2025-26 UEFA Europa League, referee appointments for the first legs of Round of 16, 12 March 2026.
Thursday 12 March 2026
18:45 CET - Athens (Olymbiakó Athlitikó Kéntro Athinón "Spýros Loúis")
PANATHINAÏKÓS AO (GRE) - REAL BETIS BALOMPIÉ
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Paweł Raczkowski POL
Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gillett ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Matthew Donohue ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Dejan Filipović SRB
UEFA Delegate: Bakar Jordania GEO
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Paweł Raczkowski POL
Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gillett ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Matthew Donohue ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Dejan Filipović SRB
UEFA Delegate: Bakar Jordania GEO
18:45 CET - Stuttgart (MHPArena)
VFB STUTTGART (GER) - FC PORTO (POR) Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO
UEFA Delegate: Claude Runavot FRA
18:45 CET - Bologna (Stadio Renato Dall'Ara)
BOLOGNA FC 1909 (ITA) - AS ROMA (ITA)
Referee: Sven Jabloski GER
Assistant Referee 1: Eduard Beitinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Lasse Koslowski GER
Fourth Official: Harm Osmers GER
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Robert Schröder GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen NOR
UEFA Delegate: Adrian D. Casha MLT
Assistant Referee 2: Lasse Koslowski GER
Fourth Official: Harm Osmers GER
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Robert Schröder GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen NOR
UEFA Delegate: Adrian D. Casha MLT
18:45 CET - Villeneuve d'Ascq (Stade Pierre Mauroy)
LOSC LILLE (FRA) - ASTON VILLA FC (ENG)
Referee: José María Sánchez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Iñigo Prieto ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz ESP
Video Assistant Referee: César Soto Grado ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Vladimir Antonov MDA
UEFA Delegate: Tomás Bárta CZE
Assistant Referee 2: Iñigo Prieto ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz ESP
Video Assistant Referee: César Soto Grado ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Vladimir Antonov MDA
UEFA Delegate: Tomás Bárta CZE
21:00 CET - Budapest (Groupama Arena)
FERENCVÁROSI TC (HUN) - SC BRAGA (POR)
Referee: Nicholas Walsh SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Francis Connor SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel McFarlane SCO
Fourth Official: Donald Robertson SCO
Video Assistant Referee: Darren England ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Kevin Clancy SCO
UEFA Referee Observer: Cüneyt Çakır TUR
UEFA Delegate: Mark Evans WAL
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel McFarlane SCO
Fourth Official: Donald Robertson SCO
Video Assistant Referee: Darren England ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Kevin Clancy SCO
UEFA Referee Observer: Cüneyt Çakır TUR
UEFA Delegate: Mark Evans WAL
21:00 CET - Genk (Cegeka Arena)
KRC GENK (BEL) - SC FREIBURG (GER)
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Cook ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Ian Hussin ENG
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Stuart Attwell ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Peter Bankes ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Vítor Melo Pereira POR
UEFA Delegate: Jovan Šurbatovic SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Ian Hussin ENG
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Stuart Attwell ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Peter Bankes ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Vítor Melo Pereira POR
UEFA Delegate: Jovan Šurbatovic SRB
21:00 CET - Vigo (Abanca-Balaídos)
REAL CLUB CELTA DE VIGO (ESP) - OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS (FRA)
Referee: Erik Lambrechts BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Jo de Weirdt BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Kevin Monteny BEL
Fourth Official: Nathan Verboomen BEL
Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jan Boterberg BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH
UEFA Delegate: Maurice Johnston NIR
Assistant Referee 2: Kevin Monteny BEL
Fourth Official: Nathan Verboomen BEL
Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jan Boterberg BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH
UEFA Delegate: Maurice Johnston NIR
21:00 CET - Nottingham (City Ground)
NOTTINGHAM FOREST FC (ENG) - FC MIDTJYLLAND (DEN)Referee: Rade Obrenović SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Martin Matoša SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Rob Dieperink NED
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Martin Matoša SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Rob Dieperink NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Luis Medina Cantalejo ESP
UEFA Delegate: Danny Meenan IRL
UEFA Delegate: Danny Meenan IRL
Marciniak is back working with English VARs, German future materclass Jabloski getting a derby game Sanchez under pressure to a the World cup squad given another chance and Kavanagh still having a good season in Europe
ReplyDeleteOther new elites getting regular matches even at the around 16 hope they keep up the progress
DeleteA good game for Jablonski in Italy. He seems to have a lot of confidence at UEFA.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see the return of Marciniak !! Hoping for a good game for him, but he will likely not referee the return in UCL ( or maybe we can't be surprised) .
ReplyDeleteThere's still plenty games for thim to feature between quarter finals and semi finals
DeleteMy prediction, he will be for Liverpool Galata
DeleteOT
ReplyDeleteWhen can we expect the list of officials for WC 2026 ?
It was said after the UEFA Seminar in Dubai, but it didn't take place. So we can't know as for now, it depends on what FIFA wants to do, plans have changed.
DeleteArbitro Internacional will maybe inform us soon...
I am excited for appointments both Europe league and champions league in next week insha allah
ReplyDeleteIt's worth noting that the pool of new referees promoted in December is performing well in these first matches, and it seems to me that they have all been appointed for a second game. The committee made this distinction between experienced elite referees in Champions League, and those recently promoted only to Europa League. It seems fair to me, then in future something big will come. One could however analyze the fact that not all referees recently promoted to Elite were coming with same experience, but in the end for some aspects, committee has put all of them at same level, for now.In particular, at least Rumsas, could have been already assigned to a CL KO stage, but in this case we have the promotion to Elite category as a very new beginning, without looking that much to what before about the previous career. In past, it was different for most of promoted referees to Elite.
ReplyDeleteJablonski with the spotlights of Italian derby, big trust by Rosetti, a deserved assignment, and not a case that Dankert, the most trusted VAR, will be there.
Marciniak back and he will be in Greece, clear "warm-up" assignment before a CL game. No Polish VAR with him, we observed that this happened several times, but more in Champions League than Europa League. We will see the next game for Kwiatkowski after the famous red card in Juventus - Galatasaray, for me a clear mistake by the room. One should keep an eye as well on Brisard, AVAR of that game.
