2024-25 UEFA Nations League, referee appointments for Semifinals.
21:00 CET - Munich (Allianz Arena)
GERMANY - PORTUGAL
Referee: Slavko Vinčić SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: Matej Jug SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis CYP
UEFA Delegate: Radenko Mijatović SVN
Thursday 5 June 2025
21:00 CET - Stuttgart (MHPArena)
SPAIN - FRANCE
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gillett AUS
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Michael Salsbury ENG
UEFA Referee Observer:Jan W. Wegereef NED
UEFA Delegate: Fernand Meese BEL
21:00 CET - Stuttgart (MHPArena)
SPAIN - FRANCE
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gillett AUS
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Michael Salsbury ENG
UEFA Referee Observer:
UEFA Delegate: Fernand Meese BEL
Well, the "Slovenian party" in Munich, only observer is from another country. Why not to appoint Šajn directly in that role as well...
ReplyDeleteSarcasm by definition
DeleteIt was reported, I had missed it, that Oliver will be referee for the other semifinal. We will have confirmation tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting remark regarding Sandro Schärer’s appointment for this year’s Nations League final:
ReplyDeleteDuring Euro 2024, Sandro Schärer was appointed to officiate the Georgia vs Portugal match, with Stefan Lupp and Bekim Zogaj as his assistants. Interestingly, Stéphane De Almeida, Schärer’s usual assistant, was not selected due to his Portuguese descent.
The question now is: if Portugal reaches this year’s final, will there be another assistant change? Given that Stéphane is already listed on UEFA’s website as an assistant for the final…
It seems UEFA might have overlooked this…
BREAKING NEWS: Swiss assistant referee Stéphane De Almeida has been disgracefully removed from the UEFA Nations League Final simply because of his Portuguese heritage. This is outrageous. Rosetti and the Swiss FA have completely lost the plot — their contempt for their own officials is an embarrassment to football and a slap in the face to sporting integrity.
DeleteUEFA's "Be a Referee!" campaign wants to inspire young people to become a match official. The campaign is part of a wider UEFA programme to support member national associations in their activities to recruit new referees.
DeleteBE A REFEREE AND GET SACKED IN SILENCE
So
ReplyDeletea) Vincic is fit again
b) CWC referees still are available
c) Vincic immediately repeats Portugal after the QF
As well as NL,we also have WC qualifying with some very great and potentially challenging matches;
ReplyDeleteCzech Rep. vs Montenegro
Norway vs Italy
North Macedonia vs Belgium
Albania vs Serbia
Austria vs Romania
Croatia vs Czech Rep.
Out of all these matches,we can all agree that the most risky one is Balkan one,Albania vs Serbia.
I only see 2 options;
Turpin,one of the best refs in the world right now.
Or maybe Makkelie, he is an expert in these Balkan hot matches so maybe even him.
I would have said Marciniak,but controversy is still fresh around him and that Inter vs Barca so I dont think he is an option.
M:
Delete"Out of all these matches,we can all agree that the most risky one is Balkan one, Albania vs Serbia."
Could then be a case for Slavko Vinčić again. ;-)
😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃
DeleteOr maybe some Italian😀😀.
Maybe Mariani.
Vincic muss nach Miami zur Klub-WM, genauso wie Marciniak.
DeleteI'm betting on Turpin, as he's a more conciliatory referee for the heated match that promises to be.
ReplyDeleteOliver repeats France directly after QF 2nd leg.
ReplyDeletehttps://downloads.theifab.com/downloads/circular-31
ReplyDeleteThat’s an important change, great decision for me by ifab.
DeleteHonestly, when will IFAB stop changing things all the time? Being a ref if more complex than an engineer now.
DeleteVincic and Oliver repeats Portugual and France QF.🫣
ReplyDeleteReplyDelete
It really is one big Slovenian party — they’re not even bothering to hide the favoritism anymore, lol. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI find it quite mind-boggling that a referee – who had to abandon a cup final on May 14th after 60 minutes – is already back in the spotlight on June 4th for none other than Germany vs Portugal. Would a referee from any other country get that same “special” treatment? I highly doubt it. It’s obvious that the Slovenian’s getting a tailor-made chance to dispel any doubts about his fitness (which was, let’s say, under scrutiny after that cup final) just in time for the FCWC.
