Referee appointment for the second leg of 2025/26 UEFA Champions League semifinal, Arsenal - Atlético Madrid , to be played on 5 May 2026.
21:00 CET - London (Emirates)
ARSENAL FC (ENG) - CLUB ATLÉTICO DE MADRID (ESP)
Referee: Daniel Siebert GER Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Tobias Stieler GER
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Robert Schröder GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Terje Hauge NOR
It's a German Siebert well deserved with a wonderful season and that puts him ahead of Letexier for the UEL i guess. Great appointment imo he worked himself up to this kind of games on merit, Also wondering why all the contributors forgot him. Congratulations Siebert.
ReplyDeleteUpdated preference list for the CL final:
ReplyDelete1) Oliver
2) Letexier
3) Siebert
4) Zwayer
What about Schaerer? I think Letexier may have other issues...
DeleteIf Mariani doesn’t get Bayern-PSG…let’s start praying that PSG-Arsenal Final won’t happen (!)
ReplyDeleteBecause MM will be the most obvious candidate in that scenario
DeleteWHY??
DeleteI think if you are to put Zwayer on that list perhaps Taylor should be mentioned as well because he has been better than Zwayer this season.including the games he was appointed to
ReplyDeleteAssuming Oliver is ahead of Taylor, there is no scenario where Taylor gets the final. The corollary is not true for the German candidates: even if Siebert is currently ahead of Zwayer, his semifinal performance could force him out of contention.
DeleteSiebert gets it with Bayern in the other leg…Is the first time this happens?
ReplyDeleteI’d put Kovacs in Munich…
The referees committee are very fortunate that the Arsenal-Atletico second leg was ordered to be the match played on the Tuesday, and not the Wednesday! Kovacs would be a better choice than Mariani (both must have been scored the same -- 7,9 -- in the quarterfinals) for Bayern-PSG indeed.
DeleteKovacs and Vincic, both are great referees but they didn't cover themselves in glory so honestly I wasn't expecting any of two, they were that poor.
DeleteSo in second leg a referee from the nationality of a club that is in the other game, no problems and I agree. This also suggests that they could have appointed Letexier for this one, but they avoided, so indeed he is kept as possible final candidate, waiting for the teams.
ReplyDeleteZwayer should feel not that good, Siebert did what his countryman should have done instead.
We can remember Siebert having very hard times with Atlético, but it seems as now committee forgot about that, and gives another chance to German referee, at Arsenal's home is a bit different, in Spain I think it would have been more difficult to see him assigned, but still possible. Let's see which kind of game will expect the German in London.
And not only this season,we can all remember Atletico vs City 2022.
DeleteBut generally,German refs tend to struggle with chaotic and temperamental teams which is totally opposite with the way they handle matches.
We can all remember that even Brych had hard times with Spanish teams,even Aytekin ,Zwayer and especially Siebert.
Looking forward to see his performance.
My recollection of Brych was not “Brych had hard times with Spanish teams”.
DeleteI like final will be psg vs arsenal to get joao pinheiro the final
ReplyDeleteHahahaha. That's a possibility
DeletePinheiro for WC Final,even if Portugal is in the Final.
DeleteI have to say this is the most deserved appointment in a long time, he’s been outstanding this season, let’s hope he can produce a performance that we can all remember and respect
ReplyDeleteThe more normal way of things would have been to give Siebert the first and Makkelie the second leg (due to experience and due to Bayern in the other game).
ReplyDeleteThis order should confirm, that Makkelie was (or is?) considered for the final and they considered it better to combine that with a first leg than with a second leg.
Furthermore, if Siebert was possible, not only Zwayer and Letexier (as mentioned above) were options, but also Turpin. Not choosing him should mean that UEFA didn't like his QF performance.
This assignment possibly confirms my theory that Szymon Marciniak, after his longer injury break, before he got injured again upon his comeback, shall be "secured" for the World Cup by not taking any further injury risks. According to www.weltfussball.com, he is supposed to officiate the match Radomiak Radom - Lechia Gdańsk in the Polish Ekstraklasa on May 4 and is therefore excluded from Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. He may have been intended for the match on Tuesday before it was agreed to rest him with the World Cup in mind: https://www.weltfussball.com/person/pe150728/szymon-marciniak/co35/ekstraklasa/se95478/2025-2026/spiele-als-schiedsrichter/
DeleteI am just realizing that Europa League and Conference League are only played on Thursday, three days after his match in the Polish Ekstraklasa tomorrow. In that respect, we could still see him there, less realistically, however, in the Champions League on Wednesday.
