The French referee has been assigned to EURO final.
Game 51, Final
Berlin, 14 July 2024 21:00 CET
Berlin, 14 July 2024 21:00 CET
SPAIN - ENGLAND
Referee: François Letexier FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
UEFA Delegate: Filip Popovski MKD
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Szymon Marciniak POL
Reserve Assistant Referee: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Fourth Official: Szymon Marciniak POL
Reserve Assistant Referee: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Video Assistant Referee: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1: Willy Delajod FRA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2: Massimiliano Irrati ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Björn Kuipers NEDAssistant Video Assistant Referee 2: Massimiliano Irrati ITA
UEFA Delegate: Filip Popovski MKD
Shocking appointment. Very, very big final without experience and after boring, noneventful matches at the tournament.
ReplyDeleteOrsato, Marciniak and Turpin. Who is a winner in category of spot on their face by Committee?
Wow I'm surprised. Not because I would doubt his qualities, but because of the big names that are passed over.
ReplyDeleteYes, I had him bottom of the list. I thought he had no chance, only as FO to Turpin
DeleteAs Juan said, Beida 2.0... and we have our 'Jiyed figure' too :).
ReplyDeleteI dont know what to think, seems like a disaster tournament in terms of UEFA referees appointment. I just hope Letexier will handle it well without pressure. Im quite in shock right now. My prediction was Marciniak as main and Letexier as 4O
ReplyDeleteWow. I did not expect that. Maybe they should choose another referee to go to the Olympics, Letexier is way ahead of the others.
ReplyDeleteWell, Rosetti chose the safiest option FOR HIM. He clearly wanted to save face with all this 'meritocracy' stuff.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't want to appoint Marciniak: he would've lost all the authority among refs by appointing him to the final after the famous conflict + the Pole would've become the best referee in history based on achievements.
He didn't want to appoint Turpin because of the opening game: everybody would deem Rosetti as a clown after his words about meritocracy and the goal to make decisions on-field.
He chose the best possible option for him. He can say it's meritocracy and show Letexier as an example that everything is possible to those who perform well. I'm sure the Frenchman is mentally strong enough to succeed in the final AND to not lose motivation.
Good luck to the French team!!!
+1.
DeleteThe treatment of Orsato is, for me, very sour. The equivalent action in 2021 would have been to 'demote' Kuipers after his indifferent three performances leading up and to have 'promoted' somebody else in his stead (Makkelie, Oliver, Siebert?).
Why this time and not then?(!)
Because Kuipers didn't award a penalty against Slovenia! :D
DeleteNot sure whether better to laugh or cry...
DeleteAnd, now Marciniak won't referee the final, it should be said: sending Zwayer to what UEFA very well knew would be his 'death' in Netherlands-England instead of the Pole is a scandal for all time.
There are arguments to write very long analysis!
DeleteWe will try to do that on next days.
For sure, after Germany - Scotland it was impossible for Rosetti to assign Turpin for the final, he would indeed have lost his face. Nevertheless, at a certain point it looked clear that they had again this idea in mind, despite of the poor performance in the opener.
Marciniak treatment: to me absurd, but at least consistent until the end. Only two games, appointed for Italy because with that national team committee has only a few option and then nothing. The frst game in group stage is not even worhyt of being mentioned. He paid the mistake in semifinal, impossible to see him referee in Germany for the EURO final, and that's another fact.
So, conclusion: Letexier. Nobody could say that he didn't deserve, but we should also add that in case of France in final, Marciniak would have got it, so the Polish was "used" (like many other referees) until the end.
By makin g this assignment, and by having sent home Orsato earlier, to me, committe, last but not least, gives also a signal about the next models of refereeing, they will not likee anymore the old style and they will always be in favor of referees with the mentalit of the French.
And... Turpin can only be angry to himself for the first game, clearly he would have officiated the final without those mistakes, and with Orsato out.
The most terrifying signal is: don't make (even correct) decisions against Slovenia and PSG. You can be the best in the world but in such case you're destroyed.
DeleteI think in case of ESPNED final, it would've still been Turpin or Marciniak. The expectation is that ESPENG could be football focused, therefore such appointment was possible.
I think it's very naive to think that Rosseti can save his authority among refs after this Euro. They're not crazy. They saw how Makkelie and Orsato were treated
DeleteWhat Euro Soccer Ref said is what's scary to me as well.
DeleteA referee who makes correct decisions isn't rewarded.
Rather a good referee now:
- avoids early mandatory yellow cards, because the risk of an early send off is too scandalous (Kovacs' game versus how Taylor managed Kroos)
- should make sure teams with strong lobbies win (Makkelie with Croatia, Orsato with Slovenia)
This opens the door to a complete drop in sporting integrity and is absolutely outrageous.