Anyway, the 45-year-old Slovenian’s stats this season are… interesting, to say the least. According to the German site Transfermarkt, Vinčić officiated a mere 10 matches in the Slovenian league. That’s incredibly low. Coincidentally, the exact same number of Champions League games he’s done. Bizarre stats… Just compare that to, let’s say, Anthony Taylor who’s older by one year: he reffed 31 PL matches. Alright, maybe an Englishman isn’t the best comparison, but even Kuipers managed 20 domestic games in his final year and Orsato had 15…
It has been said millions of times, and the truth doesn't even surprise me ;).
DeleteIt's clear that if Vincic wasn't Slovenian, well, it would be another story…It's already tiring to see that even if it's a disaster you know that he has another game for sure, and it's disappointing... but what can you expect from Ceferin? ;). I think I've written it before, but for me Vincic is a regular referee, sometimes good, but he has never excelled, you can give him the CL final and several matches of this season that to be honest, he didn't deserve.
For me he is not a great pair of safe hands, of course in matches with teams focused on the ball (European football in general) yes, but hopefully he will have some South American/African duel in the Club World Cup...
Nothing against Vincic at all, but it's the reality. (Let’s be prepared for the same scenario when Vincic retires with Obrenovic ;)
To sum it up:
Delete- April 21st: Al Hilal vs. Al Shabab. Vincic got himself replaced by Obrenovic.
- April 24th: semi-final of the Slovenian Cup — once again replaced before the match.
- April 29th: officiated Arsenal vs. PSG 1st leg
- May 14th: replaced during the Slovenian Cup final by the fourth official.
- June 4th: assigned for GER-POR (Nations League semi-final).
After an injury in a cup final, UEFA would tell any other referee: “Take a break, make sure you’re fit for the FCWC.”
Let me be clear: I have no personal vendetta against the Slovenian referee. I do, however, take issue with the preferential treatment he’s getting.
At this point it is clear he’s dealing with some physical ‘discomfort.’ Let him skip the local games, so he’s fresh and shiny for the European stage! That’s the world turned upside-down. Rumor already has it Vincic got injured at the FIFA seminar and had knee surgery during the 23/24 winter break.
10 matches in the PRVA LIGA is not a lot. For comparison, Guida did 8 in Serie A and he was out injured ‘for ages’. Sure, there are fewer matches available in the PRVA LIGA, but still… Skomina, in his prime, managed about 14–15 a season, plus extra gigs in the Middle-East. Btw, I consider Skomina as a better (and more complete) referee than Vincic.
Of course, I wish Vincic personally all the best. But I do agree with Diego: he’s a solid, reliable referee, always manages to dodge controversy, which is smart refereeing. But I don’t think we’ll be talking about Slavko Vincic as a top referee 20 years from now. He’s just missing a bit of charisma and that X-factor. I’ll probably remember him as the guy who had one hell of a wheelbarrow. 😉
Vincic seems to want to call the game off due to waterlogged pitch, managers and other important looking people seem to think otherwise, game delayed by 10 minutes is the compromise
ReplyDelete15' very clear corner not whistled,strange to see that happen to Vincic.
ReplyDeleteTerrible decision not to give a corner from the Ronaldo deflected shot. Surely one of the 4 officials could see it?
ReplyDelete15´ ASSISTANT ERROR 2
ReplyDeleteVery good no penalty in 18'!
ReplyDelete19', not a penalty. I agree. Attacker making contact with defender and not the contrary.
ReplyDeleteWake up, Vincic. Cristiano Ronaldo's shot clearly deflected off the German player. An incomprehensible error by the Slovenian officials.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha what mistakes from Vincic, unbelievable. But I never seen foul to be whistled from the ball! Vincic CLEARLY SHOWED WITH HIS HAND that he whistled foul! Very clearly. And when they told him what he did, he changed decision. Disgrace.
DeleteSolid performance in first half, Vincic in full control. However, we saw some clear (!) mistakes that simply do not look good (missed corner, missed foul and YC) and could undermine his authority.