DeleteAbout Turpin, enough argument can be just that he has officiated too many big games, overused and now a rest should considered more than normal (if his season is over, as I predict).
DeleteAgree @chefren and with last year SF in the same condition as this year with PSG they didn’t want to give him the only SF he can have. Got a lot of big games recently and might need a reset before the WC but I will not be surprised if he gets a UEL SF
DeleteJust changing subject, next week Barcelona have the chance to win La Liga against Real Madrid. I predict Jose Sanchez but I would like to know other predictions from others!
ReplyDeleteMy prediction: Hernández Hernández or Sánchez Martínez
DeleteThe referee from Canary Islands, to justify his WC call...
DeleteHdz Hdz should be trusted for that prior to the World cup in his sights or they choose to compensate one of two other elites
DeleteIt will be very underwhelming to choose none of these 3 giants, .
https://fpf.pt/News/Todas-as-not%C3%ADcias/Not%C3%ADcia/news/56305
ReplyDeleteIt seems as Pinheiro with his assistant referees were replaced in this Portuguese game for health issues, the crew should undergo some "medical checks", according to this article. Very strange (all three having to do that). So, not for an international assignment.
No , it is not injury . they said , leave for physical theraphy
DeleteAccording to Google Translate, they were replaced by a matter of physical management, which can be understood as preparation for some game....
DeleteThat's right. He will be appointed this week.
DeletePerhaps Pinheiro for tomorrow?
DeleteReplacement for Marciniak on tomorrow then? What day was he taken off his domestic fixture? As in what day was that article released?
DeleteI don't know, Siebert was once burned in a Atletico Madrid - Manchester City, also a 2nd leg. The game this Tuesday is pretty similar. Maybe this time it will go better. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteIndeed if we look at previous management by committee and what they assessed about the German, it's very inconsistent. What is the truth? Is now the German a different referee?
DeleteFor sure there are different moments in a career, but so different in terms of reputation?
How to answer to such big call? We will see on Tuesday.
It is ironic that a referee not appointed for the World Cup has been assigned to A Champions League semi-final game. why was Siebert not selected for the World Cup ?
ReplyDeleteStieler is a good choice as the fourth official. Trouble is to be expected with these two coaches—especially if one is consistent. And Stieler is pretty much at the end of his international career, unlike Jablonski.
ReplyDeleteFavorites for the Final
ReplyDeleteOliver - Taylor wlthout Arsenal
Makkelie - Zwayer with Arsenal
Isn't it obvious already that Zwayer is not a final candidate anymore? Secondly it doesn't make sense to put Taylor as a candidate when Oliver is there. Taylor is 1 Million percent not happening
DeleteWho will be the referee of the final in the case of a Paris-Arsenal final? Mariani?
ReplyDeleteSiebert if he nails Tuesday, Zwayer if he doesn't?
DeleteNyberg feels like the only alternative, right?
EDIT to add I expect Mariani Wednesday, which is one reason I'm ruling him out.
DeleteSchärer after a very good performance in a CL semi should be more likely than Nyberg... And also Makkelie could remain an option, even if he had troubled with Atlético-Arsenal.
DeleteOr Zwayer for this specific final?
DeleteI can‘t imagine that a referee who until now doesn‘t get a CL knock out match this year due to his performances in the league stage will get the final.
DeleteI dont see anyone else apart from Nyberg tomorrow
ReplyDeleteI keep asking... why not Mariani?
DeleteI predicted Mariani for tomorrow in one of the previous posts. Maybe Oliver but I doubt. All other except Mariani and Oliver would be a surprise for me.
DeleteNdala for the cl caf final 1st rouand
ReplyDeleteVar ismail
Ndala wasn't he the fall guy at the AFCON FINAL which ended in Turmoil phase hence leading to the unforgettable scenes two months later on
DeleteFor the Confederation cup final, first leg for Beida, second for Atcho
DeleteSecond year in a row Omar Artan from Somalia is the referee for the Caf champions league final 2nd leg
DeleteCAF Champions League Final
ReplyDeleteSecond Leg - May 24
AS FAR vs Mamelodi Sundowns
Referee: Omar Artan
AR1: Libyan official
AR2: Yiembe
4th Official: Peter
VAR: Daniel Laryea
Appointing Omar Artan to the CAF Champions League Final for two consecutive years is a very unusual decision. It’s difficult to imagine this happening in UEFA
Several important questions. Why is one referee trusted with back to back appointments for Africa most prestigious club final?
