Last set of referees' assignments for Champions League Matchday 6, to be played on Wednesday 10 December 2025.
10 December 2025
18:45 CET - Villarreal (Estadio de la Cerámica)
VILLARREAL FC (ESP) - FC KØBENHAVN (DEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Pozor SVK
Fourth Official: Peter Kralović SVK
Video Assistant Referee: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Konrad Plautz AUT
UEFA Delegate: Eduard Kindle LIE
18:45 CET - Baku (Tofiq Bəhramov adına Respublika Stadionu)
QARABAĞ FK (AZE) - AFC AJAX (NED)
QARABAĞ FK (AZE) - AFC AJAX (NED)
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Mateo Tozan SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Mateo Tozan SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Vlado Svilokos CRO
UEFA Delegate: Jens Futterknecht GER
21:00 CET - Dortmund (Signal Iduna Park)
BORUSSIA DORTMUND (GER) - FK BODØ/GLIMT (NOR)
Referee: Erik Lambrechts BELAssistant Referee 1: Jo de Weirdt BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Kevin Monteny BEL
Fourth Official: Nathan Verboomen BEL
Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Cătălin Sorin Popa ROU
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Cătălin Sorin Popa ROU
UEFA Referee Observer: Markus Nobs SUI
UEFA Delegate: Oleg Harlamov EST
21:00 CET - Leverkusen (BayArena)
BAYER 04 LEVERKUSEN (GER) - NEWCASTLE UNITED FC (ENG)
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük NED
Assistant Referee 1: Erwin Zeinstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Patrick Inia NED
Fourth Official: Jeroen Manschot NED
Video Assistant Referee: Rob Dieperink NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Kyros Vassaras GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Patrick Inia NED
Fourth Official: Jeroen Manschot NED
Video Assistant Referee: Rob Dieperink NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Kyros Vassaras GRE
UEFA Delegate: Balázs Makray HUN
21:00 CET - Lisbon (Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica)
SL BENFICA (POR) - SSC NAPOLI (ITA)
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: Stuart Attwell ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Alan Mario Sant MLT
UEFA Delegate: Róbert Agnarsson ISL
21:00 CET - Turin (Allianz Stadium)
JUVENTUS FC (ITA) - PAFOS FC (CYP)
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Ángel Nevado ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso ESP
Fourth Official: José Luis Munuera ESP
Video Assistant Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: César Soto Grado ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: César Soto Grado ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Neale Barry ENG
UEFA Delegate: Gilles Petitmangin FRA
21:00 CET - Bruges (Jan Breydelstadion)
CLUB BRUGGE KV (BEL) - ARSENAL FC (ENG)
Referee: Sven Jablonski GER
Assistant Referee 1: Eduard Beitinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Lasse Koslowski GER
Fourth Official: Tobias Reichel GER
Video Assistant Referee: Sascha Stegemann GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek CRO
UEFA Referee Observer: Michal Beneš CZE
UEFA Delegate: Adrian D. Casha MLT
21:00 CET - Bilbao (Estadio de San Mamés)
ATHLETIC CLUB (ESP) - PARIS SAINT GERMAIN C (FRA)
Referee: Daniel Siebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager GER
Video Assistant Referee: Benjamin Brand GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Andrew Dallas SCO
UEFA Referee Observer: Barış Şimşek TUR
UEFA Delegate: Danilo Filacchione ITA
21:00 CET - Madrid (Estadio Santiago Bernabéu)
REAL MADRID CF (ESP) - MANCHESTER CITY FC (ENG)
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pagès FRA
Fourth Official: Stéphanie Frappart FRA
Video Assistant Referee: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sören Storks GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Lutz Michael Fröhlich GER
UEFA Delegate: Filip Popovski MKD
Two of the nine referees also handled MD5. As we predicted, Turpin is on the big one in Madrid — a logical appointment. Vinčić in Lisbon shows once again how much Rosetti ‘protects’ Italian clubs. Gözübüyük finally returns, while UEFA again leaves out Peljto, clearly signalling they weren’t happy with his performance in RMA–MAR. We’ll see if he comes back in January.
