2025/26 UEFA Champions League Matchday 5, referee assignments for the first set of games, to be played on 25 November 2025.
25 November 2025
18:45 CET - Amsterdam (Johan Cruijff ArenA)
AFC AJAX (NED) - SL BENFICA (POR)
Referee: Sven Jablonski GER
Assistant Referee 1: Eduard Beitinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Stefan Lupp GER Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Tobias Reichel GER
Video Assistant Referee: Robert Schröder GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sören Storks GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Roberto Rosetti ITA
UEFA Delegate: Quanyş Qanapiianov KAZ
18:45 CET - Istanbul (Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi – RAMS Park)
GALATASARAY (TUR) - ROYALE UNION SAINT-GILLOISE (BEL)
Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero Martínez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Iñigo Prieto López de Ceraín ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz ESP
Video Assistant Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Javier Iglesias Villanueva ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO
UEFA Delegate: David Andrew McDowell Zor SVN
21:00 CET - Manchester (Etihad Stadium)
MANCHESTER CITY FC (ENG) - BAYER 04 LEVERKUSEN (GER)
Referee: João Pedro da Silva Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Miguel Alves de Jesus POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano António Gomes da Maia POR
Fourth Official: João António Ferreira Gonçalves POR
Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Bruno Lopes Martins POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Willy Delajod FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Stéphane Lannoy FRA
UEFA Delegate: María Medina Jiménez ESP
21:00 CET - London (Stamford Bridge)
CHELSEA FC (ENG) - FC BARCELONA (ESP)
Referee: Slavko Vinčić SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Christian Dingert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Benjamin Brand GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Gylfi Þór Orrason ISL
UEFA Delegate: Rudolf Řepka CZE
21:00 CET - Dortmund (Signal Iduna Park)
BORUSSIA DORTMUND (GER) - VILLARREAL CF (ESP)
Referee: Davide Massa ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Stefano Alassio ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alessio Berti ITA
Fourth Official: Rosario Abisso ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Michael Salisbury ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Ichko Lozev BUL
UEFA Delegate: Gerard Lawlor NIR
21:00 CET - Naples (Stadio Diego Armando Maradona)
SSC NAPOLI (ITA) - QARABAĞ FK (AZE)
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Wojciech Myć POL
Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek CRO
UEFA Referee Observer: Pascal Garibian FRA
UEFA Delegate: Peadar Ryan IRL
21:00 CET - Prague (Fortuna Arena)
SK SLAVIA PRAHA (CZE) - ATHLETIC CLUB (ESP)
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Robertas Valikonis LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Clay Ruperti NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Erwin Blank NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE
UEFA Delegate: Zgjim Sojeva KOS
21:00 CET - Bodø (Aspmyra Stadion)
FK BODØ/GLIMT (NOR) - JUVENTUS (ITA)
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Allard Lindhout NED
Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Stefan Meßner AUT
UEFA Delegate: Kim Hallberg DEN
21:00 CET - Marseille (Orange Vélodrome)
OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE (FRA) - NEWCASTLE UNITED FC (ENG)
Referee: Maurizio Mariani ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni ITA
Fourth Official: Matteo Marchetti ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH
UEFA Delegate: Loukás Siótropos GRE
Juventus and Napoli, due to their delicate position in the standing, get Makkelie and Marciniak, both are more than used to such tasks. Nothing new under Rosetti's management... even if the games are not that big, appointments are made based on this criterion.
ReplyDeleteGood analysis in this regard by an anonymous comment, once again. To add about Marciniak, his last game with Napoli was Napoli - Milan in Champion League in which he had been criticized, especially for the work of Polish VAR, so I think this is also a choice to allow him to meet again the Italian side at home (absolutely no matter about the Azeri team for committee, they could assign them all referees). Marciniak this time will be with Van Boekel.
To follow, honestly after Kuipers observation in Athletic - Arsenal, MD1, one could have expected something bigger for the Lithuanian to follow, but still getting CL without any downgrade to Europa League was a rather good signal. Nevertheless, this one, involving the Czech side and once again the Spanish club from Basque country is not the top tie one could have predicted. He could have got something a bit more challenging. And he will repeat Athletic. To me it's a rather poor management, there are only "sufficient" elements to say that Kuipers assessed as OK his outing on September, but surely at moment nothing more than that. Let's then wait for the rest of assignments in less than a hour.