ReplyDelete40' and 43' are embarrassing. Just embarrassing.
ReplyDelete40' is a clear yellow card. He has no foul.
43' is a ball to the face off a header and Vincic has a foul out of thin air. Just completely guessing (and late) about something that never happened. He has to annul the decision and give a dropped ball.
Wow,this is very debatable atleast.
ReplyDeleteEmbarasing? Disgrace? How low you can go? Mistake yes but yor vocabulary..,
ReplyDeleteYou don't think 43' is an embarrassing decision for an Elite referee? I would be embarrassed if I made that decision. I would hazard to guess we've all been embarrassed at times. Pretending that Vincic is incapable of making an embarrassing decision is a peculiar approach.
DeleteI never used the word disgrace.
How is that not offside, he blocks the defender in an offside position
ReplyDelete2 seconds at the screen for an ABSOLUTELY clear offside and he gives the goal. Amazing
ReplyDeletei didn’t understand either
DeleteRight decision by Vincic. OFR not even required in this case imo
ReplyDeleteImo clear obstruction .
ReplyDeleteIt’s getting hot by the Portuguese side…
ReplyDeleteIMO incorrect decision by Vincic, POR with full right to complain. OFR indicates that the offender was in an offside position. Offside position was punishable as he was blocking the defender in fight for the ball and therefore prevented him from any further action. Strange procedure, only one look at the monitor.
ReplyDeleteGerman referee expert saying that he would have expected the goal to be anulled, for him there was a punishable offside position.
DeleteDid the OFR indicate the defender was in an offside position? Or was the OFR for an APP foul?
DeleteBecause the answer to that question determines who was at fault here.
If offside position was established, then Vincic's decision is incomprehensible.
But if offside wasn't established and Borosak is sending that down for a foul... yikes. That would be one of the worst recommendations we've seen in a long time.
Interesting idea, usaref, I did not even think about a foul by the attacker. Maybe that is also a clear sign…
DeleteWhy staying at monitor only 2 seconds? Decision already made by VAR, but they wanted to show? In my opinion strong arguments for a punishable offside, defender was blocked, maybe he wouldn't have reached ball, but still, if you call OFR...
ReplyDeleteNot clear management by Slovenian crew, it wasn't so easy and quick to decide.
Video:
https://streamff.com/v/3404f151
On the broadcast feed I thought offside position was established. Looking at the aerial cam from above the goal, I have doubts. I think Borosak sent this down for a foul, which is nuts.
DeleteFor these and other reasons, I am not a fan of Vincic's refereeing style. He ends up complicating matters in simple situations, as the Inter vs Barcelona game shows.
DeleteFootball expects the goal in this key... Ok attacker is in offside position there is contact with defender but that defender must have clear oportunity to play on the ball which is not in this moment so it is correct goal!!!!
DeleteObvious offside offence. Clearly impacts the opponents ability to play the ball. No other option.
Deleteaccording to German TV it wasn't offside at all, so no clue why he was even sent to OFR (and that likely also is the reason why it was so quick).
ReplyDeleteBlatantly wrong decision but he will still get all the games he wants next season
ReplyDeleteYess he get!
DeleteBut not at fifa.
Collina is not a fan of him.
I dont think he is at the world cup next year
Disgraceful performance by Vincic tonight. Portugal rightly furious
ReplyDeleteanother corner missed, this is ridiculous…
ReplyDeleteRegardless of the final decision, perhaps the OFR could have been handled better by spending more time watching the images. By making the decision in such a short time, the impression is that the referee made a light-hearted assessment, without properly considering the situation
ReplyDeleteI disagree. If this was for an alleged foul, dismissing it immediately shows (rightly) how ridiculous the foul call would have been. Spending time at the monitor to consider things when there's nothing to consider is just giving people false hope and making the call look tougher. People see through that theater. It is very clearly not a foul. Even Portugal was asking for the offside, not a foul.
DeleteThe question is why this was sent down at all. If it's just for the alleged foul, that's a big problem.
