Discussion about the games played on 14 April 2026.
21:00 CET - Liverpool (Anfield)
LIVERPOOL FC (ENG) - PARIS SAINT GERMAIN (FRA)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 Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni ITA
Fourth Official: Matteo Marchetti ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Bernardino González Vázquez ESP
UEFA Delegate: Rudolf Řepka CZE
21:00 CET - Madrid (Estadio Metropolitano)
CLUB ATLÉTICO DE MADRID (ESP) - FC BARCELONA (ESP)
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pagès FRA
Fourth Official: Mathieu Vernice FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pagès FRA
Fourth Official: Mathieu Vernice FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Peter Sippel GER
UEFA Delegate: Christian Kofoed DEN
For a better reading of the discussion, you can continue here.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
OT(?): Can someone fill me in the Makkelie and PSG issue?
ReplyDeletePSG president (and more importantly, European clubs' association chairman) Al-Khelaifi broke into Makkelie's dressing room breaking an AR flag, as Makkelie reported in the official match report, in the aftermath of 2022 CL R16 2nd leg between Real Madrid & PSG.
DeleteA behaviour for which Al-Khelaifi got an absolutely ridiculous slap in the wrist.
Oh I do remember this incident, I didn't recall that Makkelie was the affected referee. That is really disheartening to hear, and knowing that he was cleared by UEFA (conflict of interest much?) at the time. The state of this sport.
DeleteMissed indirect freekick for atletico in OT
ReplyDeleteIt’s not
DeleteWhy? Clearly an intentional backpass and gk doesn't need to pick it up for it to be an offence
DeleteFor me, it is a clear one and indirect free kick should have been given
DeleteI don’t really agree with VAR Intervention on the RC.. is it a clear and obvious mistake? Not for me atleast..
ReplyDeleteOverall lots of ups and downs for Turpin .. not his best display
And also one or two missed YCs…
DeleteBut uefa in trouble for the SF i agree
First of all, I will concentrate on match Atletico-Barcelona:
ReplyDelete1. This was not the game,this was war.
2. Who dont go crazy in this game,is not normal.
3.I will tell just two words that describe Turpin performance- Chapeau Bas!
4.About Asistatnts- in so hard game with dose of adrenaline, mistakes can happen,its very easy for us behind TV to speak about that, but thats Var is there, so congrats all officiating team tongiht.
Full control of game from begining to end,and I will call this performance as perfromance of season unitil tonight!
Come on. I think you have to keep certain things in perspective. It is not to say the level of tension and pressure was not very (very) high, but technically this match was far away from games like Atletico-Ajax in '97 or, a surely more appropriate example, what Webb faced in the 2014 match. This was not "war". Turpin pushed control of the players' actions to the extreme, but control of the match was always ensured from 1' to 90', which is a very impressive feat for which he deserves huge credit. It is a pity that after outstanding work on DOGSOs in Bosnia, Turpin did not detect the RC in real time (I guess whatever French is for 'delay' in his ear from the comms/Danos put him off a little). Given that all three officials will be scored 7,9 tonight, the only possible CL semifinal appointment would involve repeating Atletico, and the relatively unsonorous nature of the EL semifinals, I guess Turpin's UEFA season is over. But, like Kovacs, I think the overall impression from this tie was a success for him. Brisard's work in the dying embers of the game requires further inspection: I would like to look more closely at the two potential handball offences he cleared.
DeleteMaybe a French or a German can get a SF 1st leg ? Turpin got 2024 and 2025 SF 1st leg despite PSG being in the other bracket.
ReplyDeleteIf French, it has to be Letexier then, because I think UEFA dont want to appoint Turpin again to Atletico's next match
DeleteYes. And after Turpin 2 years in a row, it would be fair to put Letexier in charge.
DeleteAnd give Turpin Atletico again or Letexier Arsenal a second time ? Hum
DeleteHum…🫠
Oh you’re right I forgot ! No French in SF then I guess !
DeleteIt will happen .. one of them will get a SF
DeleteTurpin last year had real madrid twice in a row
DeleteI agree with referee analyst this is bizarre (Hum)
DeleteOh yeah, that's true. Maybe no French then in semis
DeleteI follow this blog as I think some of the comments are very high quality. I would like to ask what was the difference between the RC incident last week won't Kovacs and this evening with Turpin. Last week everyone blame Kovacs for not awarding a straight red card and how it's possible at this levels and this week they say that Turpin did great??????
ReplyDeleteTurpin assessed koundr s position as if he isnt last man..
DeleteThank you. I am not really convinced about (both) red cards.. they were both orange from my perspective (not a professional one of course)
DeleteI think the first leg one is clear as he was alone.. for me this one is a 50 50 but not var business.. i feel i am the only one having this opinion
DeleteMaybe the so much talked problem on the blog circling the French officials, they are always protected. Some go far to use words like charisma, aura when it comes to French refereeing
DeleteWhen it comes to Turpin or Letexier not French refereeing, that’s quite different ! ;)
DeleteOverall strong performance by Turpin in Madrid, especially considering the NOISE surrounding this match. Great composure shown by the Frenchman.