I think it's high time the referee assessments be made public, and a system put in place where referees and publicly ranked.
Make this an actual meritocracy: just like how teams have to earn their positions on a table, so should the referees.
Mikael, I disagree with the following: “ And, now Marciniak won't referee the final, it should be said: sending Zwayer to what UEFA very well knew would be his 'death' in Netherlands-England instead of the Pole is a scandal for all time.”
DeleteMarciniak could not have been used on NED-ENG because he was the only real option in the event of a France - England final. He had to be preserved for that contingency.
Otherwise, if he was appointed to the semifinal, who would referee a FRA-ENG final? Zwayer??? That would be putting him into an even worse situation than his semi. Siebert or Kruzliak? That was never going to happen. Repeat Vincic or Marciniak from the semifinal? Theoretically possible, but what if they both had disasters? Then you’d have to get Soares Dias a quick flight back from Lisbon XD
Wow ! I'm surprised !
ReplyDeleteI just feel awfully bad for Turpin
ReplyDeleteMe too. An experienced referee seeing this kind of thing might get the impression that his career is worth little, I think it could perhaps prompt Turpin's desire for retirement.
DeleteIf you want to led the performance principle suceed and set it as "absolute" - OK, that's consequent and transparent. In this context, Letexiers appointment is perfect. But what about Vincic, Makkelie, Zwayer, Orsato, Marciniak, Oliver, ... ? No one of this big names is handled after the performance principle. It's "off the air" to choose Letexier. Unbelievable, no structure in management. Rosetti did not count on the performances in Champions League 2022-24 and not during the EURO 2021 (Cakir, Kuipers). Why now? No consistency at all.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteI just copy my comment:
ReplyDeleteWow, Letexier for the Final is a massive shocker. I could not have imagined that UEFA would appoint him for the Final, considering his age and inexperience. That‘s definitely a new approach. UEFA tried to avoid any risk in decisive matches, appointing the big names. For sure, Letexier‘s appointment is a big risk. Is he "ready" for such a match?
Don‘t get me wrong, speaking about performance in this tournament, the appointment can be fully justified. But, at least for me, that‘s the biggest surprise you could get: Letexier getting more than Turpin.
Then we have to comment on Marciniak as FO only. Fair to say that looking at what Marciniak has achieved in this tournament, it was a weak one. His performances were good, but nothing more than a R16 match. Only two matches in the end. I did not think that his prestory in CL would influence his chances so much. Yes, no matches with GER being involved, but such a special treatment? His appointment as a FO should be read as a mean to avoid too much embarrassement for Marciniak in this tournament.
The particular thing about Marciniak is that, with France in final, he would have handled this final. So, fully contrary opinion by committee at the end? Let's reflect on that, or, just they use referees as they want? :)
DeleteNot really contradictory, it seems like he wasn’t their first choice for whatever reason, and they would have only given him the final if they begrudgingly had to do so.
DeleteI think Marciniak actually would have excelled under those circumstances, with the underdog mentality and the chance to prove his doubters (his bosses) wrong and to give them the proverbial middle finger.
After moments of excitment about this guy, I am proud on what he did in this season, and how he did it. I was wonder about that Uefa would like to avoid Kassai situation,but possibly they know Letexier mentaloty better than me. Full mert by this appoinit. He will have possibly best VAR at this tournament. So, BRAVO for Leteixer. Hope he will have more than top performance.
ReplyDeleteI think we can say that it was a complettely unsatisfactory tournament.Playful, organisational and in terms ofthe appointments of the Referees.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to be an Orsato fanboy but one last (humerous) remark on this topic.
ReplyDeleteSomewhere in northern Italy on Sunday:
https://imgur.com/a/5DHzWP1
WOW !!!!! Shocking also for me. I guess that never a referee with so low international experience and 'palmares" went strictly to final in one of the two biggest continental competition. Don't forget that Letexier has officiate only Super Cup final match, No CL, EL, NL or Conference finals and that he is in the elite category only since 3 years. Probably this is the compromise between Ceferin and committee as results of an internal fight between who refused Orsato and pushed for Marciniak and who wanted Orsato and push for the men highly rated.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a little bit early and we all hope that Letexier will not lose himself or will not lose motivation after a so high early recognition and it is at the same time a little bit de-respectful to Orsato, Makkelie, Turpin, Oliver etc, I mean respect to has demonstrated a string reliability along many years.
BUT all in all I think that it is FULLY DESERVED !!!!!!! Letexier, in a short time, has demonstrated to be an outstanding referee and despite the surprise, such assignment is fair and correct.
CONGRATULATION !!!