If Artan was already in optionfor the final, why was he also assigned to a semi final involving Mamelodi Sundowns a team that reached the final both this year and last year? Even subconsciously, repeated exposure to the same team at critical stages is not ideal for neutrality politic.
At the same time, if the CAF Referees Committee rates Artan so highly, it’s fair to ask why he hasn’t been given more prominent matches Afcon especially during periods when refereeing standards across the continent have been under scrutiny.
I see many people on the blog discussing who will referee the final, given the few options the committee has. In this situation, couldn't the committee give a referee a second final? After all, let's be honest, it's better to put a referee like Turpin or Marciniak in charge of the final than to put a referee who, under normal circumstances, wouldn't even be an option.
ReplyDeleteI don't see this happening, think the last time that happened was probably 2018 with Kuipers getting his 2nd UEL final but once again don't think that the committee will go that way
DeleteOT:
ReplyDeleteLooks like Braulio Da Silva Machado(BRA) is again active as a ref.
Was he suspended or injured for a long time?
I cant find anything about that but I'm curios whatever happened to him.
He was in really bad form here in Brazil Serie A.
DeleteGood morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteDesignation for Bayern Munich-PSG will be a surprise for most of you… ;)
Oh, we will never hear the end of it now, do we?
DeleteCongrats if true. I would even respect the referee if it wasn’t for one specific annoying “fan”
Judging by your family name, maybe not for Abdiaziz Ahmed Yousuf?
DeleteSHOCKING (in the good way) season by Pinheiro if It’s true!!!
Delete@diego612: I would be less 'shocked' about Joao Pinheiro as a referee than rather about the fact that UEFA does not trust 12 referees enough to assign the 12 matches in the semifinals to 12 different officials. Actually, they would then have to ask FIFA to withdraw some European World Cup referees ...
Delete@Peter: you are absolutely right.
Delete@diego612: If Joao Pinheiro handles this game, we would have a maximum of 11 different referees in 12 semifinal matches, including two (Donatas Rumsas and Daniel Siebert) who are not even nominated for the World Cup and another one (Sandro Schärer) who might only serve as fourth official. So that leaves (at most) 8 "actual" World Cup referees ...
DeleteI have a question regarding some latest shocking news. Have Mariani and Letexier had recent domestic appointments?
ReplyDeleteYes, Mariani on last Friday and Letexier the weekend before.
DeleteWhat is news
DeleteOn Siebert, wow, this is mouthwatering to see that it was praise all around for the German by a unanimous decision by the vast majority of contributors ( members) on the blog.
ReplyDeleteThis shows we can all put aside our differences, egos and unite for a good cause as colleagues ( mates) to celebrate the beauty (art) of refereeing.
I hope one of the Refcom members happen to have a moment to read on this page to know how good Siebert's appointment proved to be, in the refereeing world.
I'm so proud of us, mates keep it up and honoured to be part of this community.
Siebert has taken charge of athleti 3 times, athleti have never won a game with him in charge and has produced 2 reds in 3 games. I expect today to be no different especially if siebert continues his typical style and athleti are in a losing position. This has potential to get ugly like man city vs athleti and I hope that’s not the case but I think that’s what’s going to happen
DeleteI expect a match with Simoene being 10 meters outside the technical area all the time with absolutely none of the referees caring about it.
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I'm wrong, but it seems like the referees who actually (sometimes) punishes dissent in the technical areas are Kovacs, Siebert and perhaps Sanchez Martinez. So I expect at least one yellow card for Simeone tonight
DeleteThis Lewis-Skelly vs Llorente matchup will be great to test Siebert management.
ReplyDeleteA very quiet and well handled 1st half an hour by team Siebert
ReplyDelete2 good no PK calls one for an alleged foul (never a penalty) and one for an appeal got handball (off the chest) in minute 35.
ReplyDeletePenalty area incident in 34', reasonable decision by Siebert to play on.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion definitely not enough in this case, soft, while in first leg the situation for Makkelie was more than that.
Then, to follow another appeal for handball, no handball.
