2024-25 UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals, referee assignments for the second set of games, to be played on 9 April 2025.
21:00 CET - Paris (Parc des Princes)
PARIS SAINT GERMAIN (FRA) - ASTON VILLA FC (ENG)
Referee: Maurizio Mariani ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni ITA
Fourth Official: Simone Sozza ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Luca Pairetto ITA
UEFA Referee Observer:
UEFA Delegate: Vilmos Szabó HUN
21:00 CET - Barcelona (Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys)
FC BARCELONA (ESP) - BORUSSIA DORTMUND (GER)
Referee: Espen Eskås NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Erik Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Elias Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Rohit Saggi NOR
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Clay Ruperti NED
UEFA Referee Observer:Vladimir Šajn SVN
UEFA Delegate: Jean Paul Mievis BEL
FC BARCELONA (ESP) - BORUSSIA DORTMUND (GER)
Referee: Espen Eskås NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Erik Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Elias Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Rohit Saggi NOR
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Clay Ruperti NED
UEFA Referee Observer:
UEFA Delegate: Jean Paul Mievis BEL
Assuming that Velasco rejected Massa for not sending off Konate (and I think that is a reasonable assumption to make), and seeing the pattern used by UEFA in the first legs, Mariani was actually an easily expectable appointment for the match in Paris. One can be less sure whether it is deserved though.
ReplyDeleteMariani skipped R16 after a criticized play-off. Returning to a QF UCL immediately is not a “treatment” that all referees would get.
DeleteWell, I can't comment on the Monaco-Benfica match as all I saw was the (supportable) SYC given. I did however watch the Juventus-Inter match played a few days later and Mariani did an adequate job, although he was losing control by the end of the game (fe: www.streambug.io/cv/b6d226). I don’t think it is unfair to say that after forty years of being at the very top, whoever of the present tre is deemed ‘Italian no1’ at the present time is a far (far) cry from many referees who came before him.
DeleteIt's interesting to point out that Di Paolo didn't get CL games after the possible RC in PSG game with Massa, committee used Chiffi and now Di Bello as Italian VARs. I'm convinced they assessed the missed DOGSO as very evident mistake, and I can agree, honestly it was very easy to whistle and issue the red card, expected by all. Definitely more complicated to discuss about the "not enough" concept /that is a classic Italian point of view). But then to me Di Paolo made another DOGSO mistake when he didn't suggest RC to Petrescu in the Nations League game...
ReplyDeleteAbout Mariani, we should draw conclusion that the rather "easy" (but never a mistake) second YC in Monaco - Benfica has been accepted, but yes, after Guida (starting one year ago), then Massa and now Mariani we can see that Italian referees are very liked by committee in PSG games... you can understand their management, as Mikaeal stated above.
Still about Italian Elite referees, one should start to be worried about Guida, now 4 months have passed since the last appearance in serie A, injury is very serious, yes, he has time to recover until 2026 WC (that's now his only and very last target), but what about physical condition? Maybe same as Orsato...
Let's see whether in Paris, Mariani will get more reputation as UEFA Elite referee with a good performance, I don't expect a challenging game but, of course, everything can happen.
Really? Mariani and Eskas at UEFA Champions League quarterfinals?
ReplyDeleteThis is not second qualifying round…
Oh Gods, please return Cakir, Kuipers, Skomina, Webb, Rizzoli and Mazic
Mariani its a wrong one yes.
DeleteThere are more candidates then the italian referees. But it isnt surprising from Rosetti
Honestly it's very unsurprising, this game is the only one where they can put an italian referee as it is the least challenging by far.
DeleteBut still, feels so undeserved knowing that other referees could have gotten this game. Mariani has been solid in serie A this year no doubt, but he has only gotten this game because of Guida's injury and Massa's mistake in Paris.
They could use PSG - Aston Villa to develop a referee from a smaller country, as this is probably the least interesting fixture on paper - should be an easy win for PSG. Instead they use it to appoint an Italian referee, because there has to be an Italian representative.
DeleteMeanwhile, zero(!) Dutch referees in Champions League knock-out rounds so far. What is Björn Kuipers doing in the RefCom?
I admit, Gozubuyuk and Makkelie are not at top level, but if Mariani can get a 1st leg game, I don’t understand why they can’t.
Mr. Unknown from the Netherlands (post 17:32) : I understand you are a bit disappointed, but, of course, you cannot judge independently, because you want the 2 Dutch being appointed as much as possible. Wij Belgen willen hetzelfde, hebben geen scheidsrechters van dat niveau but can you understand that we have no political support in pushing referees whatsoever ?Our Frank De Bleeckere is disappointing at that point : he never had any role or influence on UEFA level (after his retirement as ref, I think in 2010 in Zulte Waregem). Conclusion : Italy is in charge (and not the Netherlands) in UEFA (and FIFA) football refereeing and will continue to be. I accept and on this blog , a.o. morer Italians dare to say the truth.
DeleteWhy do you all think it will be an easy match for PSG? Aston Villa is a top team, value of their squad is more than €600m and they are in good form, 6 or 7 wins in a row. Of course PSG is a favorite but it will be tough for them also, Villa is not Brest. Hopefully Mariani will handle the occasion well
DeleteMichael Oliver has a Premier League game next Monday evening 14th - unlikely to be in Europe in the week
ReplyDeleteUefa appointments come first so PL could easily take him off that game. I with 2 English teams in CL I don't expect see him or Anthony Taylor get another chance this season in CL.