+1
DeleteHe has like 10 more years to referee and his chance for a final should be further a head. I think this is a bold move by rosetti and the commite.. Orsato, syzmon or Turpin deserve this!
ReplyDeleteAre we saying that Letexier has done enough this tournament to be appointed the final? Or is it just a case of elimination where over the entire 2024-2025 season, the others have made too many errors to be considered.
ReplyDeleteHas he done enough this tournament? Has he done enough over the season? It doesn’t seem to have had many outrageous bad games but any excellent ones come to mind? Any good ones at the highest level?
Every game I have seen Letexier referee at the highest levels (Champions League, Euro) I have been impressed and deemed him to have all of the qualities of a top-top elite referee. There is not much he is lacking despite his young age and he even have some excellent decisions/games to show for in the highest levels (someone else could probably refer to the games). In my opinion a surprise appointment in terms of the committee but not if you base it on performance/form + a little bit of politics.
DeleteVery bad tratment for marciniak. Why is heFO ? I accept do not appoint him (but i think he was the best candidatte)but its very bad for his to be FO. ITs like a punch straight to the head.
ReplyDeleteLet's start positive: Good luck to Letexier and I'm really glad that not Vincic is assigned to the final.
ReplyDeleteBut the entire appointment policy this European Championship is remarkable to say the least. I am fully in favor of a final being based on the performance principle and in that respect I have nothing against the appointment of Letexier. But on the other hand, there must also be a referee who has enough proven experience to be able to officiate these types of matches well. Experience in (tight) return games of the KO phase of the Champions League (Letexier has 0), finals (only Super Cup). Letexier has not yet refereed a match that comes close to this match, which makes it a big risk.
I am convinced that he will do well, but this cannot be sold to men like Orsato. I fully agree that this was the safest option for Rosetti, based on the performances and treatment of the most experiences referees. A lot to evaluate..
Completely agree with you. And i would like to add that if the performance principle is in use, it should count for every referee in the tournament. And that was clearly not the case. How else could you explain the treatment of Soares Dias, Makkelie, Gil Manzano for example. While other referees who made bigger mistakes (Turpin, Orsato for example) did have a match after the match they made the mistake in.
DeleteSince 2 years, Letexier is number one in french league. He refered uefa supercup final last year and 3 games perfectly at this euro. Deserved appointement... instead of Orsato
ReplyDeleteI think the European Cup should be played between constant 6 teams with referees from the same countries. England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Slovenia. The other 44 countries don't need to be bothered.
ReplyDeleteI must admit I haven’t seen any matches of Letexier at this EURO… Which more or less confirms we haven’t seen him in high profile games?
ReplyDeleteCould someone please briefly summarize his EURO path to the final for me, and provide some details about the level of difficulty of his games?
Good comment by @ESF about Rosetti not willing to lose face. Spot on. And I like the signal to younger referees that everything is possible at a tournament, as long as they perform well, but agree with Mikael: why now and never before?
And additionally, younger referees are never burned/sacrificed in decisive groupstage games (aka Mateu 2021 and Makkelie 2024). Is that fair? No, it isn’t.
However, I like Letexier a lot and the teams will suit him. Good luck to Letexier and his team!! 🍀
UEFA RefCom needs to consider how to manage their referees in the most challenging contexts.
DeleteCurrently their treatment is not fair. If they perform on acceptable level, they can be out due “media attention”.
I hope that @Mikael will write a long analysis about this EURO, appointment strategy and organizational mess. Would be interesting to read!
It seems like I'm the only one who praises UEFA's decision. Of course, François Letexier is comparatively inexperienced (on the other hand, Roberto Rosetti also was so in 2008). In France, however, as far as I know, he is already considered number 1 and in the past European Cup season he was appointed extremely inflationarily with five appearances in the Champions League, four appearances in the Europa League and one appearance in the Conference League, without having disappointed.
ReplyDeleteTrue. I guess most of us here see the quality of Letexier.
DeleteHaving said that, so far, Letexier was mainly in the middle of 1st legs UCL, where there is always less focus on referees than in 2nd legs. And at EURO 2024, his path to the final was clean, but we haven’t seen him in the biggest games / brightest spotlights, so to say. Which is obviously an advantage, if we compare that to referees who e.g. officiated the home nation Germany.
In the end, most of us like the decision. However, the main criticism is, we know the mess behind this decision.
I wonder how Turpin, Orsato and Marciniak feel right now…
No, you are not alone with this opinion. Only possible limitation could have been the age of Letexier. But if we look to the past: Frisk 37 in 2000, Merk 42 in 2004, Rosetti 41 in 2008, Proenca 41 in 2012, Clattenburg 41 in 2016. Of course, there was age limit before but it seems that Kuipers with 48 was at least the same exception as Letexier (35) now.
