Referee appointment for the second leg of 2025/26 UEFA Champions League semifinal, Bayern - PSG, to be played on 6 May 2026.
FC BAYERN MÜNCHEN (GER) - PARIS SAINT GERMAIN (FRA)
Referee: João Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia POR
Fourth Official: Espen Eskas NOR
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Martins POR
UEFA Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen NOR
UEFA Delegate: Arturs Gaidels LVA
So according to the last comments on the blog, it should be Pinheiro.
ReplyDeleteVery underwhelming, Pinheiro so undeserving to be given such a game but with politics anything is possible by now
ReplyDeleteLet someone explain to me what exactly Pinheiro has done to deserve officiating such an important match? He’s clearly a favorite of the REFcom and it feels like unnecessary favoritism toward a referee who isn’t any better than many others, yet keeps getting top assignments every time…
ReplyDeleteIf true about Pinheiro, I agree most undeserving appointment this year. Considering that there is a chance for english team in the final and that Oliver possibly coul be out of that final it would make sense to appoint him considering the very good season he had.
ReplyDeleteWhilst he was good on the EL SF there is a huge difference reffing 2 English sides willing to play football and reffing an ENGSPA clash with so much at stake
ReplyDelete21:00 CET - Munich (Allianz Arena)
ReplyDeleteFC BAYERN MÜNCHEN (GER) - PARIS SAINT GERMAIN (FRA)
Referee: João Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia POR
Fourth Official: Espen Eskås NOR
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Martins POR
UEFA Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen NOR
UEFA Delegate: Arturs Gaidels LVA
Considering Pinheiro has been handed this game, now I must say Mariani was a better option, or the Italian is among the many for the final in Budapest
Delete@Tevinjm: As I wrote on the other post, that in case of PSG-Arsenal Final, Mariani should be consider as a realistic possibility…
DeleteWell, congratulations to Pinheiro and his team.
ReplyDeleteBut, frankly, is he better than Eskas?…
Yes - after all, I think this is the hardest element to justify.
DeleteEskas's style where he sometimes acts in an arrogant manner towards players (it is an act and he is not an arrogant person) was deemed as a bad fit for such a 'star-laden' match and they preferred to choose the inobstrusive Pinheiro instead?
Yes, Pinheiro is better than Eskas...
DeleteSure that Pinheiro is must better then Eskas
DeleteTypical by committee they put out VAR after mistake and problem is solved! A dream for other refeees...
ReplyDeleteUCL Final candidates
ReplyDelete1) Oliver
2) Letexier
3) Mariani
4) Makkelie
Like in EL with Rumsas and Peljto, the better referee ist the 4O...
ReplyDeleteNothing against Pineiro and nothing about new names for these important matches, but appointments should have a minmum of consistency. After Pinheiros last games in Turin/Gala and Strasbourg/Mainz, there is no consistency to appoint him for this SF.
Again: Nothing against new names. For example, Sieberts appointment is consistent.
A game for Eskas in the semis would have been, too.
Do you know that both Eskas and Rune Pedersen the referee observer are from Norway? How could Eskas had a game with Pedersen as a observer? Is not a domestic appointment, you should know it.
Delete@Ichigo:
DeleteI assume that UEFA, in the event of wanting to nominate Espen Eskas, would have appointed another observer and not the other way around, that the already assigned Rune Pedersen prevented Eskas' nomination.
+1
Deleteby the way, where is our friend Ahmed? he should be happy that Pinheiro got the match.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had the power of manifestation he has...
DeleteTo be honest, Joao Pinheiro's nomination for a Champions League semifinal does not fundamentally surprise me: In the summer he officiated the Super Cup and in the current season he, as our friend never tired of repeating, largely or even completely did without VARs. Of course, this is not the only criterion that makes a good referee, but it does at least make him more deployable than other colleagues who were significantly more in the public criticism. The only reason I did not expect him, however, was that he had already officiated a first-leg match in the Europa League and was therefore excluded for that reason. He also seems to be highly regarded by FIFA, so I would not consider him a candidate at the World Cup who would not get past the group stage.
DeleteThis is certainly a substitution. Pinheiro was named yesterday, May 3rd, for a Liga 2 match in Portugal. Friday night, he was removed from that match with the indication that it was due to physical management. Who did he replace? Marciniak?
DeleteGood Luck Pinheiro.
ReplyDeleteSorry but this is ridiculous. Pinheiro has clearly not the experience to handle the decisive game between the probably two best teams this season. His performances in second leg games, which were much less important than this one were often medicore. It’s also unfair to Eskas, who is in my view the better referee.