ReplyDeleteGil Manzano is expected in this round, same for Siebert and Kružliak. Jablonski gets trust again. Lambrechts, with another appointment, is looking like a realistic candidate for Elite.
Overall, the complete opposite compared to Tuesday’s appointments.
Yes but we were expecting some names like taylor and godinho and pljeto their appointment doesn't get match
DeleteKavanagh and Rumšas are another rising candidate for elite beside Jablonski and Lambrechts with three matches. Obrenović will be too as Slovenian
Delete3 out of 9 (Jablonski, Kruzliak, Vincic).
DeleteRemarkably missing on MD5&6 are Kovacs and Taylor.
yes, my mistake
DeleteGood to see anonymous prediction about. O or few Germans being appointed because 3 German delegates already appointed totally blown out the water. Zwayer. Jablonski and seibert all out. Some people really need to let go their conspiracy theories
ReplyDeleteIt’s not a conspiracy. Example: last season no Dutch referees were appointed for the Champions League knockout phase. UEFA compensated generously by assigning a bunch of Dutch delegates. The same pattern appeared on MD1 and MD3 this season. I believe your claim there’s no communication at all between those departments… Maybe not directly, but there are decisions being made from higher up. How else would you explain the Slovenian “party” of Vincic with a Slovenian delegation at the Nations League semi-final last season?
DeleteI’ll admit that this round does seem fairly random. And no offense, but the tone of your posts here does come across a bit know-it-all, though, and I also don’t quite believe that you’re the mother of a top referee :-)
Only because I can’t be anonymous ha ha. And reckon I know more than some definitely more than you.
DeleteMaybe you should also brag a little about your network. Otherwise we won’t believe you. And take a moment to reflect on why you feel the need to show it off. People who put themselves on a pedestal are usually the most deceitful :)
DeleteNo Meler Again. I wonder this is because of the Atalanta Brugge match?
ReplyDeleteWell, definitely many things to say here.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I'm relieved to read Turpin for the big match in Madrid, so no matter what happened in Slovenia's game and that's good thing.
Then, in my opinion the big point of this set is once again how much Italian teams like Napoli and Juventus (due to the current position in the standings) are overprotected. Vincic in Portugal and Gil Manzano in Italy. While for the Slovenian can be even a "normal" assignment, if you try to read it with different glasses (still, Portuguese - Italian clash), it's incredible what about Gil Manzano, once again used in a very particular way. Juventus at home against a Cypriot team would have never been something for a Spanish Elite, but here you have the situation of the club from Turin (indeed, very shaky and Rosetti knows that) and a rather good overall presentation by the Cypriot side. Nevertheless, for Gil Manzano and his experience, if we read the choice in a different way, is a more than sub standard assignment, and more generally we know how much trust he has lost. Definitely, he is used just for committe's need, they don't care about the possible technical development, or maybe trying to follow a path.
About the rest: Jablonski with a very quick rise, it can remind Siebert and his fast rise at UEFA, but hopefully for him, the young German wil have a less shaky progress, without being thrown away in some circumstances and used in a certain way. Nevertheless, Siebert himself, has finally reached stability (but after very long time and a very long story, as we know...).
Belgian Lambrechts following a good path, but his assignments aren't surely top games, my idea is that finally he is about to be promoted, but committee doesn't want to spoil him that much, knowing more about his level. Then, to follow maybe he will raise the bar.
For Kruzliak a normal game as we know his reputation by Rosetti and Obrenovic will have a regular assignment in Azerbaijan as well.
Gozubuyuk back after a certain time out in Leverkusen, rather normal game for him.
To add, about Peljto, honestly I'm not convinced all is about Real Madrid game, sorry, I didn't want to say that, but when you see that another Elite refere gets a more than serious OFR in every game and he continues in getting games? What is the criterion here? Surely there is more about the Bosnian, but we can't know.
DeleteI completely agree about Peljto. Based on what we know, this is incredibly unfair. A referee who, after last season, had a clear path toward the World Cup has now been left out for five matches — and for what reason? We probably won’t hear the real explanation directly, but I honestly don’t see what could have happened for him to end up in this situation.