ReplyDeleteIMO, Mariani once again showed that he does not belong to the very top of the refereeing elite. An uncertain match, uncertain key decisions. He awarded a penalty he did not see, and the VAR intervention is a story on its own. Incredible.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that I did not watch the ATM vs BAR match, how is it possible that it was not a red card for that challenge on Fermin?
Challenge on Fermin is a clear accidental one with no disciplinary sanction needed. Just accident between two players in a high-intensity action. No card needed.
DeleteRegarding Chefren’s comment on the previous post, about the inconsistency of VAR interventions, I think the only solution is for teams to call VAR interventions for non-objective calls. So the burden falls on teams, not anymore on the referees. Same as any other sport with technology (apart from rugby)
ReplyDeleteUltimately, a prevailing sense of calm and authority throughout the match, both towards the game itself and the players, with VAR support on the offside call and the red-card incident (even though it is understandable he initially leaned towards a simple yellow in real time, given Koundé’s positioning, as the situation was not particularly clear-cut).
ReplyDeleteEight minutes of added time were awarded with full conviction, alongside a correctly overturned penalty in the first half. There were also two uncharacteristic, significant errors from his assistants and three corners that were incorrectly awarded.
Nevertheless, the overall management was marked by exceptional composure and complete control. That is the “Turpin touch”, despite the isolated mistakes. This is elite, world-class refereeing.
If there is justice,Turpin would get treated the same way,if not even worse cause he had worse game than Kovacs.
ReplyDeleteNo disciplinary control, nothing,he had Doveri performance.
RC should have been issued right away,clear missed YC/Orange for Gavi,no YC's for Atletico,right before end Araujo kicking Le Normand no reaction.
Of course,since he has strong lobby comitee will be satisfied but disappointed and for his standards,bad performance.
Maybe it's just my opinion,but way too passive,cold and lenient.
YC to Gavi was issued. Please watch the game before criticizing a performance that was very good and, most importantly for UEFA, won’t attract media attention.
DeleteYep,issued after blood was pouring down.
DeleteNo immediate reaction,way too passive even with that incident.
But,hey good job,looks like I am in minority.
I'm just saying what's the difference between his RC not issued and Kovacs'?
He first of all issued YC to Garcia then changed it to offside,then after VAR showed RC.
But,ok,in your opinion I did not watch the game or I offended your favourite ref?
Btw he did not end up giving a card to anyone, the flag went up before he actually showed it. He was clearly planning on YC though. And first you said missed YC, now ok he gave it but it's too passive? He still gave it, and Turpin is not exactly known for hectic movements.
Delete@M Maybe you’re in minority but most of the exagerative and repeated praises come (could we have expected differently) from the 🇫🇷 defence force on this blog. Almost embarrassing to read.
Delete@Yk he was not planning on giving YC to Gavi,showed it after blood was pouring down.Passive in that.
DeleteWith Garcia, he went for YC then he showed offside and the VAR called him to show RC.
That's my point.
But,ok ,if I'm minority,and cant have ny opinion,great performance, Turpin is best ref ever and every big match should be given to him.
M: as a solely personally opinion, I think you are right. Football (refereeing) is not what it used to be. It is not unfair at all to say that Turpin behaved like (a much more sophisticated version of) Doveri not only in this game tonight, but in many games since he changed his style at the start of the 2020s. What is considered a 'challenging game' technically nowadays is far removed from even ten years ago, let alone twenty or thirty. If someone tried to referee a Atletico-Barca QF in the manner that Turpin did tonight, 10/20/30yrs ago, it would have been a total disaster. Things have changed, and Turpin's performance was good tonight (though he was starting to panic as time began to run out) - but that is not something that I note with great joy, personally! The corners were just unlucky incidents, not indicative of a lack of concentration, and I wouldn't give them any more than a passing mention.
DeleteTo add to this, Jojo: you were also 100% right!
DeleteIf kovacs is punished by Uefa its a disgrace. BACK YOUR REFEREES!
ReplyDeleteWell we've seen how they have handled stuff like this. The most they'll do is come out to support them once things have blown over. Absolutely spineless.
DeleteIf Kovacs was French,nothing would be made,just like nothing would be made with Turpin.
DeleteHell,you have people on this blog defending him.
M, I don't get your stance, are you of the opinion that most people on this blog rejected Kovacs' performance? That was not my impression. The issue is that Barcelona and their media made a big stink about it and UEFA (probably) chickened out... But maybe I'm mistaken.
DeleteNope,just that Romanian lobby and Kovacs are not strong enough like Turpin and his french lobby.
DeleteIf we switched positions and Kovacs had this type of match,everyone would blame him for getting the game out of his hands.
But this is Turpin,ref with great resumé and nothing will be said.