Sanchez Martinez in Europa League: I didn't expect him to be appointed again so soon after Atalanta - Borussia Dortmund, for now there is just a little that can be said, it remains to be seen.
In a very rough analysis based on what I can observe after this management, all mistakes, even if significant, if correctly adjusted by VAR, can be forgiven in the short to medium term to the involved referees (but then, at some point in the season, a sort of assessment is made). Obviously, the situation is different if an incorrect VAR intervention or a missed VAR intervention that leaves an open error take place. In this case it becomes difficult to handle.
This read would also explain that they supported Eskas final decision in his match in Azerbaijan (a correct penalty given the player's attitude to fall in that way to increase body's volume, but the Norwegian then should have seen it on the pitch...).
You are confessing it is not mistake from referee but from var
ReplyDeleteRumsas getting another appointment after the last one debacle makes me laugh.
ReplyDeleteWho will FIFA choose?
ReplyDeleteCAF [Africa]
(1/5)
Delete100 percenters: Mustapha GHORBAL, Dahane BEIDA
Clearly, the leading referee in Africa is Mustapha Ghorbal and he will certainly be selected for a second World Cup this summer. The thesis for Ghorbal’s career at the top level of international football is two-fold: 1) the inexplicably bizarre performance by his compatriot and then-Algerian no1 Mehdi Abid Charef in the first leg of the 2018 African Champions League final which saw Charef completely excommunicated from all international refereeing, and, 2) good performances by Ghorbal utilising a strict style in the U20 World Cup and Afcon (both in 2019) after which he established himself. The shoe is slightly on the other foot now, as Ghorbal uses his experience to operate a more lenient approach on his matches - but, I would say never to excess. I have a feeling that FIFA were curious about just how far they could push Ghorbal (especially prior to 2022), and I can recall two matches of extreme difficulty that he was in charge of: the Saudi Cup quarterfinal AlNassr-AlHilal (February ’22) and the key Gulf Cup tie between hosts Kuwait and Qatar (December ’24). The way that Ghorbal handled the Saudi match did wind up as quite a disappointment, and together with his very shy handling of Netherlands-Ecuador (the key decision in which led to a small conflict among FIFA’s two refereeing managers) must have counted towards the relatively disappointing Qatar 2022 for Ghorbal where he didn’t handle any knockout matches. Overall, I think FIFA have a good understanding of Ghorbal’s level, a strong non-UEFA/CONMEBOL official but not a star, and will appoint him commensurate with that at the World Cup.
The rising star on the African refereeing scene in the last World Cup cycle is undoubtedly Dahane Beida from Mauritania, ‘the CAF Letexier’ who established himself impressively as a leading official on the continent. Beida, assisted much by political lobbying inside CAF but whose progress has been made coherent to merit, is a professional-looking, youthful official with very good reading of the game. Having been elevated to handle the final in the Ivorian Afcon, the Paris Olympics (he worked the final as fourth official) and Club WC (he did games with Inter Milan and Real Madrid respectively, doing well in both), established him as a regular name in FIFA circles. He will be chosen for the World Cup. I would imagine though that will see him behind Ghorbal, not only regarding experience, but also regarding overall level. I don’t think what happened in the last Afcon will count against him too much (indeed, his performances in two games prior to the chaotic quarterfinal assignment were good and very good respectively), but his performance in the high pressure Gulf Cup tie Kuwait-UAE would concern me if I were FIFA, as the difficulty of the match took eventually wore Beida down, as he gave a bogus SYC and was rightly rejected by the committee in that tournament. I think Beida, unlike the last Afcon, will not be thrown to the wolves by FIFA and his tournament as a clear ‘CAF no2’ should be a decent one.
(2/5)
DeleteThe contest between the last eight names is much more interesting and close, not least because FIFA cannot repeat what they did in 2022: repeating names that they knew from the past. The official of this group of eight who seems in the strongest position to me might be Mohamed AMIN from Egypt. After an experience at a FIFA tournament in 2019 (U17 WC in Brazil) which I recall as being more bad than ambivalent, in the 2022-26 cycle, the Egyptian official managed to establish himself as one of the leading African officials, but one with very scant experience at FIFA level. Clearly then, the Arab Cup constituted a very important tournament for him but I must say, I think few officials enhanced their reputation as much as Amin, who did well in three Arab matches and then two more at the Afcon - many of which (I’d say all but Cameroon-Gabon) were technically challenging. Amin can be considered as like a 2020s version of Carlos Batres: an ‘honourable’, strict referee who lacks soft skills. Perhaps, this isn’t the most natural fit with modern FIFA refereeing, but due to his athletic impression and general ability to elicit respect from players (though I guess one must say that impression is only confined to Arab-African environments), I don’t think this should count against him too much. It isn’t a bad thing to have a variety of officials and styles, and I would imagine that Amin has done enough to get on the list.
A referee who has had a very good 2025 in FIFA circles, almost from nowhere as far as I’m concerned, would be Jalal JAYED from Morocco. The most interesting thing to acknowledge in Jayed’s case, is to wonder from where FIFA gained the very positive impression from him as they did: if you look at his U20 World Cup appointments, the (relative) trust in Moroccan official must have began from long before the tournament. There must have been continental matches which impressed FIFA, and out of personal curiosity I would like to know what they were! In any case, Jayed (whose style is a carbon copy of Ricci) showed to be a decent official from what I saw of the U20 World Cup, and he did well in both the CAF playoff and three matches in the last Afcon. His appointment to the Argentina-Mexico U20 quarterfinal in Chile came to me as rather surprising, but having watched the game I would say for modern standards that his performance was okay. If I’ve read this situation correctly, it is clear that Jayed has been ‘anointed’ and will thus be selected for the World Cup. If so, I think that FIFA have done well here to accelerate the process for Jayed, given his World Cup bid started much later than the other candidate CAF officials.