DeleteEven if the incident in RMA–MAR was considered a clear mistake, and VAR didn’t call him — would other Elite referees (especially the Italian ones) be punished this heavily? He regularly officiates in the Bosnian league, which means he’s neither injured nor unfit. It just makes no sense to me.
A really disappointing situation for Peljto before the World Cup. A real shame.
The only explanation I can find, because there must be indeed one, is that when referees make mistakes but VAR intervenes and all is clear, obvious and solved, no problems, as there isn't any public discussion. While in Madrid and Peljto occasion, this was not the same, discussion aroused. But that would be terrible, according to what we can see, this must be the only argument, otherwise in terms of performance, you can't appoint again referees like Mariani and Zwayer, among others, following some very big mistakes. A candidate to Elite would be stopped immediately without appeal.
DeleteOf course all said if there aren't other particular reasons about the Bosnian, we can't know. But if he gets regular games in domestic league...
He’s officiating in the domestic league. I read that he handled the biggest derby in Bosnian football yesterday, which makes some things even harder to understand.
DeleteFor example, the VAR officials were Higler and Dingert — both considered among the best VAR referees. And they didn’t call him, clearly because they also felt it wasn’t a clear and obvious mistake. Rocchi was the observer.
A really strange situation, honestly.
Higler also hasn't been appointed in CL since that MD1 game.
DeleteYou are right. That definitely changes things. It’s now obvious that this mistake, and that penalty which gave Real the win, ended up costing both Peljto and Higler, who we shouldn’t forget was the main VAR official for last year’s Champions League final.
DeleteThere’s no doubt Turpin is fully qualified to officiate Real vs. City. His reputation is excellent. However, Rosetti should never have appointed him to such a high-profile clash so soon after Slovenia–Kosovo. In my view, the 2YC card in that match was a mistake — the “foul” was no more than careless, and therefore the French ended up influencing the course of the game in a group that was still very open. The power of a French passport? To me, Rosetti is sending the wrong message here, even if there were few alternatives available. But this policy is risky. What would have happened if Peljto had given that second yellow in Slovenia? Or Meler?
ReplyDeleteAnd once again: absolutely nothing against Turpin as a referee. He is one of the best in Europe, and I genuinely enjoy watching him. And I agree with Chefren that it’s at least positive that Ceferin isn’t taking centre stage in a negative way by punishing Turpin.
DeleteBut I do regret how inconsistently referees are treated. There is no clear rejection policy. Some referees are sidelined for the rest of a season after a single mistake - just look at how Meler, Nyberg, Peljto, Makkelie, or Hernandez Hernandez have been handled. Meanwhile, Obrenovic was allowed to officiate a knockout match last season after a poor performance in Monaco. Zwayer gets one of the top fixtures this round despite having a VAR overturn in every match so far.
And for Turpin, a mistaken decision seems to have no negative consequences at all. In fact, this almost feels like compensation for not being appointed in the previous round.
Or maybe it’s only regarded as a big mistake by you and not Rosetti and co? So there would not be any reason for “demotion” for Turpin.
DeleteIn other parts I clearly agree about treatment difference.
Glenn Nyberg in the game between Flamengo and Cruz Azul at the Intercontinental.
ReplyDeleteEskas appointed as 4 referee.
After my less than positive review for Kruzliak in MD5, I am interested to see how he performs. Hopefully with more enthusiasm than previous
ReplyDeleteJablonski seems to have impressed in all his UEFA matches; otherwise, he wouldn't have been given three consecutive Champions League games. He, Walsh, and Lambeers are, in my opinion, the favorites for promotion to the top tier
ReplyDeleteFirst Cat refs with three CL appearances this season so far (including MD6):
DeleteObrenovič, Lambrechts, Jablonski, Kavanagh & Rumsas
2 games: Aghayev, Sozza, Sylwestrzak, Schnyder, Walsh
One game: Godinho, Barbu, Gishamer, Pajač, de Burgos Bengoetxea, Martínez Munuera, Lukjancukas & Barbu
Lambrechts
DeleteI admire referee Mario escobar , calm referee, respect with players, does not like to give cards , I like referees of this kind
ReplyDeleteMario escobar is reverse of referees like letexier or kovacs
ReplyDeleteGuys, do you know why Orel Grinfeeld and Anastasios Sidiropoulos haven't refereed a single Champions League match?
