2024-25 UEFA Champions League, Play-Offs, Second Legs, games to be played on 27 August 2024.
21:00 CET - Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi, Istanbul
Galatasaray SK (TUR) - BSC Young Boys (SUI)
Referee: Espen Eskås NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Eirk Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2:
Fourth Official:
Video Assistant Referee: Rob Dieperink NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Erwin Blank NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Gianluca Rocchi ITA
UEFA Delegate: Peter Palenčík SVK
21:00 CET - Stadion Letná, Prague
AC Sparta Praha (CZE) - Malmö FF (SWE)
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pagès FRA
Fourth Official: Ruddy Buquet FRA
Video Assistant Referee: Willy Delajod FRA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jérémie Pignard FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Ante Vučemilović CRO
UEFA Delegate: Thura Win ENG
21:00 CET - Stadion Salzburg, Salzburg
FC Salzburg (AUT) - FC Dynamo Kyïv (UKR)
Referee: Halil Umut Meler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Kerem Ersoy TUR
Assistant Referee 2:
Fourth Official: Arda Kardeşler TUR
Video Assistant Referee: Luca Pairetto ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Valerio Marini ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen NOR
UEFA Delegate: René Siegrist SUI
Chefren,Espen Eskas was appointed for the Galatasaray-Young Boys match.Although you guessed this appoinment yesterday.What your thoughts this appointment?
ReplyDeleteCommittee is very content with the Norwegian and they want him to develop soon for getting even bigger games, I can read this assignment under this point of view. Nevertheless, to me, it's not a veeery big game, but still a crucial one for CL qualification. I think that, as said yesterday, the fact that Turkish side will play against a Swiss team, lowered the bar for the choice by committee. If it had been Galatasaray against a team from another country, maybe a different appointment would have been made by committe, but still it must be clear they have full trust on the selected official.
DeleteRocchi as observer is assigned often to relatively young and promising Elite referees, and that's the case of the Norwegian, so I reasoned on that. But it wasn't sure because it was possible to see the Italian observer with an experienced Elite as well.
What I can point out as rather negative thing, at least in my opinion, is the selection of fourth official, for sure a referee without any experienced to jump in, in case of need and to officiate this game. Same could be said for the Turkish in Salzburg, while a bit different for Buquet with Turpin, he has been a very long Category 1 refere and he has at least the background in case to replace the main referee.
It is strange because during group stage in past seasons we saw very often particular fourth official assignments. But if in group stage the game and the three points can be not directly 100% crucial, for these play offs it's different, we are always talking about games for qualification. But, on the other side, you can read this choice as indeed a signal by committee about their ideas on the match: very important, but, as said, not an extremely top one, otherwise they would have locked Eskas in their opinion with a more than experienced fourth official. That's all I can say but I think Eskas will now be very used to get even more and more challenging matches. He must be aware ot the context, immediately understanding what kind of officiating to apply, for sure trying to do better than Moen and reaching the level of the former Norwegian Elite shouldn't be hard for him, given the current premises...
I think these Champions Leagues appointments were made before,that is without knowing the results of the first matches.If it were not so,a more experienced elite referee would have been appointed than Eskas since the first match ended 3-2.But,if we look at it from another perspective,Eskas manages to get through this difficult atmosphere and match.This would be pleasing for him.What I'm wondering is,when was Eskas informed that he was appointed to this match.Do you have any information about this issue?
DeleteI was going to ask you before,but I forgot,and now it came to my mind.Daniel Siebert was in the Young Boys-Galatasaray match last week.As we know,although one of the official languages of Switzerland is German,how correct or ethical is it to appoint a German referee for this match?I would be glad if you could share your thoughts.
DeleteNo question here. Impossible to be worried about this issue, it is not relevant in making appointments. We have had in the years regular German appointments for Swiss teams and also the contrary. You could say the same for French referees because it's another language used in Switzerland. So absolutely it doesn't matter. But before all the rest, there must be trust in the referees, to me these arguments are used by people who want to find at all cost something for questioning referees integrity and that's not good.
DeleteOr Italian. Also used in Switzerland. And don't forget the German minority in Italy.
DeleteOr the rule would have to be that Lugano can be officiated by a German, but Young Boys could not. I think it would be a bit artificial.