Should we look for something behind the foreign VAR for Makkelie?
ReplyDeleteProbably Cuadra will act as main VAR Wednesday or Thursday with a spanish referee
DeleteThe rest of assignments is out. Observers not released, so it seems the idea by committee is to keep them private, but Slovenian federation revealed the name of Vincic observer in London, this means that there wasn't any communication by UEFA about that, but only a choice. We will see how it will continue. In this set surely one can think about a very important observer, maybe a committee member, for Jablonski in Amsterdam. Unexpcted second game for him, not for the performance but because it was maybe too early to think about that. So very likely it was assessed as very good perfomance on debut, Pafos - Villarreal.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, Stieler seems to be totally out of favor, while we heard that Siebert is at moment injured, if I remember correctly, so also other factors can explain this choice.
To follow, a rather regular assignment for Sanchez Martinz in Istanbul, with home team in a very good position against the Belgian site. Here the choice by committee could have been a referee with less experience than the Spanish, but we know how they treat home games of Galatasaray.
Marseille - Newcastle follows as new assignment in CL flor Mariani to give him games after the Under 20 WC absence, and also coming from two WC Qualifiers, I think they did enough to "realign" him. Despite of the technical outcome, for sure. Think about another referee with that missed RC in Paris. What would have happened? Here the difference of treatment is more than evident.
Having already said about Vincic in London, for a Champions League classic game (my prediction about Massa was wrong, indeed it would have been too much for the Italian), we must underline again the VAR, Dingert, for the Slovenia. Of course this game was impossible for Borosak. The game is a very big one with Ovrebo memory, but of course in terms of real stake, it's nothing, only three points in group stage, and this can relieve the Slovenian officials.
What said for Mariani, back from U20, can be said for Pinheiro, getting now games. Nevertheless, my idea is that they push the Portuguese, but differently from other referees, with a clear border, and the border is evident when I ready City - Leverkusen as game, definitely a nice one, but many factors talking about a flexible assignment, if you ask me. He is rather a referee for English and German teams with his style, more difficult, honestly, with Spanish and/or Italian clashes.
Then, Massa: all said was valid, reason for being out in serie A was this CL game, but not a big one, rather a quite good clash between a German and a Spanish, in what we can describe as medium level of media exposure.
I wish Jablonski well but iam suprised about his assignment. In my humble opinion, Ajax Benfica has all the ingredients to go off the rails. Two teams in crisis, a poor disciplinary record this season, and the Dutch and Portuguese style of play don't get along at all.
DeleteIvan Bebek did not call for VAR review which was a clear penalty for Qarabag at San Mames. What is the point of reappointing the same blind man to the same team's match a month later? There aren't enough ref in Europe who can sit at VAR, are there?!
ReplyDeleteBy hiding referee observers, UEFA is removing a layer of transparency.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly the time of year when promotion decisions are made. We all remember Obrenovič’ case last season: he failed under Rosetti’s watch and was blocked from promotion (I guess the Italian didn’t want to look like a fool). Would the same have happened if the observer had been anonymous?
Keeping observers secret probably makes the promotion process ‘easier’ in some way. And it also erases transparency about who is actually on FIFA’s radar and who isn’t.
I'm not sure whether too much is being read into the lack of publication of the referee observers. Currently, no referees for the Youth League matches on Tuesday have been announced either. I think there’s no need to keep these more secret than those of the Champions League, which were published on schedule at 10:00 a.m. today. Maybe it's just a technical bug.
DeleteAt this point one must agree with Peter's comment.
DeleteThe fact that all referees for Youth League still not published should only indicate a technical problem at this point because, regarding them, there wouldn't be any confidential issue, rather, on the contrary, they should be already known.
So it's possible the lack of observers could be related to that, but we can't know. We have only to wait and see for the next days.
Maybe… but if they are able to publish the Delegates and a full referee sextet, then I genuinely wonder what kind of “bug” this is supposed to be.
DeleteBy the way, I noticed my local FA posted a Youth League appointment last week and removed it the very same day - apparently it wasn’t allowed to be published that early.