If indeed the OFR was called for a foul, this is a serious mistake. Having said that, I am still not convinced that such a quick OFR is authoritative to the referee: the Portugal players are very nervous and keep protesting, so Vincic's decision was not accepted
DeleteThe absence of evidence isn't evidence. When have we known Portuguese teams to readily accept controversial decisions? You can't say continued protesting after a short OFR means that a long OFR wouldn't have led to just as much, if not more protesting.
DeleteUltimately a referee has to offer his best judgment and when something is clear, a quick decision is a virtue. If there was no offside position, then this was a 100% easy decision and Vincic was right to treat it as such. I'm critical of him in this match and, quite often, overall. But rejecting the OFR quickly is something he did right, if indeed it was for a foul.
Now again missed corner which is leading to more and more frustration..
ReplyDeleteFunny how ref can influnce match with his decisions.
Very embarrassing. Incredible mistakes for a low quality refs. For elite ref that officiated CL final this is very very poor.
DeleteI don't understand why je just stays 3 seconds, maybe he thought they called him for a foul because i don't see how you can allowed this goal.
ReplyDeleteHe is not that good .... but Ceferin and Sajn makes him big.
ReplyDeleteCollina wouldnt at all.
WC2022 after Argentina Saudi he was go home.
Maybe next year no world cup for him
don’t go too far…CWC i think will show that too
DeleteNames that are emerging now such as Peljto, Nyberg, Eskas, Scharer and even Meler (who has recovered mentally and technically from the mistake in the game in Bruges), could easily take Vincic's place at the World Cup. Peljto proved his worth in the UECL final, Scharer will referee the Nations League final. If the Swiss does well, Vincic's place will be threatened.
Delete*UECL
DeleteI hope you are right. Peljto yess he deserved.
DeleteThis man Vincic isnt a top level referee....
He never will be a QF pr further at WC... The lack of his attitude is far from Collina and Busacca
Strange VAR incident. The decision will split opinion but surely Vincic should have spent longer at the screen. Think the german player was offside so definitely controversial
ReplyDeleteThe most understable explanation is that he wasn't told about the Offside (unbelievable). It seemed even like he wasn't chatting with VAR while and after watching !?
ReplyDeleteI don't get how this is not offside for Vinčić. Unless it was not offside position and Borošak called him only to assess a potential foul?
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/1a07df
If called for the foul and not offside, a clear mistake by VAR, you can't call only for that.
DeleteAll in all, a very poor management for sure.
The problem is that when you get all these games and unconditional trust, you can start to make as you want... but well, hopefully that's not the case and we are missing something.
Now comebck by Portugal and 2-1. I find this fair so far.
Do we know if there is SATO in the final four ?
ReplyDeleteYes, now shown for 1-2 goal.
DeleteI have my answer now
DeleteNo flag confirmed, so excellent decision by AR1 to let the flag down, 1-2 valid.
ReplyDeleteGood decision by AR1 for Portugal's 2nd goal. Looked offside from one angle.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIs there a possibility in which VAR calls for an Offside situation (interference) and Vincic understands interference in the sense of an obstruction? All this in Eslovenian, of course :)
ReplyDeleteAccording to UEFA, the OFR was for the offside and original pitch decision was confirmed.
ReplyDelete________
VAR decision: goal confirmed
On field decision confirmed - goal, not offside.
Germany's player, No11, did not clearly impact on the ability of the opponent to play the ball.
_______
So what about the OFR? And in my opinion you can't state "did not clearly impact on the ability". The defender was clearly (just to use the same word) stopped in his action. This stays as very controversial. But at least OFR made for appropriate reason.
Is that from UEFA's website or a different channel?
DeleteIf that's true, my word. The physical contact there is clear and is universally taught as offside - interfering with an opponent.
I've now gone from praising Vincic for dispensing with a bad OFR to absolutely not being able to comprehend how he *quickly* decided this wasn't a punishable offside. Of course it's a punishable offside. Wow.
How come UEFA hasn't shared the SAOT image here?
What ???
DeleteIt's official from UEFA, not another site.
DeleteRight, sorry. I know it's UEFA. Just wondering what level of authority within UEFA.
DeleteThat statement don't make any sens.