DeleteThe need to always put an Italian referee...
ReplyDeleteOT: I started a new blog about old tournaments, analysing Euro 1996.
ReplyDeleteLink is here for those interested -- https://euro96ref.blogspot.com.
Thank you, Mikael. I am very interested
DeleteThank you so much! A small correction is desirable. France vs. Spain. Instead of Vazdim Zuk it is correct Vadzim Zhuk or Vadzim Žuk.
DeleteMissed foul and YC by Eskas (17')
ReplyDelete16' Clear foul YC MISSED FOR BARCELONA
ReplyDeleteBoth reckless and SPA, but no foul called. Big miss.
DeleteYep,big foul missed and what is weird is how sure Eskas was.
ReplyDeletevery obvious, serious foul by Barcelona was overlooked. He should have been given a yellow card.
DeleteVery soft YC for Dortmund considering what Eskas missed.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think it’s soft, he pulled the opponent by the back of the hair. Reckless foul.
DeleteConsidering what he missed.
DeleteEskas is so lost
ReplyDeleteAlmost never seen a yellow card for a “reckless hold” before but absolutely correct in the 24th minute, Adeyemi grabbed the opponent by the hair.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I don't like this foul call on Adeyemi at all. For me it was a foul the other way: The BAR player blocks him and moves his hand towards Adeyemi's face, although the ball is already gone. That should be a call in favour of DOR. Even more unfortunate that a goal is scored from this.
ReplyDeleteThe TV angle for the Barca goal made it look a lot tighter than it actually was for Raphinha being onside
ReplyDeleteEskas is lost. bad first half from him....
ReplyDeleteWell easy match for Eskas so far.
ReplyDeleteBut so funny to watch every decision,I mean every decision against Barcelona comes with protest, 2 or 3 players in close range of Eskas.
In England, they would receive so many cards.
No problem at all for Mariani ?
ReplyDeleteExcellent Mariani in a fair and football focused game. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch carefully but I saw this PAI supporting arm in PSGAVL:
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/9c356f
Thanks for clipping. I don’t think this is as clear-cut as most support arm cases. By the time the ball hits the arm here, it’s not really supporting his weight at all, and is just kind of left out there creating a barrier. I think there’s a case for it to be given. Subjective decision IMO.
DeleteWow,Cesar Ramos with his CONCACAF approach allowed everything in Inter Miami - LAFC match.
ReplyDeleteYou could have killed anyone,this dude would not show a card.
Huge brawl,no card there.
Protests,fouls,no card.
Im just glad we have Uefa style refs that can be normal if that's the word cause Ramos' performance was anything but normal.
03:39,only yc there is for the foul.wow.
Deletehttps://youtu.be/M0ZFPyE-9ZU?si=k2hEPuQlFs8Zl9bW
To be honest, I strongly doubt this challenge would result in a RC being given in UEFA competitions, too.
DeleteThe challenge is a bookable offense and nothing more for my taste. I think M is saying that there wasn't any disciplinary sanctions for the brawl that happened after the foul.... Well, it's just Ramos being Ramos :D
DeleteYep Upstylon,i dont have a problem with the challenge,it is YC.
DeleteWhats ridiculous to me is no action for brawl after that,where multiple players are involved and Ramos just turns blind eye.
This is crazy, indeed. AFC and CONCACAF don't stop to surprise us...
DeleteMy answer goes beyond the specific case of Ramos, but nowadays, in the name of modern refereeing, you will never see a red card after a mass confrontation anymore. Today, in all cases, referees are told to stay out, watch and then caution two players, one each team. Practically this guideline means that players during the brawl can do what they want, then they will calm down and a yellow card will be shown. VAR not even controls possible reds, it must be only a violent conduct. This is to say that unfortunately it is no longer the free refereeing of the past, and you are always forced to see what a player has done, but obviously then in all this there are referees more inclined to take out a red anyway that would not be denied by VAR, however the majority always apply these guidelines, only cautioning. I am against this management because it is as if it had indirectly authorized the players to fight each other freely.
DeleteCompletely agreed Chefren, excellent point. I think a lot of the modern instructions around "not showing too many cards when multiple offenses happen in one sequence" indirectly authorize players to engage in misconduct without fear of repercussions. For example, if 3 players are surrounding the referee to dissent, any of the other 8 can join for free because they know the referee won't show more than one or two cautions. And there are many cases where a player who is already on a yellow can engage in almost whatever behavior they want because they know the referee won't send him off for something "silly", for example during a battle with an opponent before a corner kick or, in the example you provided, a mass confrontation.
DeleteI think our game would be better off if this kind of thinking wasn't encouraged in referees. It should be very simple: if a player earns a yellow card, he gets one! It shouldn't matter if it's his second, or his team's tenth. The fact that referees are deterred from officiating in this way greatly limits their authority and control, and as you put it, "indirectly authorizes" the players to get away with poor behavior.
Two clips from Eskas game, you discussed above.
ReplyDelete16' https://streambug.org/cv/6b9c59
24' https://streambug.org/cv/8843e5
Very important mistake with that missed foul and YC, I think Eskas should have whistled it but he didn't see at all. Missed cooperation by fourth official Saggi, you can see him walking later during the a replay, should have shown more alertness. VAR also checked for a possible RC, as the Norwegian referee invited players to wait before resuming.
The YC in 24' seems a reasonable decision, because we have a hair pulling. Very rare to happen, can be assessed as reckless.