@Chefren: Who do you expect on Wednesday for Atleti–Inter? Turpin? If so, that would imply UEFA supports his performance in Slovenia–Kosovo. Referees have been rejected for less.
I’m thinking maybe Peljto for Arsenal–Bayern. Zwayer in Paris or Greece?
Let's make ana analysis about this game.
DeleteI tend to think it could be different but of course the very big name with Turpin is still possible.
Inter now in a very calm situation, I think the "Italian principle" by Rosetti could even be forgotten for this game, with 12 points being at the very top, the team from Milan is very close to qualification. Still, one must mention the Spanish (home) side, always very challenging games there for all visitors, but in this case given the current situation, I think a sub standard assignment, meaning maybe not a 100% very top official, could be possible. My ideal would have been Nyberg for testing him in such a context, but the Swedish maybe is out at moment, after having officiated the Italian team in a by far less challenging context in Belgium against St. Gilloise.
Another name I could think about is Peljto, but after the rather controversial game involving the other team from Madrid on previous appearance, maybe this will be avoided for "indirect" reasons.
Would committee have the "courage" to assign a less experienced official? On paper, possible. Would Gozubuyuk be an astonishing choice in case?
Not sure why everyone is getting their underpants in a twist over observer appointments and youth level referees. FIFA are certainly not looking at these appointments and their group for the World Cup is already near completion given it is a 2 year on going cycle. In terms of promotions within uefa they do very few at the mid term if any at all. It will only be guided by those in various categories who retire otherwise status quo will prevail
DeleteI don't understand what you are trying to saying with your comment, what is the relation between Youth League, observers assignments and the FIFA selection for WC? We are talking about two different topics.
DeleteThe observers move around all the tournaments. Their actual appointments are not that important. UEFA have eyes on all the games also with spotters in the top 3 competitions. They have gone back to the observer doing a UCL game and youth game to save money. So the observer appointment on a youth game is just coincidental and has no bearing who the referee is
DeletePafos vs monaco : luis godinho
ReplyDeleteI listen the speech of president of realmadrid president said it was shame the any Spanish referee was not choice for fifa club world , yes absolutely it's shame country level of spain must have referees for any tournament
ReplyDeleteBecause it is neither reasonable nor logical to have some poor countries in football like Poland, slovenia, Sweden, norway , referees in this tournament and iti is not country of value like spain or Portugal
I didn't read the speech but I assume it was a tongue-in-cheek remark about the abysmal level of LaLiga refereeing, with no Spanish referee selected as (field) ref for CWC being proof of it.
DeleteJablonski seems to have a different AR2 every UEFA game he does recently
ReplyDeleteWell, his normal AR2 was Lasse Koslowski for a long time but Koslowski changed to Stieler for this season. But since Stieler doesn‘t get any matches, Koslowski assisted Jablonski this season a few times too. So that could mean that Stieler will probably get a game on Wednesday or Thursday.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnother mysterious OFR in Serie A, this time in Lazio-Lecce: not even the Lecce defender complained about being fouled...
ReplyDeleteOliver with a pretty much faultless display in Arsenal v Tottenham this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteVery good performance by Hernández Maeso in Elche-RM. Arguably the only good news re: Spanish refereeing this weekend.
ReplyDeleteHow to view the Spanish refereeing of Quilava?
DeleteWhich referees are currently performing well in Spanish football?
Busquets Ferrer hasn't been having very good games lately.
I don't know if the pressure of becoming an international referee might be hindering him?
And I don't see De Burgos as an elite referee.
I see qualities in Alberola Rojas, but he needs to be tested in bigger games; he could be the hope for the near future!
Wow, that's new for me, that he was born in Belgium, not in Spain. First, I think he is related with Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez, because of the same name Jose and Hernandez. Some experts said that the second goal for Real Madrid should be disallowed for foul on a a goalkeeper.
DeleteLol nope, Hernández is an extremely common surname in ESP. They are not related, Maeso was born & raised in Brussels but he's from Extremadura like Gil Manzano, while Hernández Hernández is from the Canary Islands.
DeleteHe was excellent tonight!
ReplyDeleteClear offside in the action what led to the corner at Ajax-Benfica
ReplyDeleteAgreed
DeleteLooks like AR1 missed offside before corner when Benfica scored 0-1. Very unlucky, VAR can do nothing.