ReplyDeleteI i mentioned last week after the game that he officiated in europe league i said after this incredible perfomance the next game will be bayern vs psg
ReplyDeleteEvery one satisfied now that joao pinheiro is the best referee in europe
I would like to mention 3 points about this nomination from João Pinheiro:
ReplyDelete1) Maybe this was a last minute call because he was firstly nominated for a domestically game played yesterday
2) I don’t think this appointment is not deserved but surely he should have a more solid path in CL. After what happened to Vinci and Kovacs, Rosetti could’ve burning another referee but this time a young one
3) If the idea is to give Oliver the final, why not appoint Taylor to this game given that having referee a first leg EL SF doesn’t seem to be a constraint anymore ?
Regarding the comparison with Marianni… IMO it’s unfair to say that the Italian is better than him. They were promoted at the same time to the elite category and besides the nationality, there aren’t much, to not say nothing, that distinguish both.
It is quite obvious, in my opinion, that Mariani was the person written down for this game but Rosetti got the jitters about the level of the Italian referee and took the opportunity to change him (but the VAR remained; I doubt very much that Martins got rejected if he is AVAR here). I don't know who "deserved" it more, but the switch itself makes sense and I would "agree" with the Italian manager: I didn't watch Liverpool-PSG, but the level shown by Mariani in CzechRep-Denmark was not good enough to justify another really big game (way too much delay and visible insecurity in making his calls). Meanwhile, Pinheiro's performance in Juve-Gala was more-or-less good overall. The overall comments about the Portuguese are too harsh: he is a very good referee. HOWEVER, I think this assignment could well turn out to be a mistake. In 2016, the repeated semifinals in the Champions League turned out to be a disaster, with clear and important refereeing mistakes (as a result of mental fatigue?) in both games. Pinheiro's level, being subbed late into Juve-Gala, had clearly dropped in that match from what he had shown before. And, this is probably the biggest match of the season in the whole Champions League competition. Rosetti could be the victim, most of all, of being too stubborn (and, perhaps too craven?) in terms of how he assessed the refereeing in Barca-Atletico; if Mariani's level caused such concern, then the correct choice would have been to forgive Kovacs. The non-appointments to the two PSG-Bayern legs (Hernandez; Mariani) are almost more interesting and certainly more telling than the actual appointments! The lack of big names from Italy and Spain are clearly hurting the committee a lot at the moment.
DeleteI'm struggling for a fourth name in the Europa/Conference tomorrow: Mariani, Hernandez, Nyberg (surely with Velasco in Birmingham), and ??.
I agree.
DeletePinheiro is plan B.
Gözübüyük as the 4th name?
DeleteMeler would be my guess as 4th name.
DeleteWould also be nice to see Letexier somewhere to erase some doubts...
I also think, that Mariani was planned for Wednesday at some point (maybe his domestic appointment on Friday also supports that).
But wouldn't be a different explanation, that he is now plan A for a PSG-Arsenal final?
I was thinking his season was over but Meler may be an option indeed. He was previously observed by Velasco. He was again on duty in Greece this weekend for Pana-AEK. I don't know how was his performance yesterday, but 2 weeks ago MikaelW's comments were very positive in Oly-Pana derby about him.
DeleteSorry but Meler‘s performances this season were too bad for a semifinal even in the conference league. Look for example at the penalty in the Arsenal-Leverkusen game.
DeleteNo wonder why UEFA refereeing is getting worse....
ReplyDeleteFelix is out of the Champions League KO Stage for much less...
ReplyDeleteIn this scenario:
Delete1) Arsenal advance against Atletico tomorrow
2) PSG advance against Bayern on Wednesday
3) The refereeing in the first SF is deemed impermissible vis the final appmnt
I think that Felix (Zwayer) will referee the CL final.
It's interesting that no one has yet realized the connection between the president of the Portuguese federation and Pinheiro rise; having a former referee with voting power and influence within UEFA is a very important point in understanding all of this.
ReplyDeleteFrom now on joao pinheiro must dream champions league final
ReplyDeleteWorld Cup final too
Delete"From now on" Joao Pinheiro should probably better think first about his semifinal appearance. ;-)
DeleteMy conclude is next: Ok, its good to give Pinheiro the UCL semifinal becouse UEFA need new names in future years. Then, i would tottaly exclude Zwayer and Mariani from UCL final chances based on merit. Oliver remains no 1 candidate for final,Leteixer is no 2. If UCL final will be PSG-Arsenal, i said that referee comitte should have guts to appoint Makkelie there, or, gave a chance to Nyberg or Daniel Siebert .