DeleteAnd what about other contenders? Orsato: not the best in SUI - GER (saying it nicely) and clear deficits in fitness during second halfs and extra time. (I don't believe in conspirational theories how bad Ceferin refused him after POR - SVN.) Marciniak: probably the best of all in controlling the play but mistakes in PSG - Newcastle and Real - Bayern were simply too clear to ignore them completely. Turpin: GER - SCO. Nothing more to add.
ReplyDeleteLetexier is an excellent referee, he has a great career ahead of him, but I think this final is coming too soon. Rossetti doesn't know what he's doing anymore, he's completely lost, and instead of a judge who is nearing the end of his career like Dias or Vinčić, he throws a judge who is at the beginning of his career into the fire. Very bad job Rossetti, time to go, he has done a lot of damage to UEFA referees.
The management is a failure, indeed, but I’m sure Letexier will do a good job.
DeleteEngland v Spain will be football focused game between two teams that play nice football. Comparable to Spain v France semi-final, and I haven’t seen Vincic doing something that Letexier can’t do :)
This is really surprising! Is Letexier the youngest referee in a EURO final? It's really strange that he surpasses a compatriot with much more experience like Turpin.
ReplyDeleteOn the positive, Letexier’s performances this year have been excellent and I’m very happy for him. But one must say that this comes very early in his career and the management is just a failure by the committee.
ReplyDeleteBonne chance!
Letexier is 35 years old, what about his future now?
ReplyDeleteYou can't give him EL Final / Conference Final, too low for the Euro-talent.
You can't give him Champions League, at least not in the next season, you would destroy his motivation for the next 10 years...
So we probably would see Makkelie and Kovacs first in the CL Final? And the Euro finalist kept away for 2 yrs?
Both scenarios are insane. Awful management by RC. And I love Letexier.
Congratulations to Letexier and his team for the appointment!
ReplyDeleteI kinda expected French referees in the final, just Turpin in the middle and Letexier as 4th official. To me it's strange to use Marciniak as 4th official here, they could just put a full French team there as they appointed Zwayer with Sieber in the SL.
Honestly we did not really understand the appointment of Letexier in Spain-Georgia, but that was the real hidden game and I kinda start to think that he was originally planned for something big and I am sure if France would have been eliminated earlier than we might saw him in a semifinal.
And I must say even though he did not referee in this tournament really big games, but just look at his path.
Croatia-Albania - tough game expected, crucial for qualification, managed very well.
Denmark-Serbia - basically a playoff game, which was not spectacular but one of the most important game of MD3.
Spain-Georgia - easy game and let's say that was the hidden game to keep in contention for the last games.
Also I think worth to mention if Rossetti really wanted Orsato in the final he would never allow him to referee a Slovenia game. (I think the penalty was wrong, but that's only me personal opinion) If they really wanted to hide him for the final then they could give hime the Spain-Georgia or France-Belgium game to sort of relax and buy the ticket for the final.
Sidenote: Letexier had an amazing season in club competions. If I can recall one moment of the CL season that was the penalty and red card awared against Bayern immediately without VAR. Exactly similar kind of challenge what Turpin failed to recognize in the opener. And everybody here on the blog was full of praise. And even after that he had brillant performances. So all in all very well-deserved assignment and probably he is in the moment to get a final.
And one more note, I think we should remember when Makkelie did not get CL final. When a referee in this best momentum then he should be rewarded regardless his age, cause you never know if the chance will be there later. And look since that what happened to Makkelie, a great referee and impossible to know when he can get the CL final, cause after today's assignment Letexier is a frontrunner next season for a big final. (You will not give a Conference Leage final to a referee who can be the man in the middle in Euro final)
I like a lot this appointment cause I hated 3 years ago that did not matter how you perform, Kuipers had to be the final referee. Seemed similar this year with Orsato and I really don't like that a big final should be just a reward for a career. And honestly this assignment gives more confidence to all the referees, perform well and you can get the chance!
I may be biased as a Croat, but I think his performance in the CRO-ALB group stage match was one of the most impressive I've seen in a long time. It was an important match for both teams, and I can't stress enough how important correct and consistent foul detection is in such situations. Even a few minor mistakes against one team can make teams very nervous and create a feeling of injustice.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I don't remember Letexier making a single mistake in this match, his line was spot on and he let the game flow. After the late goal and disappointing result for Croatia, I remember pointing out that at least the refereeing was world class :-)
Very deserved, if I remember correctly, he performed excellently in his other appointments, though I never thought that he could get the final. I feel bad for Marciniak, but I'm very happy for Letexier.
Congratulations to Letexier and good luck in the final!