OK decisions by Siebert but he looked a bit worried after such moments, reading his body language.
Obviously a clear penalty by the law. But Champions League goes by feeling and expectation.
DeleteArgument for a possible missed YC on 38'. Borderline for me
ReplyDeleteYc missed for spa
ReplyDeleteVery challenging 2nd half ahead with Atletico antics to come, all perfect apart from i think 1 missed YC so far
ReplyDeleteWhat great onside call by Seidel with that first goal.
ReplyDeleteA really good first half from Siebert who has operated at a good level, consistent with body contact and what is and isn't a foul. Good rapport and man management but the second half will be a sterner test for the official from Berlin.
ReplyDeleteHard to predict that referee wouldn't have been challenged that much in first half by players, ending it without cards.
ReplyDeleteFor sure, because Atlético will try to do something, second half will be more demanding.
So far very good, no penalty in both incidents.
I say clearly that UEFA should be more courageous in its technical area penalties. Too many technical area boundaries are violated every match
ReplyDelete+1 might has well had not bothered with creating a boundary for either manager
DeletePossible penalty in 51' for ATM, no penalty given and VAR clear the incident.
ReplyDeletePretty close incident don’t understand how that was a CK as Gabriel didn’t touch the ball, if siebert gave a PK pretty sure VAR will have stayed silent.
DeleteFor me and I accept I might be in the minority of this but i think that's a PK. Gabriel gets none of the ball, pulls the arm of the defender and then makes contact with the back of the attackers leg.
DeleteBlatant arm pull that denied a clear goal. Ignored. Laws don’t exist in Champions League.
ReplyDeleteNo need to be hyperbolic. It is a borderline case at best.
DeleteNot even close. Clearly pulls his whole arm. Don’t exaggerate. It’s a blatant foul.
DeleteGood no penalty decision, but I wonder how VAR intervened for awarding corner kick in QF BAR ATL match, but not in later games
ReplyDeletePK missed here imo, don’t know how this is foul on Gabriel, nothing for me and after clear PK weird situation.
ReplyDeleteClear penalty kick not award
ReplyDeleteClear penalty for Atletico but foul before on Gabriel... suspiciously
ReplyDeleteAnother penalty for Atlético in the 55th minute was ignored by the referee, and a fictitious foul was instead awarded against the defender. It seems that matters are starting to become complicated for the German referee.
ReplyDeleteClear penalty missed
ReplyDelete57’ : Where do you see a foul by attacker prior to possible penalty ? I understand live whistle by Siebert but after replays don’t understand why VAR supported first foul decision which was a phantom one IMO…
ReplyDeleteThe situation for me in 55' is a correct one. Standard foul on the defender before the foul on the attacker. VAR call is supportable and overall outcome for me is correct.
ReplyDeletestandard for what? I don't see the contact
Delete+1
DeleteTrailing leg from the attacker catching the defender.
DeleteDisagree. No foul at all. Invented one.
Delete+1 Attacker comes in and hits the defender's knee without playing the ball. Nothing malicious but a foul which neglects the other situation afterwards (which as a stand-alone scene should have been a penalty).
DeleteAlso, it wasn't "invented." Siebert had his mouth on his whistle BEFORE Griezmann got hit. He was delaying his whistle in case the ball went in the net, but he always had the defensive foul coming out if you watch closely.
DeleteAgree. I meant it was a clearly no foul IMO after replays but understand the live whistle by Siebert. My impression was the same live.
DeleteGyökeres is screaming at Siebert in every possession and still nothing about it, not a great management imo.
ReplyDeleteAgree. The German referee is allowing far too many blatant and excessive protests and tolerating them much more than he should. Unlike his usual approach.
DeleteSoft foul given on Gabriel but I think VAR was right not to get involved. Siebert unlucky that a penalty came right after.
ReplyDeleteMissed yellow regardless of it’s a foul before it. Clear reckless stamp on foot.
DeleteAll going well so far with no obvious and unanimous errors, 20 mins to go and no antics!
ReplyDeleteOliver he is probably now counting on a reversal of the result
ReplyDeleteIf Siebert keeps things as they are for the next 15 mins or so he could be the front runner if PSG win tomorrow!
DeleteRed card missed? No?
ReplyDeleteMaybe not
DeleteBall not under control and coming in high so SPA is a better call than DOGSO.