(3/5)
DeleteIf one counts this as four Arab officials selected already, the regional arithmetic looks very much set against Mahmood ISMAIL from Sudan, who also had the poorest recent Afcon of all ten selected officials too: both of his two games, S.Africa-Angola and R16 Iv.Coast-BurkinaFaso, ought to have seen his performances rejected. Ismail has a quite European-like style and isn’t a bad referee per se, but I don’t think his merit is such to set him above the four aforementioned officials in any case. Recalling his Iraq-Ukraine game, I think his experience at the Paris Olympics was more ambivalent than good too. Maybe he has a chance to be selected as a reserve official, but personally it seems to me quite likely that Ismail will be excluded - and I don’t really think the last Afcon will even play much role in that.
Now, an interesting geopolitical question - to what extent does the Arab country of Somalia count as Arab (they are not Maghreb)? A certain reading of this situation would suggest that, perhaps, a World Cup spot is being fought for between two very different referees: the aforementioned Amin, and the well-known referee Omar ARTAN from Somalia. Both referees appeared in the Saudi league in the last week (and Amin gave a quite dubious red card), at least. In Artan, for whom the shoes affair I think will count zero, it seems that FIFA perhaps have a problem - the perception of Artan’s abilities are perhaps higher than the reality, he able to project the image of ‘courageous/fearless young official’ to non-refereeing onlookers. While Jayed was given a more steely vote of confidence with his U20 assignments, it seemed to me that FIFA were being more careful with Artan - but, he did do well in both Panama-Korea and the third place playoff. Artan’s case, to me, partially resembles that of Tessema in 2022 when FIFA gave the quirky Ethiopian official a wide berth, to the surprise of many at the time (his technical rating was evidently lower than his ‘popular’ consideration). Artan’s Afcon was so-so. In a boring Zambia-Mali he missed a clear penalty (corrected after OFR), but he rather struggled in Iv.Coast-Gabon and was oft-undermined by the players. It is perhaps a trickier situation than many people think but, I would say, he will be chosen as unlike Tessema, there are too many factors that ultimately run in Artan’s favour.
(4/5)
DeleteDue to internal machinations inside CAF, I felt quite sure that Jean-Jacques NDALA (with his two DRC linesmen) would repeat what Alioum did in 2019 and handle both the opening game and the final of the last Afcon, in an attempt to push Ndala towards refereeing games the next World Cup. The prediction proved a prescient one, but surely the Mosengo-Safari complex managed to completely botch their plan in the end, as Ndala instantly became a famous referee overnight with the events of the final (and not for good). Ndala’s whole tournament was not really a success: dubious handling of the opener including awarding a better-not-to-give-it penalty, dubious handling of Tunisia-Tanzania (with the mutiny incident!) including awarding a better-not-to-give-it penalty, and then the final where… you know the rest. Ndala’s biggest, and rather inescapable problem as a referee is that his use of body tension renders him completely unable to assure any real authority over the match and the players. As I said during the Afcon, he improved a lot in recent years, but in my eyes he is still well short of being a WC-level official. Given the political background and the long-standing Infantino-Mosengo friendship, it should be a point of quite big interest to see what FIFA do with this DRC referee in the selection. I think it would wise to select him as a reserve referee, and leave it at that. Were Ndala to referee games at the World Cup, in terms of merit it would completely unjust, and I think the FIFA refereeing operation are quite aware of that fact.
One of the last Afcon’s (few) big winners was Abongile TOM, the South African official who caused FIFA to reverse their post-Cameroon-against-Gabon decision to deselect him from the World Cup process. It doesn’t take a refereeing genius to understand that Busacca must take a not-so-positive view about the manner in which Tom handles matches, and to be fair, my view would align more with the Swiss referee manager in this instance. In Tom’s three Afcon matches, there were (22xYCs, 1xSYC, 1xRC sanctions and) two constants: a) a strict disciplinary control, and, b) a certain degree of chaos in the manner in which he managed the games. I think FIFA are right to cast scepticism about whether Tom would be a good fit for the World Cup, on account of the second factor. If you act like a law-enforcer, it is important to accompany the strict decisions with strict body language, or the number of cards you will award will be consistently very high (previously-mentioned Aranda was the best ever at this!). One must admit that, while I personally appreciated Tom’s refereeing at the last Afcon, that this is not the case in his matches. If it were up to me, I would select Tom as an (A)VAR for the next World Cup, because he was one of the stronger Afcon officials in the VAR role - he should have done the final of the last Afcon in this role.
(5/5)
DeleteThis leaves two officials, who I would imagine are fighting for one spot. The better of these two officials is Issa SY from Senegal. Before the summer of 2025, I think it is fair to say that Sy was something like an ‘unofficial CAF no3’, and his selection to the Club WC seemed to ascertain that. Then, an off-field incident occurred at that tournament which seems to have damaged the Senegalese referee’s World Cup chances. The details of this are now well-publicised, but the extent to which this counts against Sy is unclear. What I would say is that Issa Sy’s Afcon, in the end, didn’t really count much in his favour. Sy is a good referee, but I think there is something in his demeanour which players consider a bit supercilious and irksome. This played out not only in the now famous Algeria-Nigeria, but also Zambia-Morocco. If the penalty in that quarterfinal was more of an error by the VAR (more on him shortly), then the lack of balancing in disciplinary sanctions would be a much more substantive cause for concern. All of this means that my feeling is that FIFA will, probably, leave Issa Sy alone and not select him for the World Cup.
The affair of Bayern-Auckland opened up a potential World Cup slot then for a referee who seemed likely to be out of the race, namely Pierre Ghislain ATCHO from Gabon. Atcho, who was stupidly appointed VAR for both the Algeria-Nigeria quarterfinal and even the final of the Afcon, was selected for the Arab Cup in addition to the AFCON - so like Amin was on a two-month long international refereeing trip. Atcho, excellent in fitness and movement, presented skills mostly at the level of decent in his two Arab Cup games, and his first two Afcon games (Algeria-Sudan and R16 Egypt-Benin). I was surprised to see the Gabon official appointed to referee the Egypt-Senegal semifinal, but it must be said that actually he did rather well in this match, and showed hitherto unpresent management and soft skills. I think this will not have gone unnoticed in FIFA circles, either. It was very clear by how Atcho was managed in the Arab Cup, that FIFA wanted to ‘create’ a referee who had the possibility and palmares to be selected for the World Cup. If Sy is now persona non grata for the WC, then I think both FIFA and Atcho himself have done enough for him to squeeze into the final tournament by a very small margin.