But if it wasn't for VAR that corrected him and his team we would have Barca through and what then?
A very negative evening, it must be said.
ReplyDeleteSerious mistakes in both games.
Mariani awarded a penalty like this. A wrong one. It puts VAR in difficulty. The thing Rosetti would have liked least.
In Madrid, it was problematic and extremely complicated for Turpin.
The Frenchman didn't properly evaluate a red card for DOGSO, wanting to give a yellow. Furthermore, serious errors by both assistant referees.
I think that in the media, it couldn't have gone worse for Rosetti.
He won't be satisfied.
Moreover, if Mariani had any hope of refereeing a Champions League semifinal, it's gone after today.
Possible presence of both French and English clubs in the semifinal.
Many referees left out. A very few names are not available.
We will certainly see unexpected additions for CL semifinals: referees who would never have been appointed on that stage if the committee had had their classic options.
Schaerer, observed by Velasco, should be mentioned immediately. This would also strengthen his World Cup call-up, but he doesn't have to justify it too much; he was just absent for injury and he couldn't demonstrate.
Next up is the Norwegian, who should be seen in the Conference League before, and Nyberg, who I personally see less of as his Nordic colleague (to answer to the user who also replied to me today).
Perhaps these three names should be enough, with maybe an Englishman and a Frenchman in the first leg of the semifinals?
In any case, it's a truly problematic situation.
Rosetti can talk about roses, but he has limited names and serious problems.
How will he solve it? We have just to wait and see, but surely a bad day.
Imo we will see Marciniak and Vincic for sure, and probably a french btw Turpin and Letexier don't know which one to choose if UEFA want to give Letexier a final, and the last place will be btw an englishman and probably Zwayer. At the end pretty hard to choose especially if you have in mind all 3 finals.
DeleteHarsh statement ! I think that, despite Turpin’s and Mariani’s mistakes, control of the games was ensured and no controversy will follow.
DeleteI fully agree regarding the unusual mistakes made by both assistant referees.
DeleteHowever, I strongly disagree with the assessment of the red card. This is clearly a situation where VAR, with its elevated and more precise angle on the positioning of each player, allows for a stronger inclination towards DOGSO.
In live play, however, it is entirely reasonable to perceive it as a simple yellow card, especially given Koundé’s recovery run, which could suggest he might have been able to cover the attacker.
I would argue, on the contrary, that in such situations VAR should prompt the referee to undertake a more detailed review, using camera angles better suited to evaluating a clear goalscoring opportunity rather than relying solely on pitch-level perception.
This is precisely the added value of modern officiating: the on-field and video teams working in full synergy, and in this case that collaboration functioned effectively.
Tbf on the OFR i'm pretty sure that if last week RC didn't have the impact during this all week, VAR would had never says something and YC would have been acceptable imo.
DeleteIf that handball is considered by people who pretend to have some knowledge of reffereing to be rulled as a penalty then the “spirit of the game” ideea and authority of judgment by any ref on the pitch are lost.Refs should then wistle absolutely everything. This is completely ridiculous! Kovacs is probably out because of the shamefull noise made by Barca and their press even though UEFA has rulled as inadmisible their complaint.
ReplyDeleteTurpin has typical referee style (you like or not) that if you get the posession and the other team commit 20 fouls and not receive YC and when you commit one, booked. Barcelona players getting crazy with this situation, especially Pedry (usually a calm guy). It's Turpin style but i understand that this repetitive fouls that stop the rhythm of the match deserve YC.
ReplyDeleteThe stage, importance, and atmosphere of both matches must be taken into account. VAR intervention was correct in Liverpool, never a penalty, just like in Madrid. Very good refereeing by the Frenchman.
ReplyDeleteOn Chefren’s comment on the previous news about the VAR protocol: that protocol has been wrong from the very beginning! Completely wrong.
ReplyDeleteIf a situation is borderline and the referee does not award a penalty — VAR will not intervene. It’s not a clear and obvious error. If another referee, in an identical situation, awards a penalty, or even gives a softer penalty but there is some contact — VAR again will not intervene. Is that normal???
This leaves room for the referee and VAR to influence the final decision. That’s how it has been so far. Has something changed now? Where is that written? In which regulation?
The protocol consists of rules — if they have been changed, it must be officially announced. And they absolutely must not be changed during the season!!!
What does this even look like? It’s completely unprofessional. And it’s unprofessional to constantly change the rules as if football were some new game! This just creates the impression that something is being done, that the rules are being changed and improved, while in reality they are getting worse, and no one knows anymore what is a penalty, what is a red card…
The Atlético player did not have full control of the ball, nor was it DOGSO — there have been many such situations before, and yellow cards were given. There have also been situations where the ball is going far away from the goal, it’s not DOGSO at all, yet the defender gets a red card…
There are no clear rules, and then everyone referees however they want.
Also 3 missed corners is something that should get noted.