ReplyDeleteThey are Category 1 referees in all but name.
DeleteSo why doesn't UEFA relegate them to the first category?
DeleteIs there any news about Kabakov? Previous years he was trusted for several matches, four in 2024-25. This season only 2 UEL matches.
ReplyDeleteWe also lost Saggi, Petrescu, and Balakin who had three matches each last year.
Europa League:
ReplyDelete- Young Boys v Lille: Sander van der Eijk
- Midtjylland v Genk: Vasilios Fotias
- Utrecht v Nottingham Forest: Irfan Peljto
- Ferencváros v Rangers: Anastasios Papapetrou
- Dinamo Zagreb v Real Betis: Goga Kikacheishvili
- Nice v Braga: Giorgi Kruashvili
- Ludogorets Razgrad v PAOK: Horațiu Feșnic
- Sturm Graz v Red Star Belgrade: Damian Sylwestrzak
- VfB Stuttgart v Maccabi Tel Aviv: Marian Barbu
- Celtic v Roma: István Kovács
- Porto v Malmö FF: Rohit Saggi
- Basel v Aston Villa: Halil Umut Meler
- FCSB v Feyenoord: Mykola Balakin
- Lyon v Go Ahead Eagles: Juxhin Xhaja
- Panathinaikos v Viktoria Plzeň: António Nobre
- Celta Vigo v Bologna: Radu Petrescu
- SC Freiburg v Red Bull Salzburg: Elchin Masiyev
- Brann v Fenerbahçe: Willy Delajod
Conference League
- Fiorentina v Dynamo Kyiv: Miloš Milanović
- BK Häcken v AEK Larnaca: Yigal Frid
- Breiðablik v Shamrock Rovers: Enea Jorgji
- Drita v AZ: Dalibor Černý
- Noah v Legia Warsaw: Bulat Sariyev
- Jagiellonia Białystok v Rayo Vallecano: Edgars Maļcevs
- Shkëndija v Slovan Bratislava: Ívar Orri Kristjánsson
- Samsunspor v AEK Athens: Jérémie Pignard
- Universitatea Craiova v Sparta Prague: Jasper Vergoote
- Aberdeen v Strasbourg: Robert Schröder
- Hamrun Spartans v Shakhtar Donetsk: Florian Badstübner
- Rijeka v Celje: Andrea Colombo
- Lech Poznań v Mainz 05: Andrei Chivulete
- KuPS v Lausanne-Sport: Oleksiy Derevinskyi
- Lincoln Red Imps v Sigma Olomouc: Bence Csonka
- Raków Częstochowa v Zrinjski Mostar: Ondřej Berka
- Shelbourne v Crystal Palace: Martin Matoša
- Rapid Wien v Omonia: Joey Kooij
Serdar Gözübüyük gets the most relevant observer in the entire batch (Vassaras), on top of already having a committee member earlier this season. Could there be a specific reason for that?
ReplyDeleteAt the start of the season, I expected Gözübüyük to take over the #1 spot in the Netherlands. Yet a few months later, Makkelie has officiated more UCL, including games involving Italian sides. So he’s certainly not out of the picture.
Perhaps a wild thought: could Gözübüyük be a candidate for, say, a Conference League final? Or it might simply be a short-term consideration (e.g. building up to an attractive fixture in MD7)?
I have an interesting question and I’m curious how this is evaluated. Suppose a referee decides not to award a penalty in a 50/50 situation (as in the Zwayer example), where both “penalty” and “no penalty” can be supported. The VAR still calls the referee to the monitor and the referee then follows the VAR’s advice.
ReplyDeleteWould this be considered a blameworthy error by the referee? In a way, that would be strange, because his original decision “no penalty” would also have been supported.
How is this assessed and how does it work from a mental perspective for the referee? I’m very interested to understand this better.
Where the referee has a clear unobstructed view of the incident and he changes his mind after on OFR he would be marked down assuming the observer believes it to be a penalty kick. If the observer feels the incident was not worthy of a penalty kick and not at OFR the var would also be marked down.