DeleteCorrect SPA call
ReplyDeletePotential rc but yc supportable
ReplyDeleteDOGSO debatable but, distance and direction could be argued as not being fulfilled
ReplyDeleteClear DOGSO!!
ReplyDeleteWhyvdo we say supportable yellow? Why not the strongest decision, these holdings will never stop if we go the easy way.
ReplyDeleteThat’s not how it works, just need to follow the LOTG and here there is nothing to give a RC even if those type of fouls is really frustrating can’t do much
DeleteDankert very fast today with VAR checks.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Oliver is rapidly going out of the running which is really unfortunate! Letexier is surely the next bet?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Oliver won't be playing in any continental finals, as there are two English teams in the Europa League semi-finals. And he's had a very consistent season in UEFA competitions. I feel sorry for him.
DeleteLetexier didn't deserve it. Too bad for Oliver.
DeleteI think Makkelie has a good chance
DeleteIm sorry but 1. Just there that was a foul throw and 2. Arteta was nearly nearer to the corner flag than his technical area!
ReplyDeleteStielers management of the technical areas has been nothing short of embarrassing in all honesty. Weak, letting both managers do whatever they want and not managing the technical areas well at all.
ReplyDeleteAnd some performative yellow cards for each manager. Absolutely pointless.
DeleteArsenal repeatedly getting away with holding Atleti attackers.
ReplyDeleteBad management by Siebert
ReplyDeleteI dont agree
DeleteOverall, a good, unobtrusive performance from Siebert. He was spot on with all the key decisions.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteShocking timekeeping.
ReplyDeleteTo summarise: his management of the football was excellent. His management of the game however, not bad, but could've been better
What a bad manager Siebert is.
ReplyDeleteMissed plenty of cards at the end and bad time management, atleast minute and a half.
ReplyDeleteOverall an okay Seibert performance with little defining decisions. Although, did feel like he went with the home team more often than not over 50:50’s.
ReplyDeleteIn my view, the first legs of the Champions League were played in very heated environments – in Paris and in Madrid. In today’s match in London, however, the teams took far fewer risks. Overall, the level was rather weak for a semi-final second leg.
DeleteI think Siebert was a bit fortunate, because, for example, yellow cards were lacking and the game stayed calmer overall due to the setting in London. In a more intense match, like in Madrid, I think it could have slipped out of his hands – similar to the last Atlético game.
To me, Siebert didn’t look fully fit. Is he carrying a knock or dealing with an injury? He seemed somewhat lazy, and I hardly noticed any quick sprints – that stood out negatively.
The first leg in Madrid would probably have been a bit too much for him, in my opinion. Today’s rather uneventful game wasn’t a disaster, but it also wasn’t a strong statement performance – unlike, for example, Schärer recently.
The chaos at the end of the match was not something that could be prevented, cards were needed and they were given, the only problem is that I think it should have been extended for 1 more minute, but it was extended for 30 seconds
ReplyDeleteThe Best possible performance of all knock out stage is Daniel Siebert tonight! All key decisions correctly taken. And yes, if PSG goes through tommorow, Siebert must be Ideal choice for Budapest UCL Final!
ReplyDeleteI hope you’re saying this sarcastically :)
DeleteUnfortunately, there are some unobjective comments—almost certainly from Atletico fans.
ReplyDeleteI liked Siebert tonight. He performed better than the two referees from the first legs last week. Most of his decisions were correct. But it is absolutely impossible for him to be in the final.
ReplyDeleteAnd give it a break with the complains about bench management. Let the coaches express themselves. There is a red line, but it was not crossed. Surpassing a little bit the technical area is acceptable by common sense.
Little bit ? Are you laughing ?
DeleteGreat game by Siebert. Too bad that he would not going to referee the World Cup
ReplyDeleteMy bet is makelle for the final
ReplyDeleteOne more comment, unfortunatley for Oliver, he will not be part of any final this year. Very consistent season for him, but its time for him to be prepared for WC.
ReplyDeleteThe management of the benches and stoppage time is abysmal and not at the level expected for a Champions League semi-final. Time wasted wasn’t properly added on, and the behavior of the benches and both managers was astonishing—Arteta even nearly ended up at the corner flag.
ReplyDeleteUnlucky Oliver is out for the Champions League final with Arsenal in the Final maybe FIFA can boost his career at the WC
ReplyDeleteFootball is far away to be a fair sport!!!!