ReplyDeleteBut Ok,no big problems I guess.
Viva Clement.
To diminish Turpin's performance based on 3 errors in corner kick decisions is, at the very least, dishonest.
DeleteHis hair was a mess at one point, and he shaved badly under his chin. Bad Turpin.
DeleteOnce again, we should do it for every game and starting to count every miss throw and every miss CK or bad GK, and at the end we just saying who is the best referee with those stats, i think it's the most import thing than happened tonight. Ridiculous to say the least.
DeleteJulioH,i wrote up,as you can see and I hope you have that ability,he is the best ever and Viva Clement.
DeleteNo other words greatest referee ever,since we have many of his fans who are defending him.
Nowadays you cant even have your opinion.
I dont understand, Can't French referees officiate semi-finals? Because of PSG on semifinal
ReplyDeleteThey can but obviously not both and the will get a game with a team they just got in quarter final so probably one of them will have one.
Deletestreambug.org/cv/e8f7a1
ReplyDeleteThe reason Mariani wrongly gives a penalty is because the key bit of 'data' with this decision is to see McAllister's movements BEFORE he is duelling for the ball - he has no interest in the ball, he only runs to place himself ahead of the defender before falling of his own accord, without the ball even in playing distance. Mariani is craining his neck at this point, and makes an educated guess upon having seen only the end of the duel. There are no grounds to deem the duel as even potentially careless; Di Bello was correct to intervene.
+1
DeleteI would also add it has been quite noticeable that not only the referees, but also the VARs have been acting in accordance with the FIFA philosophy during the quarterfinals (Turpin's YC for reckless arm use quite blatantly came from that avenue) and any doubts Di Bello might have had about intervening were surely calmed by this. Truthfully, there were more grounds to keep the penalty that Sanchez had awarded PSG last week if one is to compare the two, but I think the VARs did right on both occasions.
DeleteMikael you are a very knowledgeable guy but I have to disagree with your assessment of this incident. McAllister didn’t fall of his own accord— that would be simulation surely. There was contact on the heel, admittedly not a lot, but enough contact for the referee to judge it a clumsy challenge (Clattenburg said as much, and don’t forget he did referee the final of this). My concern is the VAR. The goalposts have been moved yet again. A month ago this would not have been considered for an OFR.Some think that now PSG are through there will be no media attention. Don’t forget it was a crucial moment in the game. Penalty for Liverpool, clearly in the ascendancy and had it been scored it was a different game. Big talking point.
DeleteAgree with Mikael, never a penalty.
DeleteThanks Mikael for posting the clip here. I agree.
DeleteThe contact is very mistimed, it occurs when 10A goes past 51B... and its not affecting 10A ability to continue his action. Very soft contact and it is promoted by 10A action. +1 Di Bello
In my opinion, the YC would've been supported by Brisard, who works in the style of famous Massimiliano Irrati, in case of no offside flag. The mistake by AR1 made it tricky for VAR - keeping the obviously wrong offside in spite of the following SPA/DOGSO incident would've left a sour taste. It was very smart to call Turpin to the monitor, just to avoid the bigger controversy. Then, the Frenchman had to take the optimal decision that was a RC for DOGSO (other defender quite far away in the moment of foul).
ReplyDeleteI think YC was supportable, but you might be right.. not a big fan of brisard intervention
DeleteRegarding the red card in Barcelona versus Atletico Madrid, Turpin’s nonchalant style shines in moments like these. It’s as if he knows that everyone knows he’s the best ref in the world, and that he therefore doesn’t even need to do the regular things referees need to in order to look convincing, because simply “being Clément Turpin” is enough. It would even be counterproductive if he were to look as though he was “trying to hard”, because his whole brand centers around making everything look easy. Very few referees can make this style work! It relies on the predisposed trust he has accumulated over the years, without which the whole approach would fall apart.
ReplyDeleteAll that said, I did think Turpin’s team more or less lost the plot in the final 15 minutes. Turpin shouldn’t be pulling out a yellow card for the clear DOGSO; indeed he’d have avoided the problem altogether if he confirmed with his assistant referee whether the attacker was onside first.
In the 85th minute he missed a clear foul in the attacking third for Barcelona.
Then in 90’+1’ there was the very strange play where the Barcelona GK handled the ball fractionally outside the penalty area (remember that the IFAB has stated that the point of contact between the hand and the ball is the relevant location, even if part of the ball is inside the penalty area). The only reason this wouldn’t be a red card was like that the attacker was likely offside, and therefore there was no OGSO. Granted, this was very hard to see in real time so the crew cannot be faulted.
Where they can be faulted, however, is on the pass back in minute 90+2. Unfortunately, this is not an area where the IFAB has permitted VAR to intervene (a rather significant oversight instead of an intentional choice, I would say).
Raphinha: "For me, it was a stolen match."
ReplyDelete"I don’t want to talk about the refereeing, but we played very well. They committed I don’t know how many fouls, and the referee didn’t show a single yellow card to them."