DeleteUEFA also want decisions made on field as opposed to in var. if as u say its 50/50 which suggests subjective then its unlikely (although not unknown) for var to become involved. It would depend on how the referee communicates what he saw
ReplyDeleteArab Cup QF appointments:
ReplyDeleteMARSYR: Garay (CHI)
PLEKSA: Omar (EGY)
JORIRQ: Eskås (NOR)
ALGUAE: Makhadmeh (JOR)
I was watch Zwayer's penalty today. Why are so many commentators discussing the act of falling? A foul should be called regardless of whether the player falls or remains on his feet. So, in this case, the attacker might remains on his feet, but he wanted to draw the referee's attention to the foul, and he was right to do so, because, contrary to the rules, referees almost always ignore fouls that don't involve falling.
ReplyDeleteVillareal (ESP) - KØBENHAVN (DEN)
ReplyDeleteR: I.Kružliak (SVK) VAR: A.Di Paolo (ITA)
OT: Bit awkward situation before kick of, when UEL anthem was played, instead UCL
6´ Correct advantage given to Vil for holding and handball
16´ Correct public warning to Kob5 for late tackle
17´ Correct offside flagged by AR2
20´ Not ideal positioning, inside Vil penalty arc, to exit he need to sprint off by his back to ball
26´ Blatant holding commited by Vil12, correctly whistled
32´ Correct no penalty after Kob10 tackle on Vil19, correct ball gesture
34´ Correct 1st YC given to Vil24 for holding SPA, easy decision
41´ Correct no penalty for Vil, good shoulder to shoulder challenge
42´ Correct foul flagged by AR2, charge/push to back
53´ Correct no penalty, Kob20 arm didn´t make body bigger
Delete54´ Not first time in the match Kruzliak tried to be close to action, but sometimes too close, at least 2-3 times need to jump off to not been hitted by ball
58´ Correct YC given to Vil11 for late tackle from "blind-sight" aslo YC to Kob coach for dissent
62´ Correct foul flagged by AR2
67´ Correct foul flagged by AR1
68´ Correct no penalty, Kob39 arm didn´t make body unnaturaly bigger
77´ Correct YC illegal use of arms Kob14
80´ Correct no penalty, it would be very, very soft penalty, YC for simulation was also possibility
83´ Correct YC given to Kob30 for holding SPA and also lack of respect, easy decision
87´ Correct advantage given to Vil
89´ Correct YC given to Vil18 for dissent
90´ Superb advantage, clear Vil12 handball on the edge of penalty area and goal scored by Kob14
90+2´ Tight offside (probably OK) and flag dellayed by AR1
Good 1’half for Obrenovic. Well done at all. Hoping him to confirm the same performance level in the 2nd half…
ReplyDeleteOT: Referees selected for the last seminar for AFC/CAF/OFC WC candidates, scheduled for 23-27th February in Doha.
ReplyDeleteAFC (10): Al-Turais (KSA), Falahi (QAT), Al-Jassim (QAT), Faghani (AUS), Makhadmeh (JOR), Ma Ning (CHN), Tantashev (UZB), Al-Kaf (KUW), Araki (JPN) & Al-Ali (Omar, UAE)
AFC participants of the pre-CWC seminar that have been dropped: Kim jong-hyeok (KOR), Nasaruddin (MAS), Al-Hoish (KSA), Al-Ali (Ahmad, KUW) & Al-Naqbi (UAE)
CAF (9): Omar (EGY), Artan (SOM), Atcho (GAB), Beida (MTN),
Ghorbal (ALG), Ismail (SDN), Jayed (MAR), Ndala (COD) & Sy (SEN)
CAF participants of the pre-CWC seminar that have been dropped: Mahamat (CHA), Maarouf (EGY), Ibrahim (LBY) & Tom (RSA)
OFC (1): Kawana-Waugh (NZL), U17WC attendant Aukwai (SOL) has been dropped.
WC selection announcement to be expected in early-mid March, before the UEFA & Intercontinental play-offs.
Very difficult decision by Turpin about PK or FK. Good VAR quickly check and FK decided overtunned penalty. Absolutely no discussion by players from both teams. Well done finally. Very tigh just just before the line.