ReplyDeleteIf I were an Atlético fan, I wouldn’t be happy with Siebert’s performance. It’s a disgrace that in these final minutes Arsenal were allowed to do what they did. Not even 30 seconds of stoppage time were actually played. And the worst part is a referee who sends contradictory messages to the players throughout the entire match. And today the German did exactly that: calling every minimal contact while ignoring the very clear penalty on Griezmann. And only adding five minutes of stoppage time despite injuries and VAR. It’s a shame that this is the level of refereeing in a Champions League semifinal.
ReplyDeleteYour assessment of the added time is incorrect. Please rewatch and actually count how much time was wasted. Even after the biggest issue, play was restarted quickly.
Delete1) Arsenal took 45 seconds to take a goal kick (long, but arguably not out of normal range)
Delete2) Arsenal took 45 seconds to take a free kick (same)
3) YCs to Simeone and Arteta which were dealt with in <5 seconds each.
4) 30s stoppage in the 95th minute in which Koke and a substitute were cautioned
All told, adding on 35 seconds is almost exactly correct IF (and only if) you find the goal kick and free kick timing permissible. I personally think the game should have gone to 96 even, but this was not some scandal of added time like we have seen in other matches.
Not a good game by Siebert imo, terrible management the entire game getting contesting too much for a UCL SF ref imo, terrible end of the game with only 30s more than announced which is laughable, just giving YC to each coach to try to control something which just show he don't know how to manage those situation.
ReplyDeleteand on a technical aspect missed PK imo which can change the result of the game, so overall mid or bad game for me.
I believe that Siebert’s rating today will not exceed 7.4, due to his influence on the match result by failing to award a penalty to Atlético Madrid, and because his overall management of the match was extremely poor.
ReplyDeleteMy summary of the game would be that Siebert performed overall well but for me I think there was a missed PK in 51' and good no PK calls in 35' and 55'. Management of the game was good for 85 minutes and then became very chaotic towards the end and lost some control but kept a lid on proceedings. Both AR's were excellent throughout and contributed well to the game. Fourth official Stielers for me was very poor, did not attempt to manage the technical areas and ultimately created and caused problems for Siebert towards the end by his poor management of the technical areas.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion not out of the running for the final if PSG advance but possibly other candidates ahead.
Interesting now Oliver is out. Makkelie had two correct penalty decisions in Madrid, but I am not sure whether the overturned penalty will exclude him from the final. At least all decisions were correct in the end. It may all depend on PSG tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThere are laws for players, coaches but they are only used when it is calm matches. When there are more hectics the referees are more or less afraid to take decisions!
ReplyDeletePenalty area incidents:
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/8edfaa
https://streambug.org/cv/fe439b
Defender didn't play ball in the first incident, maybe Siebert was wrongly convinced of the contrary, but still, if we isolate the uppper contact, not enough to say clear penalty (should have been whistled by referee, but impossible to see this one from behinf). The German used a bit of intuition here, he wasn't 100% wrong, but for some people it stays as rather controversial.
More disussion about second one, for me Arsenal player exaggerated a contact before, but it can't be 100% denied, here once again a very shiort check by Dankert. To follow, a penalty would have been whistled, but no arguments to change referee's decision. This is exactly how Rosetti wants VAR to be used, not focus on penalties, but always following what referee has decided on the pitch before. The foul is not 100% clear for me, in the meaning that playing on was possible without VAR involvement, but as somrbody wrote above, Siebert was just lucky that a possible penalty happened after that. Very calm Dankert, I want to repeat, it's impressive how different the use of VAR is, here an Italian VAR would have been in a drama and he would have looked for everything to point out the penalty...
Then one can have an own idea, of course.
Video 1 is a blatant penalty. There is absolutely no arguments at all against a penalty. Literally holds his arm and twists his body.
DeleteIf Bayern get to the final Letexier may be favourite but I feel like him doing the CL final (2 years after the euro final) would almost be too early in his career. If PSG get to the final then who knows....Mariani? Makkelie? Nyberg?
ReplyDeleteTechnical decision aside from tonight, this performance just show where UEFA referee level is this season even without the ''big names'' in SF, this is starting to be worrying imo, no control on the games and players, foul detection that is really fluctuating during the same game. Overall not a good season for european referees ahead to the WC.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's it for Oliver yet again. Another chance to referee the UCL final gone. I feel so bad for him, my only fear is whether he would still maintain a high level next season to still stand a chance. This year would have been a perfect year for him.