"What I really want to understand is their criteria when it comes to Barça."
"It was difficult, especially when we see that we have to make three times more effort to win the match. I really wanted to understand this fear of Barça reaching victory, because I can understand a mistake in one match, but in two consecutive matches? I think the tie was completely stolen from us."
Wonder if Barca pressure will do something and will Tirpin have same trajectory as Kovacs.
DeleteIn an ideal world, the referee manager comes out and strongly criticises Barcelona's acts of undermining the integrity of UEFA refereeing. But nowadays the big clubs are like Gods and nothing can be done...
DeleteSaying this tonight is poor, Players should not said that just after the game with all the frustration of being eliminated. Thinking that all the referees are against you and want your team to loose is just frustration, team should not let their players says that imo. And yes will be great to have a clear support from UEFA for Kovac and here Turpin and also clear explanation on what was the expected decisions. We are not in 2005, now we need clear communication from the referees and committee but UEFA forgot about it.
Deletehttps://old.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1sln4df/push_on_olmo_inside_the_box_40_no_penalty_given/
ReplyDeleteIs this not a clear penalty? Both hands push by Llorente, Koke impeding Olmo with the arm and even there is contact on the knee.
García's contact with Sorloth (which resulted in a red card) is quite less noticeable, so this is not about "it is too soft to be given", you have to apply the same criterium during a match.
I cannot see any old-school authoritarian referee (not the bending LOTG managers/actors we have today) à la Brizio Carter, García Aranda or Castrilli not giving it.
And now Rosetti must "invent" a referee for the semifinals, as years of diminishing referees authority, bending over to clubs and media pressure, has had this outcome! Robots with no personality or guts, relying too much on VAR and no making brave decisions! The quality of refereeing has decreased so much last 15 years!
If he’s giving it everybody would have said soft PK, attacker is easily falling. And with the context of the game, he never gave a foul for that less, a replay with live speed would be interesting to see the real action. Here imo good decision and impossible for the VAR to say something as Brisard did for the Italy game.
DeleteWhat is the difference between this and Garcia's red? In the second one I believe the contact is even softer and no one can argue otherwise that Sorloth is milking that little contact and going down so easily.
DeleteFor me a clear penalty that should have been whistled by Turpin.
Del Cerro Grande prob wouldnt call a pen against Atlético Madrid either in this situation or any. period. So, I will ask, why the big commotion? (tongue-in-cheek).
Delete@Old School refereeing if it's clear as you say,where is VAR?
DeleteWhy didn't var intervene if it is so clear?
I will not claim is an obvious and clear mistake (I do not want to open "that" Pandora box...) and for that reason I will spare Brisard (although for so many "softer" penalties, referee has been sent to the monitor and the penalty been awarded) but I believe Turpin should have whislted on the field! (He had a good view as well).
DeleteI know football fans are fickle, do not know at all the LOTG and will always blame referees for their teams losses but, I always try to emphatize with them, as they are a very important part of the game.
And if I were a Barcelona fan, I could understandbly be quite furious tonight, even more after Garcia's red card! I am not even going to argue if it is a clear case of DOGSO or not (which I thing is quite debatable at least), but the contact is quite LESS SOFTER that the one we are discussing here! I can understand the anger, to be honest.
Referees are constantly attacked, ridiculed and more, and this blog, Chefren, Mikael, Euro Soccer Ref and many others posters, do a great job protecting them and creating this great place of public debate. We need a place like this!
But this is compatible with do not gaslight football fans in some ocasions, if you believe this is not a penalty, you have to also state that play on is the preferable option in the García/Sorloth situation! You could, of course, play the old "joker" about being more strict in the box than outside of it, but it is not that much convincing either, in both occasions you are impacting quite heavily the game.
I believe Turpin did a quite good job today (although no cards at all for Atlético is quite a choice) and had a good control of the game, never losing the respect of the players, but I believe a penalty should have been whistle in that action! (I admit is not a crystal clear situation, but I think it should be the preferable option at least).
This was a game made for Marciniak imo.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure he would have put some great performance in tonight's match,very suited for his style of handling big matches.
+1, I feel as if UEFA has been missing their "firefighter", and instead assigning to their limited choices between Vincic, the French, Kovacs, etc.
DeleteTbf giving every top game to 2 or 3 ref every time for a few months now is probably a huge weight for them and sometimes you just need some rest and maybe an easier game and this is not possible right now because there is not enough top referees at the minute
DeleteI have changed my username, now it is more reflective of my current state of mind about this mini-robots that we have as a referees and my nostalgia for the good old strict referees we used to have.
ReplyDeleteI liked Del Cerro athleticism and was my favourite referee of these last years, but people use my username as a "strawman" to not reply with arguments to my posts, so I have changed to avoid that and be able to engage in fruitful debates and conversations.