After the protests by Kryvbas against the Turkish assignment, UEFA has now made another similar choice with Meler to Dinamo Kiev. I don't think this assignment will be questioned by the Ukrainian side, because a referee with important experience has been assigned, nevertheless my opinion it's always the same, it's strange that if on a hand, UEFA is trying everything to make all federations content without unwanted assignments (see the management of Belarusan referees and teams, the ban of Russian officials and so on), on the other side, they act in this way. I can just wish that this situation will be over, but I notice that there isn't any linearity in some choices. Of course nothing against Ukraie, Turkish officials and so on, I write just to discuss the UEFA management under a refereeing point of view, if it's still possible to talk about that. I don't like the middle ways and the compromises in dealing with a situation.
ReplyDeleteBTW if you are interested, there is something to be watched from the mentioned game of Real Betis against the Ukrainian side:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M8OJKpc5M4
Watch at the beginning, when there is the hand shaking (not directly shown but seen in the background while showing lineups).
Nio shaking hands between Turkish referee and Ukrainians, only with Spanish team, and after the coin toss, the same, Ukrainian captan ignoring referee... that's definitely not a good picture for UEFA.
I guess this protest didn't influence RefCom as the referee of Kryvbas game Arda Kardesler is the 4O of Meler in FC Dynamo Kyïv match.
Delete
ReplyDeleteWhere is Srdjan Jovanovic? Is it possible for a man's career to end because of just one poorly played game?
Several poor games
DeleteWell, when we look at Eskas’ VAR, for tomorrow it probably will be Vincic, Oliver, Letexier and an Italian.
ReplyDeleteYes, with Dieperink appointed, Makkelie seems quite unlikely. And Letexier/Brisard are expected, because Brisard would have been with Turpin anyway.
DeletePairetto is also interesting, because he hasn't done a CL game before. But after the retirement of Irrati and Valeri, they obviously need new Italian top VARs.
Chefren how do they evaluate the appointments of the referees?
ReplyDeleteAll three are normal assignments for me. Turpin gets a game just as experienced Elite, and it's different from the other wo, who are on their ways to a further development. As widely discussed, the most challenging task could be the one for Eskas in Istanbul. One expects Turpin to have no issues in that game, while Meler is ready to gain further credit with another hopefully very good performance in Salzburg.
DeleteEnglish refs and English VAR are such disgrace! Just watch what happened in the last 5 minutes in Bournemouth-Newcastle clash. Such a controversial decisions both from ref and from the VAR refs who decided that the goal was scored with hand and not with shoulder, not even calling the ref for an OFR (and I strongly believe that it was shoulder - even the speed of the ball clearly shows it was shoulder). After that judo tackle around the neck of home side keeper was sanctioned with YC, but for protests the ref gave RC for the other side. That's just disgusting, in England refs are doing literally whatever they want, they are protected as white bears and because of that they are getting worse and worse every season. And their VAR and the protocol is real joke.
ReplyDeleteI still didn't watch about this one, but let me give my opinion about this trend to disallow goal by VAR without OFR when it's about handballs. I think this must change. It was and it is said "handballs are factual". This is not 100% true to me. Since referees can make perception mistakes, the same should be said for VAR, even if he has many cameras and angles to check. Since he is not the referee in charge, but just, let's remember, a help thank to technology, my opinion is that all the handball decisions must be shown to referee for the fina verdict. It's possible they disagree and it's possible that VAR sees a different thing than the main referee. Mistakes made in this regard were certified in past, even by VAR.
DeleteNow, even more with the distinction that must be made between deliberate handling for scoring (then yellow card) and the classic "punishable" handball (no card if goal scored without a real intention), the referee must see it, in my opinion, to decide that.
I agree about English VAR in many cases being not up to standard but it was a handball, the goal was disallowed correctly.
DeleteIf a goalscorer scores off their hand, it is almost always factual. Sometimes it can be less factual on the point of contact, but this one, for me, touched clearly below the shoulder and was handball, so the correct call made. Certainly not 'disgraceful' or 'disgusting' by any means. The foul afterwards, however, I would have liked to have seen an OFR and RC. But if we have one possible moment after 20 games played, I don't think that's a particulary bad two weeks for English officials
DeleteMeler has changed his assistant.