ReplyDeleteLooks like offside prior to corner kick that leaded to Benfica's goal. Missed by AR1
ReplyDeleteGerman AR2 is different to the one listed.
ReplyDeleteYes. Rafael Foltyn (usually Siebert AR2) replaces Lupp. Lupp isn’t in Jablonski‘s normal team either though.
DeleteRosetti probably doesn’t care much about a match between the teams ranked 35th and 36th, and is using the game in Amsterdam to test a category 1 referee. But with all due respect: a team that’s already going through a rough spell gets hit with another blow after just six minutes because of a wrongly detected offside. That kind of mistake affects the course of a game - especially for a team fighting at the bottom.
ReplyDeleteWell an interesting first half from Jablonski. The key talking point will be the incorrect offside call by AR1 on min 6 that led to the goal for BEN. For me Jablonski does come across as a referee with natural authority and body language and it is clear that he is certainly elite material. Technically it's been ok but his personable skills are certainly those of an elite IMO.
ReplyDeleteFirst Half:
2' Good teamwork from AR2 to correctly identify careless foul for hand to face by AJX player
5' Missed offside from AR1 that led to corner that BEN scored from. Yes AJX have to defend corner better but it should have been clear goal kick.
10' Good no flag from AR1 for tight decision for BEN attack.
38' Good management to prevent quick free kick after clearly explaining to the taker to wait for the whistle.
Good analysis.
DeleteOnly 2 YC (…85‘), very good acceptance. The players seem to trust his line.
I haven’t seen much of Jablonski yet, but I agree he’s Elite material. He seems a good communicator, clean in his signals etc. He doesn’t have the kind of charisma that Brych had, to be honest, and that’s something you can’t teach. Still, a lot of potential. Let’s see how he develops.
ReplyDeleteHe has a very good body language. His public warnings are robust. Strong Performance so far. I agree.
DeleteA lot of theatre from the team of Mourinho. Jablonski gives the advantage to benfica Several times in second half.
DeleteThats not good under the eyes of the big boss
Hm.
DeleteRvT - to be honest I do not agree with your point of view. Best part of his game is the management and balance, good integrity to the game/both teams.
I didn't watch the first half of Galatasaray-USG, in second half Sanchez Martin totally lost the control. He didn't book USG player for his 2YC stamp on the foot, players started lot of stimulations...
ReplyDeleteDont be fanboy arda already deserved direct red card for 1st faul
DeleteMate, look at the minute that I wrote my comment and check when Arda was booked for his first YC.
DeleteThe fact that you asked for a second yellow card for the foul near the corner shows that you are not impartial and Arda's first foul should have been a direct red
DeleteThis referee had bad blood with Galatasaray due to a match from two years ago. Today, he took sweet revenge. He is a shady referee in Spain, hated by both Real Madrid and Barcelona, with a history full of scandals.
Delete@treff 52nd Minute Promise David stamped on the Galatasaray GK when he had the YC from first half and then on 57th Minute he scored the goal. I am talking about a position which I believe referee made a mistake. Arda's first Y is 100% correct, RC would be too harsh in my opinion.
DeleteYou're clearly not impartial, please let's not turn this page in something where fanboys come to cry about their favourite teams
DeleteJablonski falls for every theatric move of the Portuguese team. Now phantomfoul off Ajax #28 whistled
ReplyDeleteNow Benfica nr #18 walks 20 seconds with the ball to prevent a trow in for Ajax. Jablonski doesnt do anything..
DeleteJablonski's convincing performance was well-received by all involved and he displayed a natural charisma.
Delete2yc given by Sanchez to Gala player. First one was 100% yellow, second one probably was a yellow but less obvious.
ReplyDeleteClip: https://streamin.me/v/2cf36eb1
DeleteSecond Half for Jablonski:
ReplyDelete69' Correct YC for AJX #25 for repeat offence of use of arms making contact to the face.
74' Correct YC for BEN #26 for a reckless challenge.
90' Better management required to get through restart of the game quicker after BEN 2nd goal. Almost two minutes to restart the game.
Summary:
This was an interesting performance from Jablonski under the eyes of Mr Rosetti. This wasn't a bad performance at all but certainly there are areas for improvement.