ReplyDeleteSo, at this point, I think we have to ask ourselves, looking at this appointment, why the decision was made so late, only after the Portuguese referee was replaced for the domestic match he had originally been assigned to.
ReplyDeleteAnd we can also draw conclusion that observers appointed days before don't mean in all cases that they have already a selected referee.
If they had already known they wanted to reappoint Pinheiro after last week Conference League match, they might have told the Portuguese federation to wait, even though, to be fair, that may not be strictly necessary.
One could imagine that they had someone else in mind, and of course, given the name on VAR, the name that comes to mind is Mariani. But then why put Pinheiro in instead? I don't see such a big difference in level.
I agree with Mikael that Mariani isn't quite at the level required to handle these matches, despite being pushed more and more. But the Portuguese referee isn't on a completely different level either, at least in my view, though I could be wrong.
In any case, ZwayerBrasil is right, because what he wrote is exactly what I was thinking too. At this point, overlooking mistake after mistake, even if, to be fair, not all of them are directly the Portuguese referee's fault, it no longer makes sense that Zwayer has been kept out for the entire Champions League knockout stage.
In the end, it seems that with some referees they act one way, and with others they act differently.
Now one could even imagine Zwayer being appointed directly to the Champions League final, but that wouldn't make any sense to me. At the very least, he could have had one prior appearance in the knockout phase.
There are many unclear points, the committee seems to be going wherever the wind blows. And above all, what disappoints me the most is that not everyone is treated the same way. They seem determined to push Pinheiro forward at all costs, despite some obvious mistakes.
At this point, I don't know what else to say.
Logically speaking, it seems that what matters most is whether they like a referee's style, since errors are not considered.
They probably appreciate, as Mikael says, the way he interacts with players, but others do too.
The fact that the Norwegian referee hasn't been given an appointment to work and develop at this level is quite disappointing.
There are many things happening behind closed doors.
In any case, these two appointments for the second legs will certainly be interesting, surely we could never have imagined that.
Its not he, is she but it's ok 😂😂
DeleteWell, after all… our friend Ahmed was right!
ReplyDeleteYeah, show off Ahmed nevertheless best case scenario
DeleteWell good luck to Pinheiro who may not deserve this appointment if one is fully realistic and honest but it is a massive opportunity to announce himself on the top stage with a good performance.
ReplyDeleteIt’s the first time in a long time that there is not in the SF someone who already have done a European final and even more UCL final, no ?
ReplyDeleteWhere is Glenn Nyberg? With how deep UEFA has had to dig for these semifinal appointments, I can’t believe the talented Swede was overlooked.
ReplyDeleteMy honest assessment of Nyberg, not to go against him.
DeleteI'm just taking this opportunity, based on your question, to share my view, and I think this also explains why the committee hasn't considered him for a major Champions League assignment so far, just like what happened with Eskas (but for Eskas, reason can be different).
In my opinion, Nyberg has shown, at least up to now, and of course his career may still evolve in the future, no doubt about that, that he is a reliable referee, but only up to a certain point. He is very good from a physical standpoint, he lets the game flow, he has elements of modern refereeing; however, I think that when it has come to making important decisions in several situations, he had to rely on VAR.
I'm not saying that all the incidents he reviewed were easy, far from it, many were actually quite difficult, but he hasn't given the impression, at least so far, of having that extra factor, especially in the technical reading of situations inside the penalty area. This seems quite evident based on some key on-field reviews he ended up conducting.
There was a period when there was a bit more focus on him, remember the PSG game with Attwell as VAR, now it seems slightly less, but he still remains a strong name from a FIFA perspective, since he has officiated a FIFA final and will go to the World Cup. However, to be fair, within UEFA competitions I don't see him comparable to the other Top Elite at moment.
He gives the impression of being able to do things well, but by applying his own style, with less adaptability and smartness compared to other referees. Still, we are talking about an already high level here reached by him,I’m certainly not referring to basic things, this is just to explain why he hasn't been considered beyond a certain point.
Of course, I might be wrong, but this is my reading of the Swedish referee, who in any case has plenty of time ahead of him to prove himself.
I think tomorrow he will appear in a semifinal, either ECL or EL.
Interesting Chefren,
DeleteHow much does the FIFA-games affect UEFA's view on a referee? For instance, Nyberg had quite a good Arab Cup that also finished in a hectic (but overall) well refereed final. Doesn't that prove something in regards to Uefa games?