ReplyDeleteAR1 Eyisoy retired
DeleteMore than a challenging start for Eskas, incredible atmosphere for him.
ReplyDeleteHe could have whistled that push, still not clear whether inside or outside the box, after 10 minutes from the start of the game. But never VAR stuff.
The Norwegian missed a handball by a Swiss attacker, luckily nothing happened after that.
ReplyDeletePretty incredible foul by Malmo player just after a warning by Turpin about holding in the box and at 1 meter of Turpin just do a big foul who give a clear PK
ReplyDeleteCorrectly disallowed goal by AR2 in Istanbul.
ReplyDeleteVery good first half by Eskas, I must say. The game started in a very challenging way for referee, but then I think the difficulty decreased a bit (but still, challenging), even more if we think at what it could have been. Game under control, correct bookings for reckless arm and another reckless challenge, the latter mandatory for me. Ok not to whistle after 10 seconds for a possible penalty to Turkish side. Correctly disallowed goal AR2, crucial call.
ReplyDeleteThe game is going as we guessed, very hot atmopshere, but in terms of football, not the quality one could expect. After a start in which Galatasaray tried something, then they almost retired in the middle and second part of first half. I didn't see big merits in Young Boys defending, but rather I saw Galatsaray doing nothing. We should expect a more challenging second half, I think.
Surely the Norwegian referee when officiating such games, discovers a totally different world than Norway, but we must say he is starting to become familiar with this kind of football, and that's good.
Very good AR2 in Istanbul, now disallowed another goal.
ReplyDeleteEskas is a homer, giving every 50/50 when both players are holding to Galatasaray.
ReplyDelete75' very clear YC for reckless to Icardi, now we enter in the decisive moment of the game.
ReplyDeletePlease anyone, the caution minute 25 Sparta v Malmö. Pushing in the back, isn't that red card, he doesn't try to play ball. Please give me feedback!
ReplyDeleteIn live nothing shock me but not sure if that was a clear DOGSO but maybe should rewatch it
DeleteMalilla That can be assessed as challenge for the ball, as the player didn’t intend to foul his opponent. As for the third penalty, wrong call imo after an overall very good game by Turpin
Deletethe 3rd can be consider as a soft PK but there is one or two contacts with the foot of the attacker so for me still a good call
DeleteThe third penalty is a very interesting case. At the end the decision is supportable if not even correct for modern football, when we look at all the possible contacts. The fact is that player was already falling for sure and the action would have had exactly the same end even without the touch, but there is the touch by defender on the leg, that can't absolutely deny a penalty call. If you look the incident live, your first and storng opinion is that it is attacker going against defender, and maybe that's also true, but then you have the particular that obliges VAR to support referee.
Deletehttps://streamin.me/v/a8f56f9f
Scenes in Istanbul around 82'is clear example how ref can lose control of the game if not focused.
ReplyDeleteYB player was shushing homecrowd and then players got involved and now we have long stoppage with fights among players.
Very hot ending as perhaps could have been imagined.
ReplyDeleteThe Norwegian with some cleverness perhaps could have also avoided this situation, avoiding such a long walk to Swiss player ... after that, what happened was also as a result of the tension in the game. Unacceptable in all cases by Turkish fans with the objects thrown.
In 96’ Mertens is lucky to not be sent off for a late and high tackle, hitting opponent with high intensity foot on shin.
ReplyDeletePerfect example for the 'tackle as an attack' concept, look how far and fast Mertens ran at the player before making the foul. UEFA evidently think differently. At least senescent goalkeeper Muslera was rightly sent off for booting the goalscorer's legs out, no hesitation by Eskas on that occasion. Norwegian ref did well generally speaking and it should be a tick in the box from Rocchi but ordering the Young Boys players off the contrary side of the FoP was so naive, even a 'Level 3' (Tier VII/VIII) referee in England would not do that, I don't really know what to say. Still: it was an evening orientated around DEVELOPMENT for Eskas and, to be clear, it was evidently a successful one for UEFA and Norway's top ref.
DeletePerfect analysis, I can't add more on your view, Mikael. I think the Norwegian will learn about the most relevant incident of the game and the next time he will be absolutely able to prevent a potential big trouble like it happened yesterday.