//
DeleteFinally, unrelated to the WC but perhaps still worth writing about, a small review of impressions for the non-preselected referees at the last Afcon. Benbraham: WC VAR, emergency referee because Gamouh is ill (and has our best wishes!), did okay in Senegal-DRC, very good with players rapport but weak on calls
Bouh: take the airpods out… promising young referee, did well, unlucky to be stuck on one match
Heeralall: not impressed, his biggest strength is ascertaining authority from his style, but way too many mistakes/missed YCs in his second game, Uganda-DRC
Houngnandande: weak official who with Adjovi out of the committee, might struggle to maintain his stay at the top CAF level; second worst ref at the tournament
Kechaf: excellent in fitness/movement (like Mazic), but too weak on calls, he didn’t do well in Zimbabwe-S.Africa and think we may not see him at next Afcon
Kpan: his match was quite difficult (Angola-Egypt), some weaknesses in acceptance/calls but generally quite promising ref, will be back at next Afcon
Laryea: ridiculous appointment to the semifinal considering his abilities, too unpredictable calls but he is an okay referee for mid-to-lower tier Afcon level
Maarouf: he was actually used quite well by CAF as Egyptian no2, did well in Eq.Guinea-BurkinaFaso and was rightly rewarded with Algeria-DRC, which he did fine
Mahamat: I must say, he is actually a very good referee, kind of official you would see in the 1990s; but unfortunately his RC was ridiculous and tarnished everything
Melki: decent Mahgreb referee, not good enough for WC-level, his performance in Gabon-Mozambique was decent
Mebiame: only one game for him, decent referee but not the best on technical accuracy, especially given Tunisia-Uganda was pretty easy
Mefire: sorry, overrated referee; too many bizarre calls and unable to properly interact with players give a baffoonish impression, even if his fitness is very good
Nabadda: this referee would be took weak to reach ‘Level4’ in England and it is ridiculous that for tokenism, she attends the Afcon; at least, they chose her game well
Ndabihawenimana: he actually got better since his ‘star’ Afcon in 2023, good card choices but clearly not good enough to do a game like Egypt-S.Africa and not helped by terrible VAR-ing by Nyagrowa, was given a dead rubber and nothing else after that
Nkounkou: a talented referee(!), Sudan-Eq.Guinea was always going to be messy, very unkind appointment, but all things considered he coped well; strong, tough guy who needs some coaching on calls but in a few years could be a very good referee
Traoré: an honourable man in terms of how he presented himself on the FoP, clearly big deficiencies in his movement/soft skills but generally, given the difficulty of his two matches, he showed up well and can be proud of his tournament
Uwikunda: very impressed with him, should clearly be on the radar of FIFA for pre-2030 events; UEFA-style, coped really well with extremely tough game Benin-Senegal, he would have deserved the semifinal more than Laryea (but they did well not to sacrifice the Rwandan)
Waweru: a bit like Mefire, a fit-but-a-bit-baffoonish kind of referee (but better than Mefire), struggled in Angola-Zimbabwe but clung onto control, overall Senegal-Cameroon turned out mostly okay
Thank you, very interesting insights and arguments!
DeleteAlso the AFC one, of course
I love reading your analyses, Mikael. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
DeleteOT: About Bayern vs Atalanta, 2nd Leg, 18/03/2026
ReplyDeleteThe most likely possibilities:
New Elites:
Erik Lambrechts - (Problem?) - Game Sunday 15/03/2026
C. Kavanagh - (Problem?) - Frankfurt vs Atalanta
Sven Jablonski - x
D. Rumsas - (Problem??) - Stuttgart vs Porto Today
N. Walsh - (Problem?) - Bayern vs Sporting CP
Rade Obrenovic - (Problem?) - Bayern v Union SG
--
Elites:
Sandro Schärer (?) - (Problem?) - PSG v Atalanta
More Elite names for this game?
---
Question: Rather Mandatory Category 1 (?)
Nothing of these „problems“ are problems imo. If Rosetti wants to appoint one of those referees he certainly could.
DeleteThat's why I used «(Problem?)» and not «(Problem)». Im questioning whether these (problems?) will influence the final decision...
DeleteYes, I think I‘ve understood it right. And imo they won‘t influence the final appointment.
DeleteMy opinion: These factors, at the very least, always carry some weight, for sure... (There has to be a minimum lvl of management).
DeleteAbout second legs-prediciton:
ReplyDeleteBayern-Atalanta- De Burgos Bengoetexa
Arsenal-Bayer- Nyberg
Chelsea-PSG- Siebert
Liverpool-Galatasaray- Letexier
City-Real Madrid- Marciniak
Barcelona-Newcastle- Vincic
Tottenham-Atletico: Pinheiro
Sporting-Bode: Oliver
I don't see Pinheiro returning to the UCL round 16 return legs especially given the controversial circumstance in the match between Juventus and Galatasaray which he officiated. He will likely get a UEL match at the very best
DeleteThis goal of Stuttgart.. I honestly think that's a clear foul on Thiago Silva. If it was on the keeper (even outside of the gk box) it would always be called.
ReplyDeleteA fair goal for Stuttgart, typical physical contact in football. I don't understand the comparison to a goalkeeper, who can also be challenged in a duel. No penalty for Stuttgart, there was far too little contact.
DeleteThe defender was jumping and he clearly moves the leg towards him. I think thats not a Clear and Obvious Mistake for VAR interventation but i think that's a foul.
DeleteI see a lot of users in the comments predicting Oliver for Lisbon (Sporting–Bodø), but it’s worth mentioning that the referee observer Messner has already observed him this season. I’m not sure how strict UEFA is about that, but given the late change it would surprise me. Especially since Messner has already observed several potential final candidates this season.