Positives for me are that this referee has an air of natural authority and excellent body language which can blend from strong and firm to more empathetic and soft when required and when appropriate. Signalling and fitness and positioning were terrific with this referee using a range of speeds to command the field of play with his presence.
One or two negative areas for me though in this performance. Second half his foul detection and technical accuracy lacked a bit and at times came across inconsistent on occasion. I do have some understanding and sympathy with the referee as both sets of players as the game progressed made it difficult for the referee to try and balance between calling nothing and calling everything.
Overall is Mr Jablonski elite material? Yes certainly but in time. On this showing he needs to improve technically to be consistent throughout the 90 minutes but I would not change the positive features I've highlighted throughout this performance. Will Mr Rosetti be happy? Honestly I don't know but I'd hope he'd see the positive aspects to this performance.
He shows exactly what you need at the highest level: natural authority, excellent body language, and a presence that immediately stands out. His fitness, positioning, and signalling are top-class. Yes, the second half showed some technical inconsistency, but that’s fully developable and "part of the referee game".
DeleteAll in all great performance today by Jablonski.
DeleteBenfica scored the first goal following a wrong corner kick…so not great performance at all…
DeletePlease? It was a mistake from AR1! Jablonski top!
DeleteGood game by Jose Maria Sanchez..
ReplyDeletefull control 👏🏻
Good handball call by Vincic and AR1
ReplyDeleteCorrect handball decision to disallow Chelsea goal.
ReplyDeleteA very poor game for Sanchez. He completely lost control of fouls and cards. He lost control of the game in the second half. He needs a long rest. Alejandro Hernandez is in better form than the other two elite Spanish referees. Additionally, Sanchez behaves unkindly toward the players during the game.
ReplyDeletePretty clear offside correctly given by AR1 to disallow Chelsea goal.
ReplyDeleteNumber 8 is offside for you ?
DeleteThe goalscorer (Fernández, CHL8) wasn't offside, but the player who made the assist with a slight head touch (CHL23) was.
DeleteExcellent 1H by Vincic's AR1.
ReplyDeleteMariani having an excellent first half in Marseille.
ReplyDelete35' in Bodo - Juventus, first of all congratulations to Norwegian team because the only topic in Italy about this game was the snow, but when game started, excellent pitch and this was incredible to see for somebody. A very interesting penalty area incident in which Makkelie played on, Bodo asked for penalty, there was a previous touch on body and then arm while player was making opposition to the shot.
ReplyDeleteRather long analysis by Van Driessche then no intervention.
I'm not sure another VAR would have made same decision.
I always wondered how much a previous deflection removes the "clear and obvious mistake" principle, but that's hard question.
If Makkelie assessed that for him it wasn't penalty, I think it was OK by VAR to stay silent, but of course in case of incident in the other penalty area... it would have been big controversy for Italian team.
Second YC by Vincic, very clear reckless challenge... I didn't watch first YC to the player involved, but this one very evident.
ReplyDeleteFirst was for a blatent dissent, unhappy that Vincic played on after a possible foul by Cucurella on Yamal. Looked a right decision but no close up replay of that
DeleteClip: https://streamff.com/v/3a97e5ac
DeleteDo you also have a clip of the 1yc?
DeleteAraujo clear 2nd yellow given by Vincic. First one was for complaining aggressively to the Slovenian.
ReplyDeleteMagnificent Mariani in Marseille. That was as good a half of refereeing as I've seen in a while. Technically excellent, positioning and fitness excellent. Key incidents assessed correctly and without the need of VAR. I know given my track record that my likely praise means there is a second half of disappointment coming but I hope not. Terrific work from the Italian.
ReplyDeleteFirst Half:
3' Correct YC for MAR #5 for reckless challenge and SPA.
6' Excellent no flag from AR1 for NEW goal.
20' Correct YC for NEW #28 for reckless use of hand to the face.
31' Good use of advantage on two occasions in the same phase of play to keep the game flowing.
36' Excellent YC for simulation for MAR #50, brilliant spot live.
40' Excellent no penalty call, defender for NEW clearly played the ball.
42' Excellent YC for NEW #10 for SPA, great work to try and allow the advantage before bringing it back.