ReplyDeleteI think Turpin is the only loser in this appointment (i'm talking only for the final)
Congratulations to everyone.
ReplyDeleteI guess Rossetti observing Letexier for the Round of 16 game was a sign he was be considered as a contender for the final ??
What @Theref pointed out is something I wondered as well:
ReplyDeleteWhy was Orsato appointed to a Slovenia game? Especially after what happened to Cakir, he knew the risk. Was it a choice by Rosetti himself (he will regret it now) or was it demanded by mr Aleksander Ceferino?
Slovenia games were officiated by Schärer, Letexier, Turpin and Orsato. Not the smallest names tbh.
You are wrong: slo-serb was officiated by Kovacs.
DeleteIf you take Rosettis appointments of the group stage and the teams which proceeded in the development of the EURO, this would have been a consistent appointment-policy, in my opinion:
ReplyDeleteRound of 16: Dias, Zwayer (and not more), Oliver (and not more), Turpin (and not more after the opener), Orsato, Marciniak, Taylor (and not more), Vincic
Round of 8: Dias, Makkelie, Letexier, Nyberg: Mixture of experienced and talented referees to show signals to the future, but balanced. Performance principle for Dias (one game plus after a very good one).
SF: ESP-FRA for Vincic, NED-ENG for Marciniak
F: Orsato - yes, as reward for his career, but also on the basis of performances. The performance principle would not have been deceived with Orsato in the middle of the final.
+1
DeleteWith performance principle Vincic would be out after GS
DeleteAfter finale appointments, do the other referees have to leave the tournament, hotel and country, or can they stay until the finale on Sunday?
ReplyDeleteIf we look at silverware,Marciniak will get the medal and with that possibly be the most succesful ref. 😀
ReplyDeleteJokes aside,is that some kind of message sent to him and all those who pushed for him?
By assining him to be 4th official for Letexier?
Really?
This Uefa is such a joke.
Also,looking forward to see who will handle Argentina vs Colombia.
Maybe Elfath,maybe Sampaio.
I would say Elfath cause if Sampaio gets there you have right away Brazil vs Argentina factor.
If the final is held in Germany - then it's the French referee: in 1988 Michel Vautrot, in 2024 François Leitexier. :-)
ReplyDeleteBig congratulations to Letexier and his team. Good luck to him! Hopefully everything goes smooth sailing and he performs the way he has done previously.
ReplyDeleteIf we say a final should be kind of a career reward (like it was with Kuipers f.e.), it should have been one of Orsato, Turpin, Marciniak in the final. But if the RC wants to appoint the currently best referee, then one must be totally fine with Letexier who deserves that for a phenonenal season and a EURO without any problems or headlines. Marciniaks WC final 2022 also was based on performances and this decision was a good one back then. The same with Clatts back in 2016.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to the final performance of Letexier, good luck to him and his team!
+1
DeleteOFF TOPIC:
ReplyDeleteALSO CONMEBOL REFEREE COMMITTEE has announced the name of the referees for the final stages of the 2024
Argentina vs. Colombia (Final)
REF.: Raphael Claus (BRA)
AR1: Bruno Pires (BRA)
AR2: Rodrigo Correa (BRA)
IV: Juan Benitez (PAR)
RESERVE ASSISTANT: Eduardo Cardozo (PAR)
VAR: Rodolpho Toski (BRA)
AVAR: Danilo Manis (BRA)
Canadá vs. Uruguay (3rd Place)
REF: Alexis Herrera (VEN)
AR1: Lubin Torrealba (VEN)
AR2: Alberto Ponte (VEN)
IV: Gery Vargas (BOL)
RESERVE ASSISTANT: Bruno Boschilia (BRA)
VAR: Derlis López (PAR)
AVAR: Milciades Saldivar (PAR)
Excellent referee for the final. At the end,also revard for top career that he had.
DeleteWell, while UEFA has decided to skip steps, CONMEBOL still prioritizes experience as always, mainly because the options are more limited in comparison.
DeleteSo, with the final appointment we concluded the worst managed final tournament from the refereeing point of view in the recent history. We saw with...:
ReplyDelete4 games: Letexier, Zwayer, Orsato, Oliver
3 games: Vincic, Turpin, Taylor, Dias, Nyberg, Meler
2 games: Marciniak, Makkelie, Kovacs, Tello, Siebert, Guida, Kruzliak, Scharer
1 game : Gil Manzano
In my opinion, considering the general reputation before the start of the torunament, here are the:
Overachievers: Letexier, Zwayer, Oliver, Vincic, Meler
Standard: Taylor, Dias, Nyberg, Siebert, Guida, Kruzliak, Scharer
Underachievers: Orsato, Turpin, Marciniak, Makkelie, Kovacs, Tello, Gil Manzano
-> I had the biggest troubles where to put Oliver and Turpin. Oliver reached QF previously but he had sonorous appointments and 2 KO games and because of this he surpassed my initial predictions, I had other names for the QFs if you asked me before the start of the tournament. While for Turpin, he had the opening game and a QF and his own country reached the semifinals making it difficult to appoint him. On the other hand, I think his trust within the Com decreased and he could have been easily one of the referees with 4 games.