ReplyDeleteAnother neutral option for Oliver would be Bayern–Atalanta, but that game clearly doesn’t need him. My guess is that the Englishman will be kept in the background for this R16 round and will officiate a play-off final later this month. After that, possibly a big UCL quarter-final.
Agree with you 100%. It was clear that his chances of involvement was greatly hinged due to the number of English clubs featuring in the R16. Given how poorly the English teams performed in the first legs of the R16, chances are that there will be lesser English teams in the quarter finals which should throw up a proper match for the English official. Deploying him to a dead rubber like the Bayern-Atalanta serves no use IMO. That match is best given to an experienced CAT 1 referee or one of the recently promoted elite referees
DeleteFully correct 2YC for PAN9 by Marciniak.
ReplyDeleteYep correctly given by Marciniak
DeleteInteresting no penalty decision to Villa by Sanchez, Watkins seems to fall while jumping over keeper who pulled out of the challenge. Goal kick correct decision imo.
ReplyDeleteMissed VAR intervention in Bologna prior to Roma goal. Looked a clear foul… all in all not a nice performance by Jablonski, inconsistent foul detection, unclear gestures
ReplyDeleteOFR for Rumsas to disallow Stuttgart's 2-2 for an offside interference.
ReplyDeleteAnd handball..
DeleteWhat aboute penalty to PAN and 2YC BET3 in Marciniak game?
ReplyDeleteClear penalty. Understandable how it isn't seen live, as there is another defender blocking his view, but Gillett right to intervene. Only question is whether 2YC or straight RC is more appropriate. Perhaps not enough force into the leg for a RC, but maybe Marciniak could have asked for another view
DeleteGood news for him.
Deleteso..... propably Marciniak for next week to CL or LE.
In Ekstraklasa has only VAR on Sunday
Awkward first 60 seconds for Lambrechts, gets in the way of the ball two times…
ReplyDelete43 seconds into the game and my compatriot Erik Lambrechts has already intercepted two Spanish counterattacks. Not a great start in terms of the referee’s positioning…
ReplyDeleteObrenović stopping the game at every chance and not helping the game at all
ReplyDeleteExcellent decision from Walsh’s Ar2 to not raise his flag for the goal.
ReplyDeleteExcept positioning issues at first minute, very good Lambrechts with one good YC to Vigo and some fews positive advantages. Good half for Belgium crew.
ReplyDeleteWalsh got swarmed by three Braga players after the half time whistle, they were demanding a penalty for a theatrical fall.Good positioning, one good advantage and a correct mandatory yc. Let’s see how he performs in the second half.
ReplyDeletePathetic first half from Obrenović. Useless foul detection and doing nothing about the away teams constant time wasting
ReplyDeleteLast time I was criticized for praising Sven Jablonski’s performance. On Tuesday I mentioned ESKAS after a very good first half. Today JABLONSKI was TESTED AGAIN in Bologna vs. Roma – and once again he delivered an outstanding performance. He had great acceptance and allowed the game to flow with a high threshold for fouls. I think that with this performance he has clearly recommended himself for the very top level in the long term. That was a very strong application.
ReplyDeleteAbove, I read a comment about Jablonski not having his best game. Whom can I believe?
DeleteThe goal in Rome was correct. It was awarded by VAR Dankert and ruled valid because Malen clearly played the ball. He also maintained a consistent, generous approach on both sides, with clear body language and gestures. He had this difficult situation under control at all times and enjoyed full respect. A great personality.
DeleteA uniformly generous approach on both sides
DeleteI think the problem of marciniak is speed because you feel he is very slow far from places of football
ReplyDeleteHe’s just not long returned from a suspected injury, could this not be a factor?
Delete2YC for Iglesias by Lambrechts, reckless arm/elbow. Supportable decision but awful management of the scene by the Belgian referee, gave it so delayed to the point everyone thought he wasn't going to give it.
ReplyDeleteDisagree. Correct second YC card for Celta player and RC given by Lambrechts. Very homogeneous disciplinary line by belgian referee. Very convincing IMO. He took some seconds to decide but nothing suspicious (i think discussion with AR2).
DeleteBut again an interference by referee with Endrick. We can notice a clear problem of positioning by referee.
DeleteWhat a terrible mistake by Lambrechts. He disrupted Endrick's play in the game in Vigo.
Deletetwo head injuries and Kavanagh still no YC...
ReplyDeletenow open sole and no yellow again...
DeleteThe Belgians are hitting and kicking, and Kavanagh just stands by, uninvolved – incomprehensible. I hope this is his last European Cup match this season
DeleteException of positioning, very convincing performance by Lambrechts in a quite intensive match, especially from disciplinary side.
ReplyDeleteOverall a good performance from Walsh, nothing else to say.
ReplyDeleteSecond YC by Lambrechts:
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/c1665b
Agreed with Quilava. Correct analysis.
Supportable YC, you can assess it as reckless, but you must give it with credibility. This was a very poor management by Belgian referee, he looked not sure and maybe he wanted confirmations before issuing the card, it looked like he didn't want to give it at first glance, in my opinion an Elite referee must appear absolutely strong while managing these situations. Nevertheless, not a mistake, and that's the important thing.
I find it a bit surprising that no one is commenting on UEFA’s decision to open a disciplinary investigation against Neto for his violent behavior toward the ball boy. Even more striking is the catastrophic image sent by Spanish referee Hernández for failing to at least issue a yellow card for this conduct. To me, that’s poor management—unlike the justified second yellow given by Erik Lambrechts to the Celta player, which was clearly well thought out.
DeleteI agree that with an investigation opened by UEFA, the position of the Spanish referee becomes even more questionable and I wonder how much importance Rosetti will give to this incident. The referee, if asked, should only say that he didn't see anything, otherwise...
DeleteAnd to clarify about Lambrechts, we are not saying the YC is wrong, but the procedure is extremely weak, that's another argument. Had he issued immediately the card without hesitation, would have been excellent. As Elite referee, he should have done that, if convinced about the reckless nature of the challenge once whistled.
The only discussed situation in Jablonski game, Bologna wanted a foul before 1-1 by Roma. Long VAR check by Dankert, but goal confirmed.