Make a wish, it seems that Mariani is having a good performance (!)
Delete(Sorry if it's rude but I wanted to say it)
If only Mariani was like that in Serie A,not lenient and forgiving.
DeleteI am not Italian nor do I watch much if any Serie A so just commenting on what I'm seeing but so far excellent work from him.
DeleteI must say very good 1H by Vincic’s team.
ReplyDeleteNothing to say.
Very convincing 1H for Mekkelie in BODO-JUV: calm but decisive approach and high evaluation metrics, leading the match with high personality and great experience.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. Full control and acceptance by all players. Good assessments in the penalty area and correct YC.
DeleteAR2 now disallows a Chelsea goal. Correct on-field decision again
ReplyDeletePK for handball given by Massa in Dortmund, sent to OFR to upgrade it to a RC for delibate handball saving a goal.
ReplyDeletehttps://streamin.me/v/a3f13ec0
DeleteI didn't watch, but if it was given for the handball on the line, how it was possible to miss red card before?
Because non deliberate handball DOGSO is a YC. It would have been assessed as non deliberate
DeleteThanks, you are right, I forgot this aspect, so less serious mistake, it's always hard to detect whether deliberate or not.
DeleteBut yes... Massa is a referee who must have a big evidence to issue a red card, otherwise, always yellow...
Hum. You have to put RC directly here. Lack of braveness by Massa here.
DeleteWrong penalty by Marciniak in my opinion. The foul itself is supportable (but on the soft side). However, the arm to the face by the attacker should have been punished before. I was surprised not to see an OFR for that.
ReplyDelete35 fouls in Prague in 70'. Someone is watching the match?
ReplyDeleteI'm watching a simulcast, they didn't switch to this venue even once.
DeleteWrong offside decision by AR2 in Stamford Bridge, goal conceded by VAR.
ReplyDeleteExtremely passive approach by Pinheiro but he comes easily away with it. Game is very fair and football-oriented, so no problems at all to handle the game for him.
ReplyDeleteCorrect penalty decision by Makkelie and before that, a great NO FLAG by AR1.
ReplyDeleteCorrect penalty in Norway. A fuller contact could have resulted in a RC
ReplyDeleteWhat a performance for joao pinheiro he proofs he is one of the best referees in Europe
ReplyDeleteAnother penalty was given to Dortmund on field (correctly) which they missed
ReplyDeleteA thrilling final in Norway, with several emotions. Makkelie kept the match under control with the key penalty decision. It turned out to be a tougher game than expected, not because of the weather, but because either side could win. Once again, the Dutch referee proved his being very expert in handling matches of this kind.
ReplyDelete+1. And an important fact...this is his eleventh penalty awarded in the last twelve games... :)
DeleteSource: https://www.whoscored.com/referees/739/show/danny-makkelie
Pinheiro have is own style. Some People did not love that kind of approach. But the games that he officiatte cames with few interruptions. The game must go on. And, another time the game finish without any problem. High standard officiating.
ReplyDeleteAnd indeed I dislike the style, that's not officiating a game. If things go well, it's only because players don't want to make the contrary. Should do more to give signals that he is a top referee, otherwise, but that's a personal opinion of course, in this way it would be easy for rather many referees. At least we can agree he has a style, and that's the point where discussion can start.
DeleteHe should try that style with an Italian team….
DeleteSecond Half for Mariani:
ReplyDelete48' Good offside call by AR2 to disallow NEW goal.
52' Correct YC for MAR #33 for reckless challenge.
65' Correct YC for NEW #33 for reckless challenge.
67' Correct YC for MAR #10 for SPA.
82' Good attempt for the advantage and correct to bring it back as no clear advantage.
83' Correct YC for MAR #18 for SPA/dissent by action.
86' Great attacking advantage from Mariani to allow good attack for NEW.
90+5' Another good advantage to allow attack.
Summary:
This was a terrific (dare I say excellent) performance from Mariani from start to finish. Fitness, positioning and technically superb. Strong authoritive approach with all EIGHT cautions correct and issued well and to effect. Managed the game excellently and produced a top quality performance that was fitting of an Elite referee. Full respect and control throughout and numerous attempts to let the game flow to good effect. I don't know what this referee is like domestically but this was as good a performance as I have seen in a while. Bravo Mariani and team for a terrific evening's work.