Mikael's blogs about past WC and Euros are giving me so much entertainment and enjoyment, and it is striking seeing how many authority, respect and even aura has been lost these past 20-25 years by the referees!
But you cannot progress nowadays with that style in UEFA, so I do not have that much hope to recover those technically brilliant referees who conducted themselves with authority and charisma on the field!
Who is nowadays the current referee who is more similar to that "old style"? Siebert is a "by the book" referee, but lacks charm and authority, Marciniak/Makkelie and at some degree, Nyberg as well, are the ones I will pick (The two "fireman" who have saved UEFA and Rosetti so many times in very difficult games, curious, is not?
I rate Vincic a little bit below them (and Kovacs at the same or very similar level), he is the other "fireman" who constantly saves UEFA's ass, but I believe he had so many chances and opportunities, was so protected due to his nationality, that I cannot put him at the same level of the other two, is kind of a "manufactured" great referee, as the other two had to face so many hurdles and obstacles.
I am very eager to see Letexier in explosive and very challenging matches (involving Atlético in a tight KO tie in the Metropolitano, against an Italian or another Spanish team) to check out if he has the ability to "survive" those matches.
Even Siebert who is by the book would bot survive Atletico's and Barca's constant pressure against ref.
DeleteWe saw that when he handled Atletico vs City or with Uruguay at WC.
Generally German refs have problems with "latin"teams that are temperamental cause it is so contradictal of their by the book style.
We can remember also how Brych was perceived after his RC to Torres in 2016.
By the way,there are no refs who can survive these spanish teams,maybe Marciniak but he also has been up and down lately.
Yes, I agree Siebert cannot handle those games at all, but I would love to discover if Letexier is more of a Siebert or a Marciniak (very possible a middle ground).
DeleteKuipers, Cakir, Orsato, Mazic or Skomina in a lesser degree, could handle quite well and survive those matches! I have a feeling that UEFA and Rosetti have not developed "new faces" and have to be save again and again by the same good old Marciniak/Makkelie/Vincic for the "explosive" game.
If you compare the current referees to the ones we had 10 years ago, we do not have the same bracket of trusted referees (the "real" Elite group, not a Sidiropoulos or Ekberg Elite) and the (real) development and treatment has been supbar: Meler? Jovanovic? Peljto? The German conundrum (Siebert, Zwayer, Stieler)? Pushing every Italian (Guida, Massa, Mariani)? The Spanish clown show?
I know there is Letexier, Nyberg, Eskas or Scharer, but imagine a quite challenging return leg of a CL semi-final between Atlético and Napoli in the Metropolitano, do you trust them more than a Cakir/Skomina/Mazic? I know they need those game to develop anb become better referees, but it just feels that compare to ten years ago, they are quite far in prestige, aura and authority.
Just a personal preference, I would love to see a little "push" of Meler, I believe he is a (potential) great referee who could handle those "red hot" matches quite well if given the chance.
Agree with @M there are some games that even the ‘´best’´ ref in the world can handle, good example recently was the Italy game and you just have to survive it by having the less impact possible on the score accepting mistakes from a technical point of view. And with Spanish team and the players from atletico or even Real Madrid it’s hard to control it.
DeleteAgree with you Old school,you look refs like that 10 years ago and you see clear difference:Rizzoli,Brych,Orsato,Lahoz,Kuipers,Cakir,even Skomina and Mazic..Proenca even before...
DeleteThe list goes on,you could have confidence in these refs that will deliver on biggest stages.
And now?
2 or 3 names and that's it.
I forget some english,someone like Atkinson,Clattenburg...
DeleteRefereeing has fallen mighty,dont know is it cause of VAR cause timeline's are right there,but there is some connection for sure.
Clear connection with VAR imo, refs are not used to decide by themselves knowing that there is a backup so big call in big moments are now taken with OFR or if not then you have a top top referee
DeleteJuat imagine todays refs without VAR.
DeleteIf there was no var,Barca would then go through.
Unfortunately,I would have to agree with some pundits when they refs are over confident and are a bit lazy cause they know var is there.
That's part of the reason why we dont have 5-10 great and best refs.
But it's also something refcom needs to work on, if we continue like this when Marciniak, Turpin and Vincic will retire (which is not that far) we'll have even less top referees and that will be a big problem.
DeleteYou change your username mid-argument and you use some «straw man» nonsense under your belt. Very allegorical.
ReplyDeleteBarcelona fans claim that the offside goal was handball before the offside. Any video?
ReplyDeleteAnd any video of the clearly missed back-pass in the end?
No handball there clearly touching the leg then the arm when the player is on the ground would have been really hard to give imo
DeleteBarcelona Offside Goal 55' Full-Sequence
Deletehttps://streamable.com/0efg02
Great clear full video. Thanks.