ReplyDeleteI mean, I’m completely sure he knows that he officiated in the most competitive and best league in the world…So I don’t think he will feel bad at all…
DeleteHe will referee the CL Final someday…Just have patience :)
+1 ( diego612) agree, definitely his turn will come around. And very true about the Premier League.
DeleteTwo clear missed pemalties for Ath.Madrid.
ReplyDeleteJust rub your crying eyes ,if there were 2 clear penalties for Madrid ,equally Arsenal should have had two for pulling back
DeleteA clear contrast tonight compared to last week. Makkelie had the courage to award two penalties, while tonight we saw with Siebert that he did not make those decisions and also did not sanction a potential DOGSO with a red card.
ReplyDeleteThe question is what UEFA wants to see: a referee who dares to make unpopular but correct decisions, or a referee who avoids the big decisions.
So it's Makkelie for final?
ReplyDeleteWill PSG be a factor to stop him? I don't think so. Because there's simply no other option.
Possible mistakes are understandable, but the extratime management is unacceptable. It can't be so clear that you (Siebert) want the match to be ended. With no playing in the last 3 minutes you only add 30 seconds? There were no balls! It was closer to regional football rather than UECL.
ReplyDeleteA referee that avoids making decisions.... what a disaster this referee.
ReplyDeleteNot a personality.
Its correct no WC for him.
Siebert so good so far tonight. I really like his way of refeering
ReplyDeleteJust so you know, after the match: Terje Hauge was in London watching Siebert. I wonder if some Gunners fan spotted him and insulted him 20 years after the Lehmann incident? lol
ReplyDeleteNot only Hauge - among the spectators at the stadium was Roberto Rosetti.
DeleteIMO Siebert showed tonight that he is much more worthy of going to the WC than multiple referees from UEFA that will be there
ReplyDeleteMy Good!
DeleteHauge was the referee observer tonight!!
ReplyDeleteExcellent performance from Siebert tonight. Imo clearly supportable YC for potential DOGSO. To me it is unbelievable that he is not going to the WC when you consider some of the officials going…
ReplyDeleteSiebert's refereeing style has never impressed me: I've always found his approach to be very good technically but lacking in discipline, so much so that it always seemed like the game was about to slip out of his control. However, I must admit that tonight's performance was more convincing, in my opinion. He interpreted the key moments of the game consistently, and overall his key decisions are sopportable with an always correct interpretations by VAR.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I would have preferred more incisiveness in the final stages of the game, which were too hectic to be considered effectively managed. But ultimately, that's just my opinion...
Fantastic performance from siebert would say ref of the cl season so far!
ReplyDeleteFantastic? That's too much imo. Siebert was right in the key incidents, if we accept his chosen line, which I have seen more often by him in recent years: In important clashes he tries to whistle penalties only, when he is absolutely sure, but in doubt he doesn't, same for RCs. His tolerant line was absolutely consistent and I like that approach that borderline decisions should NEVER decide the final outcome of the match. The minus imo is his weak body language and his lack of charisma, and that leads to chaotic situations in the end of his most important matches too often. And I was not sure about his time management. But these are minor problems, all in all he and his team (very good performance Both AR's!) can be satisfied. But considering the soft skills, Schaerers performance was the best so far in this round imo. Now let's hope for a good night for Pinheiro. That won't be easy for sure, considering the tempo...
DeleteSee lots of salty atleti fans in the forum tonight
ReplyDeleteClearly
DeleteIt was clear tonight that Siebert’s team had a clear thesis: to stay out of the game as much as possible, after the rather heavily referee-involved first legs last week. One’s assessment of his performance depends entirely on one’s view of this thesis itself, for it was executed (near) flawlessly according to plan.
ReplyDeleteThere were several situations, big and small, in which a game-changing call COULD have been at least justified:
- 28’ possible VC stamp (correct not to punish, as the ATM player was not looking at the moving location of his opponent’s hand on the ground)
35’ potential penalty kick, of a similar standard to Makkelie’s first one last week: better not to give, but would be supportable if called on field. In Siebert’s case, he chooses the opposite path, by allowing play to continue. He sells the decision very well.