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/640e6d
In my opinion, the decision on the field was correct. The review could certainly have been completed faster. At the same time, Bastian Dankert is the best VAR in the world, or at least one of the best, and he will have had his reasons for why it took longer. It could have been quicker, but the final decision was correct — and that’s what ultimately matter.
DeleteThank you for the Link, Chefren.
Marciniak incidents
ReplyDelete59' Second YC
https://streambug.org/cv/b29097
84' Penalty and second YC after OFR
https://streambug.org/cv/00aa62
Correct call by VAR, good that Marciniak explained to players the decision. It's easy to understand and maybe excusable to understand why he missed it live: long ball, then another player covering his view, very hard if not impossible to make a judgment here. I think this was a very positive use of VAR in which you can clearly understand the process. Still, some very hectic gestures by the Polish, as we know him from last times, if compared to the same referee in the middle - beginning of his career.
84) I really like how Marciniak handles this. The gestures to the protesting players who where running after him and the explanation to both captains. Good intervention, well explained.
DeleteIndeed, excellent top-elite management
DeleteCan be a direct red card for penalty?
DeleteI think he is stepping directly on the upper part of his ankle with the sole of his foot. This is a serious foul
DeleteGiven how challenge originated, I can think that YC is OK.
DeleteLet's just repeat once again that point of contact is not the only criterion in asessing SFPs, but surely one of the most important to consider.
I guess YC is ok too!
DeleteChallenging end of first half for Rumsas.
ReplyDeletePossible foul before Stuttgart goal:
https://streambug.org/cv/e87973
Penalty area incident (and possible foul before):
https://streambug.org/cv/97a3b3
The Lithuanian referee confirms his style of being always at the edge with control of the game, given the high threshold he has in foul detection. In matches between two heated teams, his approach remains to be seen, but for now he somehow manages to overcome the challenges he is given.
Is there any prediction both Europe and champions league
ReplyDeleteWhat does IMO mean its often used in the comments by almost everyone writing on the blog
ReplyDelete"In my opinion"
DeleteOMG.
DeleteFor now, UEFA hasn’t changed anything regarding the observers for next week. I’m curious whether they’ll make adjustments after the 1st leg results.
ReplyDeleteLetexier and Makkelie both have relatively low-profile matches on Saturday. I could see them landing on City and Arsenal respectively, with Letexier also an option for Liverpool.
Sporting vs Bodø: hoping for Schärer or Peljto. Looking at who got chances in the 1st legs, both would deserve one as well.
Siebert seems the logical German choice, although Zwayer has no Bundesliga match this weekend, so never say never.
Turpin could be interesting. I had a gut feeling he might get a big playoff, for example the Path A final (possibly Italy), so I’m curious how they’ll manage him next week.
Barcelona vs Newcastle: the observer is De Bleeckere. Which ref fits that profile? Maybe Nyberg; there’s definitely some focus on him.
Bayern vs Atalanta: This one obviously doesn’t need a top referee.
Marciniak perhaps managed carefully with the World Cup in mind - No need to rush him and appointments were already made before his return.
About Vinčić: he’s only officiated 7 matches in the Slovenian league this season, the last on December 7. How is that possible? I know it’s a small league with a long winter break, but that’s still very very (!) little. Obrenović, for example, has his 3rd Prva Liga match this weekend. It does give the impression Vinčić gets special treatment and I’m not sure its fair. Still, I guess we will see the Slovenian in the UCL next week, cause he always gets a game.
I heard from some referees that he is saving his body for WC After WC he will finish his carrer. I agree with you for me is not aceptable that he doesnt have matches in Slovenian league only in UEFA...Most probably we will see him next week in UCL.
DeleteI do also Hope for Schaerer. Good Ref!
DeleteApparently, what you are reporting about Vincic doesn't seem to be something entirely new. For example, I heard years ago that during the final season of Orsato, partly because of injuries and physical issues, also considering that he reached EURO 2024 at quite an advanced age, he would deliberately preserve his physical condition by asking to be given a rest and not to be appointed too often in Serie A. In the final stage of his career, his main and almost exclusive objective was the major international tournament, and then to finish his career there. It seems that a similar situation applies to Vincic, who could indeed retire after the World Cup. Because of that, he may feel more authorized to focus primarily on himself and give everything to the biggest goal, not caring about domestic league.
DeleteLet's say that in the past this kind of situation didn't really exist. Referees who wanted to remain on the international lists and compete for a World Cup appointment still had to earn it by contributing consistently to their national federation and regularly officiating matches in the top domestic league. Today that's no longer really the case: referees have become much more autonomous in this respect. You can see it, for example, also in the choice of assistants they bring with them to the World Cup.
The federations and refereeing heads are loosening their grip and recognizing the top-level talent of those who reach certain levels.. On one hand, that's fair; on the other, perhaps a bit less so, because everyone should still feel under pressure and in competition. Of course, the case of Vincic, given the talent that has emerged from a country relatively small and not comparable to others like Slovenia, might represent a special case, in which this management could be a bit more allowed than in other countries, but still...
In any case, it's a very interesting discussion. I can assure you that Orsato did exactly the same thing. Now, I don't think Vincic has physical problems, but age is what it is for those referee who are over the 45 years old.
Well well… Look at 47 y.o. Taylor, who appeared already 22 times in the Premier League this season :)
DeleteI don’t like the special treatment, cause other referees have to work much harder. In any case, FIFA should consider whether, say, reaching the quarter-finals or further at the World Cup would be deserved for Vincic if he’s allowed to preserve his body like that. Nah.
And he’s surely not at the same level as Skomina or Orsato…
DeleteWell, I bet that the discussion about who could be considered greater between Skomina and Vincic is a hot topic among refereeing enthusiasts and fans in Slovenia. Now, in my opinion, it's interesting to point out that, even though their palmares could be quite similar, with both having participated in major competitions and of course Champions League and Europa League finals, we have to say that Skomina was the one who reallybroke the barriers for Slovenia, and with merit, of course I'm not saying that, for Vincic, who came later, everything was easier, but a path was opened where previously there was none at all, and I think Skomina, with what he showed on the field, proved he deserved to open that path.