ReplyDeleteReally hard stp spot it live, good job by the all team there.
DeleteA very difficult situation for the referee. I can fully understand his decision on the field…
DeleteTurpin with a very early YC (not mandatory IMO) and two clear missed YC for City
ReplyDeleteThat’s his style. He is an absolutely top referee. In a match like this, you cannot approach things too technically.
DeleteAppears to be a very lenient approach by FO Frappart in Madrid. Both coaches totally disrespecting the boundaries of the TA. Alonso especially is all over the place, virtually on the FOP.
ReplyDeletePossible RC in Leverkusen for DOGSO. Honestly, we have seen DOGSO 50m from the goal, this one was on the edge of the penalty box, more RC than YC to me
ReplyDeleteWas Thiaw Newcastle not shown a red card in the 21st minute in Leverkusen for the foul just outside the penalty area?
ReplyDeleteYellow card shown
Delete
ReplyDeleteThe choice of Vinčić’s equipment for BEN–NAP makes no sense. No team is playing in black (not even close to it), and yet he was assigned blue while Napoli has a lot of blue in their kit, especially in the numbers and shorts. I don’t understand the Delegate’s decision.
Looks like Madrid showed replays of the Man City goal on their big screens including potential foul in build up (never a foul btw)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely should not have been showing any potentially controversial incidents in the stadium
Good Information. Lack of Respect to the Refs.
DeleteVery bad performance by Turpin in my opinion. RC on Fodin in about 12' was deliberate tactical foul but not especially reckless or stopping a promising attack. Foul on Fodin in 26' was forearm in the back with great force but no RC, and foul on Man City player in 27' (push to the ground with elbow) was missed right before the goal.
ReplyDeleteStop drugs please.
DeleteSorry but that is not how you are refereeing those high game, good performance by now.
DeleteSorry: for RC, read YC.
DeleteI agree with I think what you mean. The Foden (SPA) caution was far less Spa like or reckless than many which have been foul only, and it didn't seem to have any affect on future challenges or the temperature of the game. I think Foden can consider himself unlucky
DeleteYes, I would keep my YCs in my pocket until they are really needed, and I forgot to mention that Turpin also missed playing the advantage on the Fodin YC. Also, his style has always been too lackidaisical for me, in general, like he's refereeing a Sunday park league, as I like strong hand signals, etc., that show one's intensity.
DeleteAgain a ridiculous penalty IMO, very normal skirmish before corner kick.
ReplyDeleteAnother decision that VAR corrects for Turpin. This is what we often talk about. Referees who make frequent mistakes and are uncertain end up being corrected by VAR all the time. Strange and completely insecure decisions. Although, the VAR check for City’s penalty took only three seconds.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood intervention by Brisard and penalty for City. YC for Rudiger on the pack. Quick decision after OFR by Turpin. Perhaps can whistle it live.
ReplyDeleteAgree, good call, wasn’t looking in the right way there, little mistake but good correction by VAR and as usual quick OFR by Turpin
DeleteAnd I should add that players from both teams are looking for contact in the penalty area. It seems they want the penalty at all costs.
ReplyDeleteStrong first half in Brugge vs Arsenal. Jablonski is not (!) falling for the Gunners’ easy dives — for example, Martinelli in 45+2 just outside the box. Very good decision!
ReplyDeleteThis was Turpin's 5th OFR in 7 games, is it fair to put some question marks around his form? Because this is very unlike him...
ReplyDeleteFirst one is impossible to see live. Question of millimeters here. Second more discutable but not really obvious one.
DeleteTo be fair, his actual form is not good. He had a couple of bad games in Ligue 1 and his Slovenia-Kosovo suffered from a big mistake with that second YC.
DeleteTonight, I find him excellent in management and communication skills (in a match where it is heavily needed), and he shouldn’t be blamed too much for the inside/outside situation of min 2, but that penalty decision should definitely have been spotted live.
Not his best form but still at the top level especially in his communication with players overall correct game
DeleteYesterday penalty decision in the LIV vs INT match by Felix Zwayer and his entire German officiating crew was an absolute disgrace. A referee at this level cannot be making such uncertain decisions, especially in a Champions League.