DeleteWhat the past few weeks have shown is that clubs, players and directors now have plenty of ammunition to go after referees whenever it suits them. At the same time, the referee committee is expected to protect its referees while also maintaining high standards and a fair rejection policy, which is not in place at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThe bigger issue is that there are simply not enough “firefighters” for matches that are high-profile and highly technical at the same time, e.g. Bosnia vs Italy. Vincic may retire soon. Marciniak is ageing. Kovacs has the ability, but also a tendency to step into the spotlight. That creates a risk: from next season, the toughest matches will go to Turpin by default. That is not sustainable. There need to be another neutral and reliable options. Letexier has the potential, but he is also French. I think Michael Oliver could get a boost with a Champions League final and I’d like to witness that. His style has never made him the obvious choice for the kinds of heated games though and Rosetti still does not fulltime trust him with Italian clubs. He may not be the most natural fit for those type of games. Makkelie, on the other hand, could be the profile UEFA needs. There is one issue: the Refcom maintained a “keep the big clubs happy” approach, to the point where people now are questioning whether Makkelie could referee PSG in a final. Which is absurd, of course. Because what Mariani showed yesterday, Makkelie can do as well, if not better.
In the end, the lack of backbone from UEFA, combined with the growing power of clubs, has put Rosetti and co in an almost impossible position. It is a situation of their own making, and one that offers little confidence for the future.
Agree with everything, something need to be done or it’s gonna be a disaster in next couples of years. Need a clear communication, the time to keep everyone muted after a game is over, refcom needs to talk about situations or just backing-up their referees when needed and both legs btw Barca and atletico showed it. And on the quality and quantity big change is needed it’s not possible to have only 2 to 4 guys for every top games and I’m generous with 4 it’s more 2 or 3. Giving hard games or sometimes impossible games to the same guys can also affect them at time imo. Probably need a big questioning for everyone, but solutions are needed pretty soon, because in the next 2 years we can loose all those ‘´big’´ refs with experience and after that problems will arrive.
DeleteIt’s time for change and it’s very clear to me that most people or in fact maybe even everyone agrees on that point. The refereeing situation is in a very deep hole and it’s becoming deeper and deeper. We have a very important world coming up so hopefully things start changing fast.
ReplyDelete*World Cup
DeleteThe big problem is having only these 4-5 names for a certain type of matches. Obviously, they can't last forever and will retire. Even Turpin, who has officiated many of my matches this season up to now, while you could say he did well yesterday, which can’t be denied, it’s still not acceptable that he is assigned to all games. At some point, we see that the problem clearly exists and is significant.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the analysis that has been made above, regarding the other names. In the end, UEFA finds itself with very few profiles exactly for this reason: a combination of indirectly answering to clubs' demands, often done for convenience, without openly going against them, and the lack of development of alternative referees.
We have seen officials like Kovács getting very high number and type of matches, as well as Turpin and Vinčić. Credit to them, of course, but there could have been an effort to extend the pool. In the end, even these referees have made mistakes, fewer, of course, but it’s clear that in the future, figures like Marciniak and Vinčić are also close to retirement, probably both after the World Cup. So what do we want to do then?
I don't know what the plan is, but the problem is very serious. This type of match will become more frequent, because football is heading in a certain direction. At that point, we have to hope that whoever comes after Rosetti, if he does step down, will be strong enough to stand up to the clubs more effectively. Personally, I would even be willing to go against the teams, but in today football, as we can clearly see especially at the domestic level (at least in Italy), it's the clubs that (at least indirectly) control the referees. Referees are relegated to a secondary role and are expected to satisfy every demand; the are even assigned in the most absurd ways just to avoid potential meetings of the same teams again. And that is very serious.
It's an extremely poor picture, heavily masked, because obviously no one asks Rosetti about these things, only we notice them on this blog. As long as I can, I will continue this battle for the good of refereeing, but it's complicated. Nowadays, there no longer seem to be strong motivations. In the past, refereeing was discussed more (not in today's negative meaning, but as "art"), it was more developed, and it was a clearer component of the system. Today, instead, it feels like a form of servitude, in my humble opinion, dependent on other factors. That is absolutely not acceptable.
People don't even realize it, they only see football and the teams in front of their eyes. Much has been weakened, perhaps everything. But hope, in the end, should be the last thing to die. And so, a revolution is still possible. For example, in a different approach, a committee would try to give to all Elite referees a change, even to use them regularly to all clubs, this is not made, especially with some clubs, we pointed out some appointments that in the years are always repeated with same patterns. As long as it will go in this way...
+1
DeleteAny comment incident for Lopez
ReplyDeleteThe big problem lies with the referees' committee itself! Time and time again Turpin, Marciniak, Letexier, Mariani, Vincic, until one of them is injured or has a bad game........ Hey... now we have a problem! At UEFA, they need to start having faith, and giving it to the younger, talented group of referees. Has Turpin never made mistakes? Has Marciniak never made mistakes? Flawless referees don't exist and never will, but UEFA/Rosetti needs to have the guts for once to give a lower-elite referee (who is having a good season) the confidence to officiate a better match; you have to give such referees a chance, that is how they learn and become even better. Right now, these referees aren't even getting the chance/experience because Rosetti is already shitting his pants worrying about the UEFA president, the PSG club owner, and the next morning's newspapers. Cowardly policy by Rosetti and co.