François Letexier on 15 May, during the training camp: "A chance to make experience, my first big tournament..."
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/Law5TheRef/videos/855208283127355/
Very big surprise
DeleteThe dark corridors of EUFA once again come up with a puzzling decision,and haven't taken into consideration some great refereeing performances during these championships .Vincic deserved the final because of his calm ,efficient and flawless perfomances
ReplyDeleteA big surprise, but in my eyes a positive one even if it wasn't my own choice. The fact that you go for daily form before old merits pleases me. There are several decisions during this tournament that can clearly be questioned, but this is a healthy and brave choice.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to share some words about a couple of referees, their EURO and future perspectives.
ReplyDeleteLetexier: who would have thought that after the FIFA Olympic play-off U-23 (Guinea-Indonesia)? All the best to him. Letexier is one of my favourite referees. The way he’s moving on the FoP is pure elegance and his foul detection is always spot on. I wonder if the Olympics final in Paris is within his reach as well. Moreover, hopefully he will be hungry enough to achieve more — could he achieve the World Cup final? Or does Collina not allow that? ;-). Exciting to follow his progress.
Turpin: He must be proud and dissapointing at the same time. This EURO was his chance. As some mentioned, Letexier was already #1 referee in Ligue 1. If Letexier performs well in the EURO final, he will officially surpass Turpin in the UEFA rankings is my expectation. Will be interesting to watch whether Clément is still eager to put on a fight next season…
Orsato: much has been said already. I’m not a big fan of “the hidden Kuipers” path at all. Orsato wasn’t the best referee at this EURO. Clear as a day. So, I’m not sure whether it was “just” the PK the awarded against Slovenia that cost him the final. For the record, it was a call that I - as a former defender - didn’t like. In my opinion the Portuguese player was running into the Slovenian defender. However, fitness deficits were visible as well and also GER-SUI wasn’t at the expected level. Nevertheless, Orsato deserved a beautiful farewell (e.g. a semi-final instead of Zwayer or Vincic wouldn’t be misplaced).
Zwayer: burned in a game where he could only lose. I feel sorry for him. Dutch media have destroyed him.
I didn’t see a referee with a clear criterion; he was often fooled by the reaction (theatrics) of the players. Last 20 minutes, foul detection was all over the place. Penalty-kick was a supportable call, however should be whistled live. This is not where VAR was invented for IMO. VAR obviously influenced by Kane’s overreacting. Finally, England scored 2-1 after a missed corner kick for the Dutch NT and a questionable foul by Gakpo. Not the best display, but we can’t blame Zwayer — the UEFA/the RefCom are the ones to blame here.
Marciniak: If rumours are true that Rosetti had a conflict with the Polish, in front of his colleagues… Oh dear. Was it just because of the offside flag or Marciniak’s attitude. We can only speculate. One thing is sure: they could have assigned the Polish to NED-ENG with ease. None of the teams would have complained and he would have done a better job than Zwayer. Instead, they had to throw a bone to the home nation… Any idea what Marciniak will do next season?
Taylor / Oliver: the time has come that Oliver will take over as #1 of England. Oliver’s management has been particular. In club competitions, Taylor always ahead of him. Oliver was never really trusted, but he has been a safe pair of hands at WC/EURO’s so far. Will be interesting to see what Oliver can achieve in upcoming years.
DeleteKovacs: a sacrificial appointment in a war game, where I expected Taylor or Marciniak. Kovacs is a referee with a particular “law enforcing” style, which can backfire him in emotional contexts. I have no problems with that style. We have seen lenient Kovacs in the Italian derby — that also didn’t work for him. Sometimes he is too clinical and that can fuel the fire instead of extinguishing it. In some situations he has to manage and use soft skills. Be a sponge instead of being oversensitive. But I’m sure he will learn from this and return stronger.
Soares Dias: he went from a referee completely shielded without any UCL appointments in knock-outs to a Conference League final referee, to mediocre performances in EURO groupstage, to according to some here: the best performance of the EURO :). If he can reach that level consistently and also in high profile games involving big teams, he might reach another final in near future…
Vincic: He’s obviously doing something well, because he’s always avoiding the headlines. However, whether that is the result of excellent management skills or due to the nature of his games, or because he never has KMI’s in big games... Difficult to tell. He wasn’t flawless in his groupstage games, shaky disciplinary, missed advantage etc. but it weren’t match deciding errors. Arguably luck, political support and appointment strategy are a big factor as well.