ReplyDeleteJust like Irfan Peljto was suspended for awarding a non-penalty to Real Madrid, Zwayer and his team should face the same accountability. UEFA has been repeatedly pushing Zwayer into high-profile matches that he is simply not ready for, and it shows.
For many years, Champions League refereeing was built on reliability, strong personalities, and world class decision making names like Björn Kuipers, Felix Brych, Milorad Mažić, Daniele Orsato, Damir Skomina, Howard Webb. These were referees you could trust to handle pressure and maintain full control.
Now? The quality of options has dropped dramatically. Zwayer’s lack of confidence, hesitation, body language, and questionable decisions highlight a deeper issue: the standard of elite refereeing in UEFA is declining and it’s unacceptable.
I think the problem is that the committee prefers referees that don't bring attention to themselves by avoiding big mistakes versus the ones who may actually have better foul detection and as a result cause more controversy.
DeleteThat is, the latter may call more fouls and bring more scrutiny. Same in the NBA: travelling and many small pushes are allowed because the league wants the stars to shine and not be called for lesser type fouls.
DeleteTurpin OFR:
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/ac8657
Gözübüyük PEN:
Deletehttps://files.fm/u/w8uzahsgqr#/view/vzj6kq32z3
Foul detection and consistancy on SPA has seemed rather questionable from Turpin. 76' seemed more simulation than anything, and many more challenges with more contact have been waved away. I think Turpin has been okay, but nothing more than that tonight. Preferred Zwayer last night who I think is being written about a little more unfairly
ReplyDeleteGuardiola booked for dissent. Rodrygo's very blatent dissent 10mins ago completely ignored. A lot of late challenges not picked up on after the ball has been played
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely not a perfect night for Turpin. Rudiger's absence in Savinho is nonexistent. A performance well below the Frenchman's usual standard.
ReplyDeleteWe can freely say it has been a scandalous two nights for Rosetti and the entire committee. The two main MD6 matches were marked by completely outrageous on-field decisions and far too many VAR interventions. Zwayer made a decision that will be talked about for a long time. I think anyone who has ever played football wouldn’t give that penalty, and I genuinely don’t understand why VAR even intervened in that situation. Yes, there was some pulling, but was it enough for a penalty in the 85th minute? In 95% of leagues, no. Clement Turpin had a very difficult evening full of uncertainty. A penalty given, then cancelled after a VAR review, then a missed penalty that was later awarded after another VAR review. Two OFR decisions in one match. It’s even possible he missed another penalty.
ReplyDeleteThe question I’ve been trying to get an answer to keeps coming up: why isn’t every referee treated the same? Irfan Peljto was clearly suspended because he wasn’t appointed for five straight Champions League rounds. Why? Because of a penalty call that was 50–50 but confirmed by the VAR room.
So what do we do with Zwayer then? If the committee confirms that the German referee made a mistake, in no scenario should we see him again this season. But knowing Rosetti and UEFA, I fully expect Zwayer in the knockout stages, because here the passport plays a role.
Turpin? So much uncertainty and two mistakes that were luckily corrected by VAR. Another question arises: if Peljto had received a VAR call and corrected his decision, then he would not have been punished? Because from what we’re seeing, a referee can have countless OFR calls and still comfortably continue receiving his appointments.
And that is exactly what stands out the most with this committee led by the Italian Rosetti!
There was speculation back then that Zwayer might be able to finish the year (if Bayern weren't in the competition).
DeleteBut after what we saw yesterday in Milan, I think that discourse should change, because he has always been very insecure in close situations in the big games of the competition.
And it's worth remembering the following: he had an inconsistent performance in the Manchester City vs. Napoli game, and that proves the German's insecurity.
Overall, a very good performance by Jablonski today!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on his third strong performance in the Champions League. With that, he has more than proven himself for the Elite category. A remarkable year.
What really stood out to me was his variability in how he communicates with players and how he issues yellow cards. It’s excellent, and it earns him a high level of respect from the players.
I’m curious to see where his journey will lead, also in TOP Games (Real, PSG, Inter…).