Deleteportuguese players fool the refereeing team...
ReplyDeleteWow,5 minutes only...
ReplyDelete2 VAR checks(1 longer),Wirtz vs Silva and only 5!?!hm.
And then blowing the whistle after exactly 5mins...
DeleteNot the best game for Vincic let's say.
ReplyDeleteBut once again a lucky man: Portugal won.
Nothing to discuss about in terms of crucial decisions.
Now it will be interesting to see what about Schaerer assistant referee, replaced at EURO after a Portugal assignment. That's shocking if you ask me, we should then say another replacement, unless Rosetti thinks: "Nations League is Nations League, EURO is EURO...". Well.. that's the only possible argument, if sources about the reason of his replacement at that time were true.
For me it is ridiculously amateur to name Schärer, knowing about his assistant, in a final before knowing if Portugal advances or not. If De Almeida is unjustly replaced again, it only shows Rosetti's incompetence once again.
DeleteWasn't it better to wait for the finalists and make the decision? Having Schärer as main option but waiting for the results?…Rosetti being Rosetti
Not convinced today by Vincic, but he will get excellent marks for sure. For me wrong decision to allow the first goal, bad management of the wirtz-silva situation, bad management of the additional time
ReplyDeleteAlso 2 clear corners missed.
DeleteNot a good day in the office for Slovenian.
Agree, it wasn't a good evening for Vinčić. Too many technical mistakes, although the only major one didn't affect the final score, but he also gave an impression of "not being in the game", a somewhat unfocused impression and was definitely too passive too many times, especially regarding early signs of dissent of Portuguese players, which IMO represented an unnecessary inflammatory factor, along with some glaring mistakes. He became aware of this immediately after the OFR in 49' and started putting out the fire using YCs, but it was a little bit too late to improve the overall image and prevent that one altercation that occurred in 84'. Generally, I don't think we can say this performance was satisfactory in technical, disciplinary or management area.
DeleteI don't want to be a "mistake hunter", but it has to be said this performance was full of them: two missed CKs for POR in 15' and 57', missed foul and YC to GER17 in 40', inexplicable phantom foul in 43' with the GER player getting hit by the ball (Vinčić did correct himself eventually, but the overall image of this scene was really bad, IMO), inadequate management of additional time. Disciplinary wise, I would argue POR18 should have received a YC in 34' for an LoR holding, but maybe I'm overreacting a bit. However, his dealing with the mass altercation in 84' was certainly suboptimal, with POR8 somehow escaping from a YC for UB, and a general impression of not being in full control in those moments. Speaking of POR8, he should have been cautioned for dissent even earlier, in 57', for his reaction on a missed CK.
Vinčić's final decision after the OFR is difficult to understand for me. I've heard some former players arguing it was not interfering with an opponent because Ruben Dias couldn't have reached the ball anyway, but I'm really not sure about this explanation. For me, this was a punishable offside, if actual offside was detected by the VAR. At least it seems the reason for the OFR wasn't any potential "foul", because that would have been a pretty bad call.
On the bright side, it has to be mentioned that the play on call in 19' was a very good decision by Vinčić, any contact that occurred was caused either by inertia or the attacker himself. I praise this call, as well as the dissent YCs issued to POR coach in 52' and POR18 in 57'. The caution to GER4 in 80' was also more than correct.
I can only hope this was a single bad evening in an otherwise successful period for Slavko Vinčić, which I really wish awaits him at the upcoming CWC. I also had a feeling his fitness wasn't the best tonight, maybe he even struggled in some faster moments of the game. I hope this performance won't affect him in any negative way.
Thanks for this excellent report Dukat 👌. I watched the tennis instead last night, so read your review and analysis very gladly.
DeleteCould you please help me?
ReplyDeleteI had bit challenging situation in my match at Slovak lower division. Original decision was RC for DOGSO, BUT ball was played by striker before that was foul by goalkeeper. Please, could you leave your opinions in comments? Video: https://streamable.com/vb8q7y
On a strictly technical level I think after the shot by attacker, this isn't a DOGSO situation anymore, because the ball isn't playable anymore for the afterwards fouled player. therefore a FK (+YC if foul id reckless) is the correct decision here I think. But this is difficult to players and coaches to understand...