- Potential Delaying of a Restart by Griezmann in the first half that Siebert chose to manage instead of caution
- 51’ potential penalty kick for tripping. I find myself slightly surprised this wasn’t reviewed because there is clear leg-on-leg contact. This situation shows that the VAR Dankert was also a party to the aforementioned “stay uninvolved if possible.” One can easily contrast Siebert’s team’s approach to Makkelie’s last week.
59’ potential YC reckless striking (not given)
81’ DOGSO/SP decision (YC given)
88’ foul managed without a potential YC
Siebert’s approach showed cracks in added time when too much behavior was permitted from the technical areas. There is no discipline amongst teams in this respect anymore because referees do not do a good job punishing this behavior. Siebert should have taken a more nuanced approach: instead of “be uninvolved until absolutely necessary”, he should have seen that his involvement was needed earlier than it was given. Moreover, this approach exemplifies the argument against the uninvolvement thesis: not just by Siebert today, but by the referees who came before him. While it may be easier and more palatable in the short term to not enforce the rules any more strictly than necessary, this approach inevitably creates a long-term lack of discipline that causes the messy scenes we saw tonight.
If there were no issues at all for the German referee in first half, we have to say that in the second half there were certainly situations to check in detail. It became quite clear, in my opinion, that the referee deliberately tried to change the decision-making style he had shown in other matches, clearly preferring to stay well away from the spotlight and, as much as possible, let the game flow without making major calls.
ReplyDeleteYou will remember many controversial situations in which he had been involved on past seasons, with committee being unhappy.
In fact, in three instances there could have been either a penalty or a red card, although in one of the two incidents inside the box he blew earlier for a defensive free kick. Still, these are mostly grey areas where everyone can have their own interpretation. I wanted to reply to VG above, who says the first case of second half is a clear penalty: it can certainly be given as a penalty with good justification, but for me it was absolutely correct from a VAR perspective not to intervene. And this is something that, with the recent trend in football, had started to be somewhat forgotten.
That said, in the final minutes of the match we didn’t see anything new compared to previous management or anything excellent. In reality, it becomes very complicated when teams stopped playing. In my opinion, the German referee can consider himself somewhat fortunate to have reached that point without too much controversy, because the players could have behaved the way they did at the end from the very beginning, and in that case the referee would certainly have found himself in greater difficulty.
We can say that overall it was'nt a poor performance, but it was one influenced (too much, my opinion!) by a certain intention on the referee's part. The management of stoppage time at the end was quite poor, though this is also somewhat typical of German referees, who don't tend to focus deeply on that aspect as happens elsewhere. However, if teams decide not to play, then they simply don't play. We know the issue.
All things considered, with this appointment, he probably achieved the maximum possible.
In the end, he tried to look for a way in which to (not) officiate a game, but under a full refereeing point of view, some people could say he failed. But definitely better, that's clear, if compared to other previous games he had with Atlético, we can remember, and maybe that's already fair enough.
Personally, as I said, I saw him with a rather worried face after many potentially crucial situations, and this was not good to see, it was clear he had changed his style exactly for being out from the spotlight.
I agree with the majority of your comments ,I feel that Siebert was let down by the 4th Official ,who failed to manage the behaviour of both benches ,especially during the 2nd half
DeleteWhether his style has changed or not, the fact remains that Siebert officiated the match without any major issues—nobody is even talking about him. All key decisions fell within a "gray area" where they were defensible; consequently, the VAR, Dankert, was entirely right not to intervene. Furthermore, no referee in the world could have prevented the scenes that unfolded in the final minutes—not when the team holding the lead stops playing football altogether and attempts to see out the match solely through time-wasting.
ReplyDeleteHow could you possibly claim that no one is talking about the referee?
DeleteMQ, I think Hans 1 is regarding the Media, all major broadcasters pundits no one complained ( scrutinized) the referees' key decisions that he influenced the outcome of the game. As we remember what happened to Vincic and Kovacs as they were slumped to death in the MEDIA at the QF round .
DeleteI don’t know where you from but in France every show was talking about potential PK
DeleteOverall good performance by Siebert but this was my first time watching him full time (90+) and it was Ok IMO. At least he was better than Vincic and Kovacs.
ReplyDeleteBy the way I'm still considering him as a great option for a UEFA final ( UECL)
Siebert was let down by his fourth official tonight ,who failed to manage the 2 benches ,resulting in some ugly scenes towards the end of the game.
ReplyDelete