Simply the best german referee.
DeleteTurpin face after game finished(my perception) Thanks Holly God this is over. Overall, average performance from him. Anyway,hard game, congrats to him. Its not easy to officiate such games always top.
ReplyDeleteTurpin had a OK/good second half. I think all the work he made in the first half in terms of communication, prevention and management payed off in second half, where his disciplinary and technical lines were more consistent than in 1H.
ReplyDeleteA pity he didn't spot that PK in 1H. Other than that, not a nightmare game, but surely he could have done better. However, no controversies, and we know this is the main concern for the Committee.
Exactly! No controversies is main concern.
DeleteReally hard game for turpin, overall an ok performance, one OFR that could have been avoid, but as always clear communication and good style, letting play a lot, foul detection ok maybe he could give more YC. No influence in that game, so will be enough but he needs to get bak to his top level.
ReplyDeleteAn important record that went unnoticed here.
ReplyDeleteThe Intercontinental Cup match between Flamengo (BRA) and Cruz Azul (MEX) took place, refereed by Nyberg.
There were no VAR interventions, except for the second goal by the Brazilian team where the ball crossed the goal line and Nyberg received the warning on his monitor.
In terms of discipline, Nyberg had a lot of work at the end when both teams outplayed each other in fouls and the Swede found himself forced to issue yellow cards one after another, something a little unusual given his refereeing style, but considering it was a game between Mexicans and Brazilians, he needed to be f
Surely should have been a second yellow for Rudiger for SPA in minute 81?
ReplyDeleteI think turpin was not need to go to the var because the foul committed by the defender was very very clear
ReplyDeleteWe look forward appointment's of match day seven
ReplyDeleteRossetti and his committee have a very biased approach to referee appointments. Rossetti often says that the report scores don't matter at all, that he doesn't care, but the truth is that for some referees they really don't matter, but for others they carry a lot of weight in subsequent appointments. There are several referees who have VAR intervention in some games, but who then, in controlling the game, are strong and their refereeing is never contested by the clubs; just look at the end of the games and the peace between everyone. The top-tier referees haven't compromised in their games, they've done good refereeing, but they always fall behind in favor of a few untouchables who, week after week, make many mistakes, create a lot of discord, and a lot of controversy.
ReplyDeleteWhat message does Rossetti send to other referees? The message he sends is that for other referees to have more opportunities, they have to get it right ten times more often than some, and often that's not enough.
There is no justice, there is no standard, there is only the weight of the names of some referees who are from some important countries in European refereeing.
We need a change, refereeing in UEFA does not treat everyone equally.
Referee Peljto was sanctioned after the Real vs Marseille match for awarding a handball that the VAR didn’t overturn. Both Peljto and VAR Higler are sidelined for no fewer than five games afterwards (Peljto partly due to the U-20 World Cup).
ReplyDeleteIt’s pretty clear that UEFA wants to avoid controversy at all costs. Referees with multiple – sometimes blatant – VAR overturns have still been trusted with top games, including Mariani, Zwayer and Turpin. On the other hand, referees like Taylor, Makkelie and Siebert have received strong reports on the blog, yet they don’t seem to be considered for the highest-category matches, no matter how well they perform.
I really hope I’m completely wrong here, but I can’t help wondering whether the upcoming World Cup plays a role in how Peljto is being treated. What’s going on? There were, I believe 11 (?) European referees at the FIFA Club World Cup. Competition is fierce, and those who worked the U-20 tournament are in contention the World Cup as well: Mariani, Sanchez, Pinheiro, Peljto, and so on. We know that Arbitre Internacional reported 12+1 World Cup spots and an Italian referee HAS to go. A Spanish perhaps as well. In short, more referees than available spots. Peljto comes from a country with a ‘weaker’ passport. To me, it very much feels like UEFA is penalising Peljto more harshly after Real-Marseille, just to have a convenient argument ready for a World Cup “exclusion”…
https://www.knvb.nl/nieuws/scheidsrechters/scheidsrechters/71321/erwin-zeinstra-neemt-afscheid-van-internationale
ReplyDeleteErwin Zeinstra will retire from FIFA/UEFA duties, a great career!