Agree. Confirmation of an outstanding performance from Mariani, with all major decisions perfectly executed, a clear and firm disciplinary framework (eight yellow cards), and a remarkable application of the advantage rule within a cohesive refereeing team.
DeleteThe only drawback, in my view, is his occasionally somewhat aggressive demeanour and a lack of composure, reflected in body language marked by a few unnecessary gestures.
What a masterclass from Makkelie, honestly.
ReplyDeleteThe second half wasn’t easy at all, with several tricky situations in the penalty area. He judged every one of them correctly and kept full control despite all the emotions on the pitch. It was the kind of half where the VAR could easily have become the main focus, but Makkelie was in top form and handled everything brilliantly.
It was surely a positive set of games today with the only OFR (correct me if wrong) by Massa in Dortmund.
ReplyDeleteSome decisions like Marciniak penalty could be discussed, but overall the committee can be content.
Unfortunately an objective mistake remains in Amsterdam, when Benfica scored the first goal following a wrong corner kick. But in this case nothing is possible by VAR.
Scandal in istanbul! USG goal scorer should have been sent off for clear second yc stamp on gk. Instead he scores a few minutes later.
ReplyDeleteCan we have one normal discussion here on the blog after the match involving Turkish teams...? Almost always we have fans writing comments on the blog using strong words like "scandal, bad blood, disaster" etc.Go visit football fan websites and blogs and enjoy discussion there. This is blog about the man and woman in the middle: appointments, analysis, discussions and much more.
DeleteI apologize to all the real visitors from Turkey and my comment is not refered to them but to football fans from Turkey.
Im sorry but it is a scandalous decision. Changed the course of the game. If ref cant see AR should have been in clear position to help.
DeleteI don’t know if you are the referee. I am. It’s never for the assistant to take this decision. The AR is clearly 40 meters or more of the fault.
DeleteAnd second one, the YC was not given because so many Turkish players feigned and exaggerated contact during much of the first half.
DeleteIt’s was very difficult to see for Sanchez Martinez if It’s clear reckless challenge or careless. Galatasaray lost at its own game…
I don't understand why some are so upset about the potential 2YC contact with the GK. To me it seems pretty clear on the video that it was an accident with no force, so YC here would be extremely harsh IMO. I thought Sanchez Martinez did well to stay calm and not rush into showing a card on the reaction alone.
DeleteSánchez Martínez, a few clips from Galatsaray - St. Gilloise.
ReplyDeleteFirst YC to the player who could have been sent off later:
https://streambug.org/cv/d111b2
Possible second YC for reckless challenge on keeper:
https://streambug.org/cv/1faa93
Second YC to Galatasaray player in the end:
https://streambug.org/cv/f34868
The turning point of the match was the potential second yellow card for the player from the Belgian team. All changed at that moment, after what had been a fairly normal match for the Spaniard up to that point. From there, it was a clear break from what we had seen before.
There are contrasting views on his performance, I have read the comments above, and it really depends on how you judge his ability to sell himself on the field. He isn’t the kind of referee who brings calm in tense situations, because he always seems ready to pull out a card. You can see that as well in the sending-off of the Turkish player, he can look aggressive, basically he isn't but he can do differently. After the incident in 51', as said, many tense moments, the coach booked and rather a feeling of being at very border about control. For sure never fully lost, but with that approach he was isolated, in a negative way for me, from the players. However, that's the Spanish standard of refereeing nowadays, for some aspects, Gil Manzano is not that different.
Thank you very much for the excellent videos. However, the real contradiction that needs to be scrutinized here is this: How is it that this referee was assigned only 5 times in 13 weeks in La Liga, yet UEFA entrusted him with 3 matches in just 5 weeks of the Champions League? This clearly indicates a lack of trust within Spain, while suggesting he holds disproportionate credit in the eyes of UEFA.
DeleteThe blatant error in yesterday's match directly influenced the outcome. The fact that a player who should have been sent off remained on the pitch to score the winning goal is proof that the referee determined the match's destiny. Looking at precedents, we see a double standard. Years ago, Cüneyt Çakır was virtually exiled from European matches for nearly a year due to a red card decision in a Slovenia game. Similarly, Danny Makkelie faced severe backlash and 'mobbing' from the committee for missing the foul in the famous Benzema-Donnarumma duel during the Real Madrid-PSG match, and his career has yet to recover its former momentum.