DeleteWell done in delaying the whistle and in card procedure by the way. :-)
Yes, but on pitch my feeling was, that was not shot on goal, but player "dribble/kick ball" around the GK and didn't chased ball only due foul
DeleteOT: Sorry for my English, it is not my mother tongue
If you stop the video in the moment of the foul, I think both defenders can reach the ball before attacker so there is no more a OGSO. But this is a very detailled analysis there belongs more in a VAR room than on a pitch probably. Your decision is certainly understandable, but I think technically the correct decision is not to give that RC.
DeleteBut I'm interested to read other opinions.
I agree with Cassius. The attacker took an unimpeded shot on goal, and the goalkeeper committed a foul afterward. If you applied advantage, you would only show a yellow card to the goalkeeper for potential reckless play (which I believe would be the most correct decision). We cannot speak of a clear goal-scoring opportunity here, as the attacker was facing away from the ball, and both defenders would have reached it before him.
DeleteI think you made a very good decision MH_svk, for two reasons:
Delete1) RC is the expected decision by all actors on the FoP
2) The force of the kick by the goalkeeper is extremely high
One can analogalise this situation with the red card rightly given to the goalkeeper by Benbraham in the AFCON match Senegal-C.Verde a few years ago.
Thank you for excellent comments on the blog and good luck for the future in your career!
I can not agree, Michael. 😄
Delete1) I also thought about that, specially about the reaction by the GK wo doesnt complain at all. Probably the RC is "what football expects"... But we are discussing a purely technical aspect here and not the "social" one.
2) The user asked whether a RC for DOGSO was justified or not. If the foul is to be seen as SFP, then of course it is a very good decision, no doubt. But for me the video is not conclusive enough so I don't know...
Definitely not DOGSO. No likehood of gaining control of the ball. It’s a shot that he will not reach had he blt been fouled. If you call back the free kick it’s a yellow for a reckless challenge only. Otherwise no card at all.
Delete
DeleteThe second letter of DOGSO is "obvious" - once the ball is played it is definitely *not* obvious that the attacker will get to the ball before the defender, who is already in front of him on the pitch and just about manages to clear the ball.
It’s possible that Vincic wasn’t fully in the game yesterday due to some physical discomfort. Which is rather unfortunate, especially given the timing in the season and all that. But as mentioned above: you can’t just ‘chill’ locally and referee at a leisurely pace in order to be ‘fresh and ready’ for the big European assignments. That’s putting the cart before the horse. And frankly, it’s not entirely fair either, considering his status. Perhaps we’d accept that kind of approach from a referee with the stature of, let’s say, Orsato or Marciniak. But even in Orsato’s case, fitness might have cost him the final in Germany last year (that EURO did come a year too late, after all). Ask Rosetti what today’s referee embodies, and the first thing he’ll respond is: “They must be great athletes.”
ReplyDeleteVincic was mentioned as a candidate to open the FCWC. I’m curious to see if FIFA (Collina) still stands by that choice after yesterday. The other option could be Michael Oliver? Or perhaps even a CONMEBOL referee. It’s hard to say at this point.
Of course, credit where credit is due: Vincic is lucky that Portugal won. He often seems to land on the right side of these 50/50 situations. Which, in its own way, is quite the skill, in a refereeing climate where avoiding controversy seems to be the only thing that matters :-/
I still believe that Vincic should not go to the World Cup next year. A man like this who has won two continental finals (UEL in Seville and UCL in London) and continues to be inconsistent in his performances, deserves the trust of Collina and the other refereeing directors at FIFA? Look at Peljto, he has grown exponentially in big games and was rewarded with the Conference League final. This kind of ruling certainly catches Collina's attention, for me, Vincic is not going to North America in 2026.
DeleteMissing the 2026 World Cup seems hard to believe for a referee who already has a Champions League final to his name — and who happens to share a nationality with the UEFA president, no less. Unless his fitness completely betrays him, I really don’t see that happening.