ReplyDeleteBut I also think it’s understandable to give the big games to the same every time bcose we don’t replay see who are those young referees that can handle those games and for me it’s the big problem, letexier is not a young referees anymore but he is a good example imo, and UEFA needs to work hard to develop talented referees for the higher games.
Deleteiff they don't give the young referee the chance to develop they will not develop because they didn't get the chance, it's easy... referees need to get the chance to fail, from failing you get better, and learn, Turpin in the past also several times failed, but now you see where he is......because he got the chances wich others not getting at the moment, Rosetti is way to defensive and shitting his pants to fail
DeleteFirmly believe this was a sacrificial appointment and everyone knew the ref was going to burn afterwards
ReplyDeleteThat's ok for Turpin, he can burn as PSG advances, which was expected
You could not burn Vincic (Real - Bay is less sacrificial) as you will desperately need it for semis
Agree Turpin is overused, incredible what he has done in a few weeks. That's too much of a risk and bad management
As you said there is no option, fair enough, but shame on Rosetti. This is only the result of bad choices (easy to say of course !!)
crucial Roma Atalanta for Europe is surprisingly given to Marcenaro in Serie A
ReplyDeleteReason for Marcenaro appointment is that Rocchi has no options, two Coppa Italia semifinals both very challenging are following next week, and Milan - Juventus waiting on next matchdays. This ruled out referees like Guida and Colombo out from all games this matchday. Then add the others who alread officiated them, the controversy with Massa and Como - Inter.. and you see how much desperate is the situation.
DeleteWhat I wil always dislike, something common for serie A and UEFA, is that some referees get chances only because others (the main options) are not available and there is a shortage for a couple of big matches to be played in close days. This allows us to think: but which real consideration for an element? It's hard to answer. It's not managing human resources, but just using them when it's convenient, otherwise goodbye... would be very long discussion...
What Turpin has done over the past few weeks is unprecedented and deserves to be praised. Let’s be honest: under normal circumstances, at least one of those appointments would have gone to Marciniak, if not both.
ReplyDeleteI get the urge to promote young, talented referees. But that doesn’t just happen overnight. There needs to be a clear pathway and a logical progression. When we’re talking about high-profile, high-pressure, and at the same time highly technical matches like Bosnia vs Italy or Atlético vs Barcelona, there’s really only one profile that fits: referees who don’t have much to lose. That usually means the officials with a UCL final, WC final or EURO final on their CV. However, it is obvious they don’t want to burn Letexier too early (at 36/37 years).
Chefren is right: the number of these top-tier matches is only increasing. Especially now that referees get barely any protection, expanding the elite pool is absolutely essential.
What would be the ideal scenario? I think one of Oliver/Makkelie should get the big stepping stone this May, the other hopefully a strong World Cup. That way, next season’s toughest fixtures can be handled by a core group: Turpin, Letexier, Kovács, Oliver and Makkelie. But it’s still a narrow pool. If one of them gets injured or out of form, there’s trouble again.
Young, talented referees are the one part, but you also have three very experienced referees available, who weren't used for the big CL games this season, namely Makkelie, Taylor and Zwayer. There might be valid reasons for that, but it shows, that there would be alternatives.
DeleteWe'll most likely see the (by far) two top referees split the remaining assignments. Both Letexier and Makkelie gets a first and a second leg, and the best performing one gets the final. The other can do both the ECL and EL final.
ReplyDeleteBarcelona President has come out stating that the refereeing yesterday was embarrassing and intolerable. He mentions Var and the referee.
ReplyDeleteAre they going to do another complaint? Shamefull atittude…
DeleteThey should just stop this is embarrassing for them, saying it’s a robbery just say everything about them and the fact that they don’t know anything about refereeing. Really hope UEFA will deliver something to remind them that they can’t do everything they want.
DeleteThose quotes from Laporta means everything :
Delete‘´Then last night, the red card to Eric García was wrong. Koundé was there ready to win the ball. He wasn’t the last man”.
“Also, it was wrong decision to disallow Ferran’s second goal and there was a penalty on Dani Olmo. Fermín got a big cut on his face… and not even a yellow card”.
Just stick to your role because he’s just embarrassing himself
Enough is enough! Rosetti, Ceferin, anyone with power, please step up and defend your referees. Kovacs and Turpin do not deserve this.
DeleteThey want to save their job. Rosetti will lose his if he goes against them
DeleteBarcelona has been known for years for these childish protests. Not even Italian teams, which are known for complaining about everything, have ever gone this far...
DeleteA defeat reveals the true character of a club. Barca are very sore losers; everyone, especially the referees, is to blame – appalling behavior.
ReplyDelete