DeleteSkomina demonstrated throughout his career, even making mistakes, which is right and something a top-level referee must risk and allow himself to do, that he tried to referee in many circumstances and often relied on pure instinct, something that at some point Vincic realized wasn't always convenient (sorry to say but that's a fact!), and so he stayed more conservative in his strong years as Elite. Now, this doesn't diminish Vincic, but in many circumstances, unlike Skomina, just as example one can think about World Cup playoffs and all the rest, he was very lucky, a factor that a person can't control, but it's the fate.
Anyway, as he would close his career with the World Cup,we will see how far Vincic will go in the World Cup, but I believe Skomina remains at a slightly higher level. It will be interesting to see what Obrenovic does, but it seems difficult to reach the level of these two. Still, overall, it's interesting to note that a path of elite referees from Slovenia opened up, where before Skomina, of course, it wasn't even a topic.
But wasn't Orsato two years older than Vincic, or am I mistaken? In any case, between Serie A and the Coppa Italia, he's refereed 17 matches (15+2), including many big games—not a huge number, but not exactly a small one either...
Delete17 is still pretty reasonable indeed, especially in a bigger country with a top-5 league and plenty of big matches. With Vincic you almost get the impression he thinks he’s a bit too big for the Slovenian league, where the tempo probably isn’t exactly Premier League level.
DeleteIf I remember correctly, he had to step down during a cup semi-final last season and was replaced by the fourth official, only to show up not much later to officiate a Nations League semi-final with the Slovenian enclave present. Priorities, I suppose.
We can agree about Skomina..he is for sure the best referee Slovenia ever had. He was a natural talent. So far no one close to him..vincic was replaced in final cup match not in semifinal. Lately he doesnt have any problems with his pyhsics lwhich is goos. I wish him to go to WC and have a great tournament..
DeleteWhat about joao pinheiro, oliver , kovacs ?
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think João Pinheiro is so good that he has to referee every week? He will spend Tuesday and Wednesday at home.
Delete😁😁 because he perfect referee for me
DeleteI respect your opinion, but for me, Pinheiro is not among the top ten in Europe.
DeleteAnd I am see for him the best referee in Europe now
DeleteThe important important games both Europe league and champions league
ReplyDeleteLiverpool vs galatasaray
Chelsea vs psg
Barcelona vs Newcastle
Roma vs bologna
Aston villa vs lille
My predictions:
DeleteLIV-GAL Pinheiro
CHE-PSG Pinheiro
BAR-NEW Pinheiro
ROM-BOL Pinheiro
AVL-LIL Pinheiro
@Sale: pls don’t be so severe with Abdiaziz. Let everyone having his opinion…
DeleteAn opinion or a delusion? I see this blog as serious contribution to refereeing, not as cheerleading for one average referee like teenagers admiring boybands. But thank you for your opinion as well.
DeletePredictions for RO16 2nd Legs:
ReplyDeleteSPO-BOD | Oliver
ARS-LEV | Marciniak
CHE-PSG | Nyberg
MCI-RMA | Makkelie
BAR-NEW | Kovacs
LIV-GAL | Letexier
BAY-ATA | Lambrechts
TOT-ATM | Siebert
Good predictions. 👍
DeleteMy opinion on how the referee appointments for the Champions League second legs might look.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, it should be noted that in the first legs of the Europa League almost all newly promoted Elite referees were appointed. Many of the more “senior” Elite referees will probably also handle second legs in the second-tier competition.
Sporting vs Bodo – I think this match could go to one of the recently promoted Elite referees, or possibly a referee who hasn’t officiated much this season. Someone like Schärer or Peljto, maybe even Bastien.
Arsenal vs Leverkusen – Arsenal’s poor performance means this tie is still completely open, and UEFA will surely not want to “experiment” with the appointment here. I expect a name like Nyberg, or maybe even Makkelie.
Chelsea vs PSG – Two attractive opponents, but the first-leg result reduces the drama somewhat. Still, I expect a top Elite referee here. Marciniak or Kovács perhaps.
Man City vs Real Madrid – The derby of this round, which ended quite unexpectedly in the first leg. Regardless of that, a lot can still happen here and I’m sure UEFA will appoint one of their very best referees. Vinčić, or maybe again Marciniak or Kovács.
Barcelona vs Newcastle – The Spanish side escaped in the first leg. The return match should be interesting, so we can expect a referee the committee fully trusts to keep the game under control. Vinčić is definitely a candidate here as well, even though he already refereed Barcelona and showed a red card in the league phase. In any case, I expect that type of referee.
Liverpool vs Galatasaray – The Turkish side has the advantage, but Liverpool will surely push for a comeback. I’m certain the game will be intense and exciting, so maybe Letexier? Turpin officiated the league-phase match between these two in Istanbul, so it’s possible UEFA goes with another French referee again.
Bayern vs Atalanta – Everything was decided in the first leg, so this could be the perfect opportunity for UEFA to give a chance to a newly promoted Elite referee, or perhaps even someone from Category 1 who is preparing for promotion to Elite this year.
Tottenham vs Atlético – A three-goal difference and, considering Tottenham’s form, this tie looks almost done already. My instinct says this could be a match for Zwayer or Siebert, but of course we’ll see what Rosetti thinks.
English referees are very difficult to predict since English clubs are involved in 6 of the 8 matches. I don’t expect either Oliver or Taylor. I rather see them in the Europa League.
For me, this is one of the hardest sets of matches to predict. It’s very uncertain and I’m really looking forward to seeing the appointments. Everything is open and possible.
Yes, several options here - which is generally a good thing.
DeleteHowever, if there are no First Group referees or repetitions from this week, the list of 16 referees for CL and EL next week should be rather clear.
The two doubts about this assumption are the comeback management for Marciniak and a possible new appointment for Bayern-Atalanta.
Otherwise I don't think, we should put too much emphasis on the first leg results - because UEFA probably made appointments before.