DeleteOf course, a World Cup is FIFA’s domain. But let’s not forget that Sajn and company have lots of influence on UEFA appointments, so they can keep Vincic’s status high by assigning him to big matches as long as it’s relatively “safe.” At the same time, they steer him away from the real minefields. And let’s be honest: Vincic does seem to have a knack for landing on the right side of those 50/50 calls. Still, at the end of the day, he’s a referee who doesn’t like to make unpopular decisions.
I agree Lincoln.
DeleteHis age is 47 at wc in 2026.
And collina is independent and total not listening to Sajn and Ceferin.
A men with a status because the slovenian bobo's at uefa.
It's sure the Slovenian will attend 2026 WC, impossible to think the contrary, but it's also clear that Collina seems to have a different reputation about him.. WC 2022 showed that. One could just mention the admiration of the Italian for Marciniak and we all know his story with UEFA, Vincic maybe represents the contrary, loved by UEFA, not that much by FIFA.
DeleteFor me, Vincic is basically a good referee, but it’s clear that he was strongly pushed by UEFA for a career to happen in all cases. I remember him when he wasn’t still in the elite category, he had a completely different style. Once he realized he had reached the top of the European refereeing, he stopped being the referee he used to be, opting instead for the approach that made him famous, extremely lenient.
He officiated many matches where you could argue he didn’t perform exceptionally, but recently, to be fair, one must say that he handled some games really well. Still, someone else could have reached that level too, maybe not just anyone, but another referee could have made it, by receiving the same trust and attention. Trust played a huge role.
In the end, every committee has its favorites, and it's hard to judge things completely objectively. I believe that, technically and in other aspects, Vincic is overall inferior to other top-level Elite referees of recent times. But he managed to get all his opportunities, always receiving complete support, starting from that well-known off-field incident, where if he had been a referee from any other country, they would have already left him to his fate.
Still, he is a good referee in the end, but the skill of being a phenomenon has been rather "built" on him by committee, than being discovered, at least in my opinion. Just to say, his potential successor, Obrenovic, looking at what he has shown so far, isn't even comparable, and unfortunately, they won't be able to turn him into another “Vincic.”
Asian WC qualifiers today (second-last MD of this round):
ReplyDeleteAUSJPN: Qasim Al-Hatmi (OMA)
IDNCHN: Rustam Lutfullin (UZB)
UAEUZB: Shaun Evans (AUS)
OMAJOR: Khaled Al-Turais (KSA)
BHRKSA: Ilgiz Tantashev (UZB)
QATIRN: Mohamed Al-Hoaish (KSA)
PRKKGZ: Adham Makhadmeh (JOR)
IRQKOR: Yusuke Araki (JPN)
KUWPLE: Sadullo Gulmurodi (TJK)
OMAN JORDAN
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/alkasstvsports/status/1930669227616448774?s=46
AFC on-field reviews cannot stop surprising me..
IND CHINA
Deletehttps://x.com/alkasstvsports/status/1930634980482277706?s=46
I saved and reuploaded the videos because they can't be watched outside Arabic countries.
DeleteOman - Jordan
https://streambug.org/cv/ded23b
Attacker falling without contact, looks like simulation.
Indonesia - China
https://streambug.org/cv/65d6bb
Not VAR stuff. Attacker ahead of defender, but normal contact for me, not a clear penalty. To be supported only if whistled by referee.
A very free and easy use of VAR, for what I can see...
I agree that OMAJOR is not enough for a penalty, but I cannot say the same for IDNCHN tbh. I think it's a clear penalty, CHN player makes a tackle for the ball, misses and takes out the attacker. It doesn't matter if the ball was going out for a goal kick anyway or whatever, it's a careless action by the defender
DeleteCorrect intervention by Iida in Iraq - South Korea to upgrade a studs in the face challenge from YC a RC.
DeleteFunny, @Elliott. For me there's zero chance that the second one is a penalty. The Indonesian attacker plays the ball out of play, feels the contact, and goes down spectacularly. I barely see anything that we'd want as a foul.
DeleteIn Oman/Jordan, I actually do see the contact. If you rock it back and forth at the right moment, the extended foot does hit the ankle. The problem is that he takes another step and falls spectacularly. This one is *probably* a justifiable penalty for some. But the embellishment leaves a sour taste.