DeleteWhat do you think about the two risky tackles in a row by Galatasaray #53 in the 28th minute? Eskas decided no foul.
ReplyDeleteI think he whistled foul,but no sanction.
DeletePersonally,maybe I would go for stricter approach and punish Yilmaz there cause he was problematic.
But then again,Eskas has to be praised until that 82nd minute where he should have payed more attention.
Here the other two penalties from Turpin game (the third one, posted above).
ReplyDelete16' Holding on corner kick, after repeated warnings by refeee to players
https://streambug.org/cv/d6620e
One should wonder how much giving warnings about the possible whistle of a penalty before a corner is useful, players definitely continue to do what they want. Correct call by referee, for me trying to teach players about LotG is very often just a time wasting, they must be aware by themselves about what they can do and what they can't do, nevertheless of course I will not say that referedes should refrain from doing that, if asked by committee.
25' Penalty and YC I think for SPA
https://streambug.org/cv/3e259a
The action from behind by defender is clearly not genuine, but it's possible the referee assessed it as SPA, you can see another defender in the middle of penalty area, with the chance of a very last attempt to make an intervention. But I can't deny that, since the introduction of the abolishment of the triple sanction, we are very often seeing many and many decisions going definitely in favor of defenders and in my opinion too much. The minimum possible contact between legs is immediately assessed as attempt to play ball, even in situations in which this would be impossible and I strongly disagree.
https://ibb.co/YbtZ1S0
DeleteWith today's appointment for Inter - Atalanta and the management by Rocchi in recent times, I think that the name about to replace Orsato on FIFA list for 2025 will be Marchetti. He was appointed for a Super Cup semifinal last season and today he got another top game, Inter - Atalanta, to be played on next Friday. Personally, I have still some small doubts about him. Basically, a quite good referee, but to me with an excessive trend to allow too much the play and to keep some cards, very often I found his performance at the very border of losing the control (but indeed this didn't happen). One could call it "minimal style", today celebrated by many refereeing experts, but when you have to officiate a game and you must take important decision, it's better to go straight. A particular description to help you in understanding my point of view is that I very often see him "walking on the fire, but without being burned" Nevertheless, we will see.
ReplyDeleteThere are also discussions about other possible replacements, but in my opinion, as it happened very often in past, nothing will change and AIA will wait the very last moment for adding further referees.
In case, Maresca, Pairetto and Di Bello are the names who could leave the list, I think. One should also wonder about Chiffi, very long injury lasting from last season and still, not back, but he is definitely on a different level than others. Marcenaro should be the next one after Marchetti to join the FIFA list, but it's indeed very possible, as said, they will wait for 2026.
On another note, Guida and Massa have been appointed for the two very big games, more sonorous on paper than Inter - Atalanta: Juventus - Roma and Lazio - Milan respectively. Guida will be with Carbone and Peretti as assistant referees, I think that after having attended EURO with Meli, coming from Massa's trio, now this one could be the new regular couple for him, while Massa will get back Meli with Alassio. Carbone, regular Orsato assistant referee, could have retired at the end of EURO, but he didn't. It seems he will continue, so another big tournament it's possible. Giallatini has decided to continue as well but in his case (1975) definitely I can't see another big tournament, and rather, maybe he will continue only for one year...
I don't know about that, last year, he barely got big games.
ReplyDeleteI hope to see Marcenaro to be completely honest, very consistent and a young referee.
If they have to remove a referee, I would rather it being Di Bello, last year, he had some really bad performances and mistakes ( I think even he was suspended after a mistake in Juve-Bologna if I am not wrong )
Chefren,What did you think of Espen Eskas's match management yesterday?
ReplyDeleteI wrote a lot about that yesterday. For me, everything was fine overall until the 82nd minute when that situation occurred and he should have handled better, with experience, preventing the Swiss player from making that long walk. For the rest, everything was fine, referee present when necessary, a good attitude, correct crucial decisions, goals disallowed. It can be discussed whether Mertens should have been sent off by straight red card, no doubts about the red card for Muslera. A match from which he certainly had a lot to learn and in the end we were able to note, going back to the discussion of the last few days, that this game was exactly right at the limit in terms of difficulty for him, still within his reach, but something significant could have happened, and in fact it happened. I think that honestyl the Turkish can't say anything, they didn't score a single goal for the whole match. The committe, despite of the hectic end of the match, should be satisfied, but I don't know how much they could have expected such events.