ManCity-Real: We should exclude Letexier, Vincic and Turpin due to previous games - so it's probably between Kovacs, Makkelie and Marciniak. I would go for Makkelie there.
Sporting-Bodo: I expect an English referee, rather Oliver, there. The game could be seen as tight enough for that even before the first leg
Chelsea-Paris: Here I would choose Zwayer, who needs a game to justify his WC selection.
Barcelona-Newcastle: Certainly several options here, I think, Turpin makes sense.
Liverpool - Galatasaray: Nyberg or Letexier - I would choose the Swede here, because
Tottenham - Atletico: might have been predicted as tighter game and therefore been chosen for Letexier
Bayern - Atalanta: I don't think, they will go down too far in the picking order. Schärer or Peljto seem reasonable, although I am not sure, whether they could even have been the initial choice or not. Of course, if UEFA doesn't want to change, we could still see a top Elite here. To make a decision: Schärer
Arsenal - Leverkusen: Several options again, after my other predictions, I would put Vincic here.
For EL this could mean e.g.
Braga-Ferencvaros: Taylor
Freiburg-Genk: Bastien
Midtjylland-Nottingham: Stieler
Lyon-Celta: Peljto
Roma-Bologna: Kovacs
Porto-Stuttgart: Massa
Betis-Panathinaikos: Siebert
Villa-Lille: Pinheiro
hey guys.. The game between Liverpool and Gala ? maybe slavko vincic ? do you think it is possible
ReplyDeleteOT : According to the IFFHS, Turpin topped the 2025 rankings with 65 points (ahead of Letexier & Marciniak on 55) for his consistent world-class officiating in continental competitions. Key merits: elite control, calm authority, and standout positioning all year. First-time winner after years in the top 10.
ReplyDeleteIt will be Interesting to watch who is gonna win the UEFA price which was announced as a new trophy for referees couple weeks ago. Tbh the UEFA will be more important than this one.
DeleteAnother week another refereeing controversy in Serie A. This time, Gianluca Manganiello in Inter vs Atalanta. But I feel he made the right decision to allow the goal. The touch was minimal and Dumfries exaggerated the contact and went to ground easily.
ReplyDeleteIt looked more like a fall from losing his feet than from the con on his back. But Inter protests were heavy. The Inter coach was sent off.
It feels like the defeat and the no penalty against Milan last week and dropping more points today are more reasons for the frustration than Manganiello's decision today.
I'm sure the season can't end soon enough for Rocchi.
I agree with play on before Atalanta goal, but Manganiello very unsure, whistle in the mouth but then he decided to allow the goal. This is the worst body language you can give to players, because they are convinced you wanted to whistle. The referee missed firmness in his decision, he had to bear the pressure of bringing the whistle to the mouth.
DeleteBut then the "problem" for Italian audience is mostly the following penalty area incident when game restarted after the allowed goal, classic situation that has been always punished in Italy, but for example in England they would never think about it. First and paramount example Inter - Juventus with Mariani some years ago, called to OFR for a foul on Alex Sandro by Dumfries. This decision made this kind of penalty mandatory to be whistled. VAR today had a different idea, only argument they can report is the intensity but the team from Milan and fans will not accept it.
And it's incredible to observe the nervous breakdown they had, with Chivu (never seen so angry before this season and he always talked in favor of referees...) sent off (useless booking at first by Manganiello, he was then immediately sent off because he continued).
After a dominated serie A, they fear they can't do it and as you said, it would be an astonishing and epic fail, after having left Champions League in that way. For Manganiello, it had been a rather quiet game until these last minutes, but as it often happens for the very experienced but not FIFA official, in some crucial moments, he shows to be too much shaky, not stable, despite of taking even supportable decision, he doesn't find how to sell them and for all people the penalty was to be whistled...
+1
DeleteVideo of the incidents, for those who are interested:
DeletePossible foul before 1-1, goal allowed and management:
https://streambug.org/cv/ab6580
Penalty area incident, VAR silent:
https://streambug.org/cv/c79b6c
My precictions:
ReplyDeleteSPO-BOD | Oliver
ARS-LEV | Vinvic
CHE-PSG | Siebert
MCI-RMA | Makkelie
BAR-NEW | Turpin
LIV-GAL | Letexier
BAY-ATA | Peljto
TOT-ATM | Scharer
I think it was a very good performance by Manganiello today.. he has been lately one of the rare shining lights in italian refereeing and it’s good to see him rise..
ReplyDelete( i am an inter fan btw). Both incidents aren’t obvious mistakes, var supported them and I would probably agree on both of them. And he handled the match really well from beginning to end
Source: Árbitro internacional
ReplyDeleteBolivia vs Surinam
A: Alireza Faghani 🇦🇺
A1: George Lakrindis 🇦🇺
A2: James Lindsay 🇦🇺
4to: Mustapha Ghorbal 🇩🇿
VAR: Fedayi San 🇨🇭
AVAR: Ivan Bebek 🇭🇷
Nueva Caledonia vs Jamaica
A: Gustavo Tejera 🇺🇾
A1: Nicolas Taran 🇺🇾
A2: Carlos Barreiro 🇺🇾
4to: Cristian Garay 🇨🇱
VAR: Juan Lara 🇨🇱
AVAR: Antonio Garcia 🇺🇾
https://x.com/i/status/2032873920416698398 Strange moment before Chelsea vs Newcastle where Paul Tierney got in the middle of Chelsea's strange centre circle team huddle they've started doing the past few games....overall decent performance by Tierney who correctly waved away a few penalty appeals.
ReplyDeleteIn italy somebody would have called the police and the referee would have been arrested! I'm exaggerating the concept, but well! For sure after that, a game in Italy with that referee wouldn't have started!
DeleteWhy on earth did Tierney allow this?
DeleteVery problematic situation just before kick off. Incredible passivity by Tierney to allow this « scene ». Unbelievable to keep a neutral image by referee…
DeleteThe referee wanted all the TV channels and people to talk about him, and he succeeded. I think it's wrong to give this kind of image by a referee. not funny
ReplyDeleteNo, not like that I think he was just caught in the moment nothing much and according to reports Chelsea have been doing this not for the first time
Delete