
DeleteThe Romanian correctly cautioned the Italian for his reckless (and nothing more btw) challenge, then rightly punished an idiotic player who lashed out his frustration on him and ended up screaming in the referee's face (!!!). Kovacs has absolutely nothing to reproach himself, and simply did something too many of his peers consistently refused to do. To consider this mobbing caution as a problem is a very concerning issue, if you ask me.
Haha, oh come on.
DeleteIt was a hard and nasty tackle.
And yes, it was a YC.
But imagine that the Leverkusen-player was injured and needed to be substituted… You really think a dissent YC would make things easier for Kovacs in the remaining part of the game or create acceptance? No. The Romanian was lucky the player wasn’t injured.
Smart referees know when to issue YC’s. Timing is everything folks.
What you tolerate, you encourage.
DeleteThe reason this behavior happens is simply because the smart referees you allude to, allow it to go unpunished. That's it. There's absolutely not reason why Wirtz's behavior is supposed to be part of our game. In fact, it's not supposed to be.
Don't get me wrong. I do ascribe completely to the belief that listening to players and reading their emotions can help referees make better decisions, recalibrate their approach, and even correct mistakes. But that's not what this is. This isn't a short emotional outburst. It's public, it's provocative, it's designed to influence the referee and, again, it's probably accompanied by unacceptable language. Why on earth do we want to defend or allow it? Sheesh.
The countries that never had a Category 1 referee in UEFA should be the following: Andorra, Armenia, Far Oer, Gibraltar, Kazakhstan (but a woman in Cat. 1), Kosovo, Liechtenstein (no referees at all), Moldova, San Marino.
ReplyDeleteChefren, are you telling Liechtenstein never had a FIFA referee?
ReplyDeleteAny comments on the playoff game in England? Often referred to as the “richest game in football”, the winner will receive north of £100 million (127 US dollars) upon promotion and almost double that if they manage to survive in the Premier League the following season.
ReplyDeleteOT: Mariani & Di bello (as var) to copa america
ReplyDeleteEric van Marwijk: I think Chefren meant that Liechtenstein currently does not have a FIFA referee. At the end of the 1990s/beginning of the 2000s, Roland Beck was in action in the European Cup (including FC Barcelona) and refereed regularly in the Swiss Super League (as well as two matches as a substitute referee in the Austrian Bundesliga).
ReplyDelete