Makkelie: not sure about his future perspectives. Based on performance level, he should have had a final in 2021-2022. He is a victim of lobbyism and external circumstances. First, the PSG-game. At EURO 2024, he officiated Hungary and Croatia and they were not satisfied. Ironically enough, both countries border Slovenia. Does he still have a change to officiate the UCL final? I don’t know. Truth is, his form has dropped after his brilliant 2019-2022 seasons. Makkelie seems affected by the way UEFA treated him, however, he should put up his middle finger to UEFA and show the world how good he is. Use pain and setbacks as motivation instead of a burden. Marciniak is the prime example.
*Side-note: I heavily dislike the fact that UEFA i) burns referees in sacrificial/challenging games to pave the way for others ii) and rejects referees e.g. Makkelie after satisfying performances because of sore losers or “media attention”. Awful management IMO.
Nyberg & Meler: very promising referees, can be satisfied after a first EURO.
Always remember that EUFA is law unto itself and the spectre of trade offs between Committee members and those in charge of refereeing
DeleteVery shocking to me. His age, experience etc doesn't match to what it's usually done. A big let down for Turpin who to me, was the one who should've been picked.
ReplyDeleteAt a young age you usually motivate yourself to reach the level and experience that you see with your older colleagues. But here, the older and more experienced ones had their merits mutilated by choosing this guy.
Anyway, good luck to Letexier and his team, I wish him well, but this is unfair for all the other refs already mentioned here.
So glad he got the assignment. Super smart of the committee to finally make a right decision after all their terrible selections.
ReplyDeleteI don’t agree with all these “Makkelie and Lahoz (2021)” were sacrificed comments - who was it that made two terrible decisions in PAIs? Nobody else except the referee.
ReplyDeleteThe only referee who was hung out to dry this euro was Zwayer, absolutely lose-lose situation for him.
The point is that some games generate more media attention, because of the context and nature of the games, than others. As per our understanding, UEFA cares a lot about media attention (a bit too much). Too much noise = referee will be sent home.
DeleteSome referees were appointed to MD1 + MD2 games. Those games, in general are not deemed “sacrificial”, as in MD1-MD2, there is less chance to be burned by a losing side, compared to a decisive match in MD3, where the referee will be under a magnifying glass in case a team does not qualify for the next round.
Some referees were appointed to MD3 games were both teams were happy to take a draw. As such, these games were also less challenging and decisive than other MD3.
Mateu Lahoz was appointed to Portugal-France (2-2) in MD3 “group of death”, a decisive game between two high profile teams. Sure, you can argue that Lahoz made a mistake in that game, however he shouldn’t be appointed in the first place. He already handled 2 groupstage games. Kuipers had to be protected at all costs.
Makkelie - I didn’t like the performance in Hungary-Germany, it was OK to reject him after that game, however rejecting him after he controlled a challenging Croatia-Italy is outrageous management by the RefCom. You can’t punish a referee for the fact that a team scores a goal within the limits of injury time. Furthermore, it is no secret that his rejection was a consequence of the tight relationships between Ceferin and the Croatian FA. Not because of the performance by D. Makkelie himself.
In general, Danny Makkelie finds himself often in the middle of challenging games. Remember that he was appointed to MD6 Newcastle-Milan, after Marciniak whistled a controversial handball in MD5. Even a tiny mistake in Newcastle-Milan would have damaged Makkelie, due to the nature of the game. Compare that to Slavko Vincic, who was in the middle of MD6 Napoli-Braga, a decisive match in group but lower profile (Braga isn’t a top team), and rather one-sided match with the Italian side scoring two early goals.
Furthermore, Makkelie was appointed to the Leverkusen-Roma return game (semi-final), which is deemed a high risk assignment because of the Italian side, after what happened to Anthony Taylor after the Roma final loss last season. Everything went well for Makkelie, however we can all imagine the Italian headlines if any PAI in ‘grey area’ wouldn’t be punished in favor of AS Roma. Nowadays, a referee is lucky to have no KMI’s/box incidents that are match deciding, cause otherwise he will be blamed by the losing side. Luck is obviously a factor as well.
Croatia-Italy was a sacrificial game for two reasons: Croatia had to win. Italy needed at least a draw (because Slovenia in the end had a better goal difference in group C). Conclusion: Italy and Croatia both proceeding wasn’t possible. In addition, both teams border Slovenia, the home nation of Ceferin. In case of any complaints by players/coaches and noise/headlines (in local media) the referee would be sent home (even in case of a good performance!). Besides, Croatia and Italy are emotional teams with a reputation to complain about the referee after a loss. That’s why I called it a sacrificial appointment on beforehand.