Despite all this, I do not believe Sánchez Martínez will face any sanctions for his error in yesterday's goalkeeper-player challenge. On the contrary, he will likely be rewarded with even higher-profile matches. It appears that UEFA enforces a 'class system' even within the Elite category. When two different referees make the same mistake, UEFA's reaction varies depending on who the referee is. Just like Slavko Vinčić, Sánchez Martínez seems to be on UEFA's 'untouchables' list and under their protection.
https://imgur.com/a/HP0EnsU
Only commenting on your first paragraph:
DeleteThe low number of games in Spain can easily be explained by his U20WC participation and the injury break. Referees normally only work every second weekend in La Liga, so he ended up with 5 games only.
On the other hand 3 games in CL is a normal number for an Elite referee at this point.
@Philipp S. Thanks for the info. Assigning a match only once every two weeks is a terrible practice. Referees can't stay in form or improve themselves sufficienty that way. Last month, the Spanish Refereeing Committee had very few options for the Real Madrid-Barcelona match. This must be a major factor in the recent decline of Spanish referees. I don't know if Sanchez performed poorly or got injured at the U20 World Cup, but he only officiated one match. Just imagine if Sanchez made the mistake he made yesterday during a Real Madrid-Barcelona match. There would be a massive uproar. However, it doesn't seem to matter to him when he makes such mistakes in matches involving teams that aren't in Europe's elite category (Real Madrid, Barcelona, City, Bayern, etc.). I hope for fair games officiated by fair referees for everyone.
DeleteHe got injured in the warm-up of his second game, Argentina vs Australia.
DeleteHe was quite good in his only game, Paraguay vs Panama.
If Makkelie keeps performing like this, it will become difficult to find a valid argument not to take an experienced returnee to the World Cup. This season, he has solved many KMIs at the international level (including several box incidents and a DOGSO red card) and has had no VAR interventions. It will be an interesting discussion, especially if 15 referees arguably deserve a spot.
ReplyDeleteMakkelie is not in doubt for the World Cup. In 2022 he stayed all the way until the final and last summer he was one of only four European referees with three matches, including a quarter-final. He’s a safe pair of hands and absolutely belongs among the top candidates.
DeleteHappy to hear about Mariani's performance.
ReplyDeleteI only watched Vincic, and it was a solid performance from him once again, he's becoming a really reliable referee lately.
and also his AR1 has spotted all offsides and non offsides correctly, congratulations to him.
DeleteWhere are the critics of joao pinheiro , did they fall silent after his high performance 😁
ReplyDeleteGiven the trust he was getting, it was time for him to be good
Deleteon this level it should be normal to show good performances and not an exception...
DeleteNapoli - Qarabağ
ReplyDeleteI watched the match yesterday, and I get the impression that Marciniak hasn’t been at the level we’re used to from him for a few weeks now.
At times yesterday he had trouble judging tackles correctly, and the penalty — as already mentioned above — was not without controversy.
Even his recent performances in the Man City–Dortmund and Scotland–Denmark matches were no longer at the top level we normally expect from him when you look at his technical refereeing decisions.
What still sets him apart and makes him unique is that, thanks to his personality alone, he never gets into trouble and the players believe almost every decision he makes. But from these absolute top referees — and Marciniak definitely belongs in that group — you normally expect that, regardless of their excellent game management, their technical decisions are also correct. And in that respect, he has been too prone to errors for me this season.
Slavia - Bilbao
ReplyDeleteTop performance from Donatas Rumšas in Prague, showing a strong personality, good structure of disciplinary sanctions (especially in the first half) in an intensive, but poor CL-game of both teams; he tried to not whistle every small contact and tried to let the game run, where it was possible.
Only one small remark: After the correct yellow card against Guruzeta (Bilbao) for kicking the ball after the referee's whistle (min. 19), I think Slavia already restarted the game without the referee's whistle and Rumsas whistled later, when the game was already running and didn't interupt it again. Does anyone has the possibility to provide this scene?