DeleteI agree with you but,Young Boys's players provoking the already tense fans was the beginning of the events.
ReplyDeleteThis is part of the game, unsporting behavior but still... Galatasaray could have been easily stronger than that, I think.
DeleteChefren,I have three question for you.
ReplyDelete1.What is your general opinion about Meler?
2.Secondly,I am someone who is curious about referee issues,but where can he find the names of the former referee committee presidents who served in FIFA and UEFA?I could not find this information on the internet.Maybe you can help me?
3.Do you think Rosetti is a sufficient person to be the chairman UEFA's referee committee?Potentially?
UEFA Referees Committee 2019-2023
DeleteChairman:
Roberto Rosetti (UEFA Chief Refereeing Officer)
Deputy Chairman:
Hugh Dallas (UEFA Refereeing Officer)
Members:
Marc Batta (UEFA Refereeing Officer)
Vladimir Sajn (UEFA Refereeing Officer)
Dagmar Damková (UEFA Refereeing Officer)
2015-2019
Chairman
Angel Villar Llona (Spain)
Deputy Chairwoman
Karen Espelund (Norway)
Chief Refereeing Officer
Pierluigi Collina (UEFA appointment)
Refereeing Officers
Marc Batta (UEFA appointment)
Hugh Dallas (UEFA appointment)
Members
Dagmar Damkova (Czech Republic)
David Elleray (England)
Herbert Fandel (Germany)
Bo Karlsson (Sweden)
Nikolay Levnikov (Russia)
Pedro Proença (Portugal, new)
Vladimir Sajn (Slovenia)
Jaap Uilenberg (Netherlands)
Kyros Vassaras (Greece, new)
2011-2015
Referees Committee
Commission des arbitres
Schiedsrichterkommission
Chairman: Angel María Villar Llona (Spain)
Deputy Chairman: Şenes Erzik (Turkey)
Chief Refereeing Officer: Pierluigi Collina
Refereeing Officers: Marc Batta
Hugh Dallas
Members: Dagmar Damková (Czech Republic)
David R. Elleray (England)
Herbert Fandel (Germany)
Bo Karlsson (Sweden)
Nikolay Levnikov (Russia)
Jozef Marko (Slovakia)
Vladimir Sajn (Slovenia)
Jaap Uilenberg (Netherlands)
Kurt Zuppinger (Switzerland)
About Meler, starting from the past, a referee who got promotion to UEFA Elite when absolutely unexpected and when he had not still shown he would have deserved that. But then, his start of the Elite adventure can be absolutely considered excellent, so far. Impressive development with outstanding performances that convinced committee in calling him to EURO (I think indeed, until a certain time, this was not sure or granted). But then, a row of excellent displays mostly in Champions League, convinced Rosetti and I agree. Kuipers looked to be the committee memeber who followed more him than others. Now, he can definitely enters a second part of this let's say "travel": getting the extremely full trust to become a very top referee. He will need time for that, but I'm sure he has all the skills to do it.
ReplyDeleteIn recent times he had some worse perforrmances than the past, but never very poor and I think in the overall path one can absolutely accept that. Now he has to work for the new team with a new assistant refere. He will have as goal the World Cup call, I think, possible but difficult with many candidates. We can just follow him, but surely a big promise of UEFA refereeing. Glad that after the terrible attack, he decided to continue.
About your second question, really sorry to say that it's indeed impossible to find all the exact lists of former refereeing committees in both UEFA and FIFA, you have only to collect them time after time, otherwise no information will be kept. Refereeing panels are not considered so much relevant to be kept in the archives. You must seach year by year, site by site, and match informations. That's hard work.
ReplyDeleteRosetti: please find my prsonal opinions about him here.
ReplyDeletehttps://law5-theref.blogspot.com/2024/08/champions-league-202425-referee_19.html?showComment=1724088667809#c6618449059735672117
Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIn the second half Eskas couldn't handle the tension of the game. He could not stop the players who wanted to slow down the game. He showed that he is not a referee for high tension matches.
ReplyDelete