Moreover, we can talk about Gil Manzano being sacrificed in his famous Ukraine-Italy game — Ceferin put more pressure on him after announcing that Italy missing out would be a disaster. He was unlucky to have a box incident and it burned him.
And so on…
Then, we can also talk about referee decisions against PSG, Italian teams or Slovenia. A decision can be deemed correct (or at least “supportable”) according to LOTG, however some teams have a strong lobby within UEFA, and therefore it can have serious consequences for the referee (after a good performance!) and that is a big, very big concern atm.
DeleteHaven’t we all criticized UEFA and the “shielding the final referee” strategy? I just illustrated above why they are insisting to do so. Performance level should be LEADING, but it isn’t. UEFA has no backbone. They don’t support a referee when there are complaints regarding a GOOD decision.
A good performance in a challenging/decisive game can be sacrificial (due to external circumstances) and that is a huge problem for the future of refereeing.
Maybe that Makkelie attention wqs justified.
DeleteHe had plenty big games last 5 years and somehow he managed to be central figure in most of them with his crucial decision(s)
Croatia vs Italy- 8 minutes+VAR check for very clear penalty+mixed criterium
Real vs Psg- no foul call on Donnaruma
Serbia vs Portugal-Ronaldo not being given goal..I know it's AR's fault,but as main ref you have all the blame and all the praise.
England vs Denmark-not clear enough penalty whistled in favour of England
Chelsea vs Dortmund -big decisions that went Chelsea's way that even made Dortmund complain,I cant remeber that they have ever done that.
So we have plenty matches where his decisions were not 100% sure,but influenced games in a huge way.
Those decisions taken the other way around and you would have also talked about huge influence (oh wait, maybe not in case of the CROATIA match)
DeleteIn Chelsea-Dortmund, I didn’t like the fact that PK was re-taken, too harsh for me, but this was more on VAR.
DeleteEngland-Denmark, wrong PK decision. I would have liked a VAR intervention here tbh — because even in UEFA RAP it was deemed no foul, so why VAR was not allowed to intervene in such an important moment goes beyond me.
Real-PSG no foul was a correct and brave decision for me, fully in line with the set criterion in the game. With hindsight, even more brave as we’ve seen how much power PSG has. I can only praise that referee decision. Manzano and Marciniak whistled wrong handball PK’s in favor of PSG and they were rewarded (lol).
Croatia-Italy was a good game, full control. Many cynical fouls by Croatians that deserved a YC. 8 minutes was at least supportable. Fun fact, Albania also scored in additional time 90+5, and this referee (Letexier) is now in the middle of the EURO final. I don’t understand why Makkelie is burned for a goal in 90+7. Perhaps because the advantage was too beautiful.
Serbia-Portugal - awful positioning by the AR. Makkelie’s reaction on CR7 was a bit too arrogant here for my taste. That’s probably my biggest issue with him — he can have an arrogant attitude, and he’s over-complicating thing, but we can’t blame him for every controversial moments. He’s also surrounded by a team and assisted by a VAR. And sometimes, a losing side should have better self-reflection.
Ref88 I appreciate your comment, very detailed. I was aware of it all but I like that you gave your opinion properly. Obviously there is an issue regarding Slovenia (Orsato this year), PSG etc. we can all see that. BUT you don’t consider that Makkelie and Lahoz (the two referees I mentioned) absolutely love the attention!
DeleteVincic is very fortunate in his matches but the big difference is he gets on with it without wanting the media attention.
The decisions they made/didn’t make in their respective games were easy, regardless of how challenging the game was. If you get key games, you are trusted, but if you do badly, you are punished! The focus should be on Turpin and co. not being sent home rather than the other way round
Possible kits in the final for refs? Last two matches England Vs Spain was Black (both countries with home jersey).
ReplyDeleteI would assume Spain in red (GK in black) and England in white (keeper in green or yellow) so referee team in the favoured blue again.
DeleteThank you!
DeleteAfter an poor opening everything went good(not excellent) till R16. People atleast have the belief on meritocracy till then. But appointment from QF onwards proved there is not existence of meritocracy rather biased politics, nepotism, mean minded management destroy the games!
ReplyDeleteIt is so funny how many claimed that he is too young, that he is not good enough, that if at his age he is assigned this final, where will he be in 10 years, that Turpin or ..... deserved this,....... Not even need for one VAR call, a game that could be easily destroyed in the hands of Kovacs, Turpin,....... This referee was flawless and the real deal.
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