I think no intervention in either case is the right outcome.
@usaref I could absolutely accept a world where IDNCHN is not a penalty, but I don't feel that is the world we're living in at the moment. Based on expectations from most involved, I think penalty should be the outcome
DeleteBoth actions are correctly refereed by VAR and OFR is good. OK the fall is very late for OMAJOR, but contact is clear.
DeleteNo question for INDCHI though, attacker's foot is taken very clearly by the defender. It is not only a contact, it's a leg-hugger.
Close offside correctly given by AR1 Burt
ReplyDeleteThis move between Rabiot and Yamal is tense. The French midfielder touches the ball, but his touch on the Spanish player is very interpretive.
ReplyDeleteRabiot plays the ball after taking out Yamal, absolutely correct decision by Oliver
DeleteDoes anyone know when will be changes in Uefa referee categories?
ReplyDeleteVery believable game by M Oliver, both penalties correct ,had control of all mobbing situations, got most calls spot on. Uefa will be happy.
ReplyDeleteGreat game nobody will talk about Oliver who had 2 crucial supportable decisions,but additional time is again problematic.
ReplyDelete2nd half-6 goals,VAR checks,timewasting and only 5 minutes of added time.
Yet I'm sure if that happened this Summer in the CWC, or last season in a domestic competition, that team would have added much more in both halves. At least an extra minute was played. It seems to be a very Uefa problem, although they much prefer it this way to the Fifa/English way
DeleteExcellent performance by Oliver for me as well, in a really eventful and entertaining game which required full focus from the referee. He adapted to the needs of this game well IMO, establishing and maintaining an adequate and consistent line in foul detection and disciplinary line. With two fully correct PKs, 5 correct YCs and none mandatory missed, full acceptance and respect from the players, I don't think there's much to discuss regarding this performance. I would like to highlight Oliver's high level of focus to the very end, when he prevented a potential escalation of this match using his presence and two well-timed YCs, both of them mandatory IMO. As for the additional time issue, I am pretty convinced this approach is exactly what UEFA wants; we will probably see the same Michael Oliver adopting a different strategy at the upcoming CWC. Additionally, both ARs performed on a high level tonight IMO, with some nice onside/offside decisions (e.g. 44', 51').
DeleteAlthough his domestic season probably wasn't the best, I dare to say Oliver delivered a very nice set of performances on the UEFA stage in recent times, and this game can serve as a good proof of that IMO.
The game almost got out of hand at the end in terms of discipline, but Oliver controlled the mood with YC. A game to show who should be judged in English and Taylor ended up falling behind.
ReplyDeletewell done to Oliver and his crew!
ReplyDeleteIt’s an unpopular opinion on this site, but I believe UEFA has treated Michael Oliver unfairly this season. His form over the last three months has been excellent, and he should have been considered for a final. Of course, English teams are everywhere, but the Englishman, who for years in Europe was overshadowed by Taylor, in my view deserved to officiate the Champions League final. He would have handled that final perfectly. This was his chance.
ReplyDeleteWhy was Kovacs pushed forward, when the Romanian, with his neutral passport, could easily have waited another year? Perhaps the VAR debate (or the presence of an Italian team) has cost Oliver his spot. The English will argue for a fully English crew. And of course, Björn Kuipers had an interest in securing seats for Van Boekel and Higler, and he knew that Kovacs wouldn’t mind working with a Dutch VAR. And maybe there’s someone in the Refcom who just watches too much Premier League. :P
But I also think that’s unfair. Kovacs, too, will make mistakes locally, but they’re not magnified week after week the way they are in England. We can all see that Michael Oliver is in excellent form, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes very far at the FIFA Club World Cup; he will be backed by the bald Italian for sure.
I couldn't agree more! Oliver deserved more this season - either UCL or UNL final. His UEFA performances were excellent, often in challenging games. Most likely his form in domestic competitions played a role but it would be unfair. How much UEFA RefCom is interested in domestic performances of referees not-from-top5?
DeleteI have a very clear idea why Olver, with Rosetti head of UEFA refereeing, can't get a major final...
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