I hope I'm not jumping to conclusions, but I see both appropriate and inappropriate treatment from the committee towards Nyberg in this knockout stage. The last match he refereed was Brugge vs. Atlético de Madrid in the playoff round for access to the round of 16. After that, we haven't seen him again in this Champions League. And in my view, it wouldn't be a problem if he refereed the return leg in Munich, even more so than Pinheiro.
DeleteIt's a very interesting question, Norwegian.
DeleteIn my opinion we could say that UEFA doesn't care that much about FIFA assignments and choices, unless they are forced to do so. The paramount example was the treatment of Marciniak years ago, he got WC final before a potential CL final, but even more hilarious, with not even EL final (the season 2021-22 in which Vincic was selected for that game instead of the Polish made this 100% clear under my eyes...). It was clear that the Polish was not liked, but then Rosetti & Co. were obliged to change idea.
As for Nyberg, FIFA can have different view, but in my opinion all about FIFA unless World Cup can be easily considered as by far lower level than all UEFA circle and games.
The same Slovenian referee I mentioned is a particular case: being at the very top of UEFA, didn't manage so far to make the same in FIFA, with maybe this WC being the very last chance.
Overall, I think we can introduce the contrary argument: it's UEFA trying to push referees in FIFA, starting from European confederation. The best example is the man in charge of Bayern - PSG. But maybe Collina will not have the same idea of Rosetti. We will see.
Interesting take! It does make sense, let's say Nyberg (or Eskas) for instance has a tremendous World Cup that ends in a semifinal - then that has to force Uefa in some ways to give them better games. However IMO, it seems very unlikely that any of the "younger" elites - except Letexier - would get anything more than a quarter final at the WC26 - despite potential great performances.
DeleteOn the other hand, there aren’t many experienced UEFA referees, who are clearly liked by FIFA as well. Marciniak, Oliver and Taylor, but then it already gets doubtful looking at the last WC and CWC.
DeleteChefren I honestly disagree with your assessment of Nyberg!!
DeleteNyberg has been impressive in every major test FIFA has given him. A recent example is his performance in the Arab Cup final, I genuinely believe that if you put any other UEFA Elite referees in that same match, they would have struggled and been exposed in areas that don’t usually appear in domestic or UEFA game, A example is managing dissent.
His personality can adapt to the game. He reads emotions well, controls different situations effectively, and knows how to sell big decisions. On top of that his fitness, positioning and movement are excellent and he consistently earns respect from players.
I don’t follow every match he officiates in Sweden, but from the games I’ve watched, he has been consistently strong. I understand that UEFA has its own expectations and interpretations compared to FIFA, but if a referee performs at the highest level under FIFA, that shouldn’t become a limitation in Uefa.
One of the best matches I’ve seen him officiate in UEFA was an early group stage game between Newcastle and Barcelona his control, presence and overall elegance stood out.
Overall, I rate him highly alongside other Elite referees. In my opinion, getting those top appointments often comes down to refereeing politics and national influence and being Swedish doesn’t always help in that regard.
I agree with you.
DeleteWe hope that next season there will be more privacy from the committee regarding Nyberg in Champions League games, especially in the knockout stages. I won't say if Rosetti was unfair to the Swede, because unfairness is a very strong word, but in this current season I see a certain inappropriate treatment for a player of this level. Being left out of Round of 16 or Quarter-final games, in my view, is not good for the performance development of someone like Nyberg.
Its time for everyone to apologize to Ahmed!
ReplyDelete😭😭
DeletePredictions:
ReplyDeleteAston Villa - Nottingham
Glenn Nyberg SWE
Freiburg - Braga
Alejandro José Hernández Hernández ESP
Crystal Palace - Shakhtar Donetsk
Maurizio Mariani ITA
Strasbourg - Rayo Vallecano
Halil Umut Meler TUR
The question is, whether a Spanish referee is possible for a Portuguese team.
DeleteBut probably better thank in ECL with Vallecano in the other game.
And no SF for Hernandez after already no QF would be weird.
It seems this game was originally planned for a Mariani or even Nyberg as another option and João Pinheiro was likely expected to receive one of UEFA three finals, most probably the Conference League.
ReplyDeleteHowever, something appears to have changed at the last moment. Instead of assigning João a final, this match may end up being his last UEFA game this season, while Mariani could be moved into a one of the finals, it looks like there was a late switch between the two referees.
Overall my expectation of João in this game is that the focus will stay on the match rather than the referee and His calm demeanour when making decisions similar to Turpin makes him one of the more trustworthy referees for a game like this.
Apropos Nyberg and suggested issues with VAR and OFR, compared with his many great strengths: it is regrettably that the Swedish Federation stubbornly refuses to introduce VAR; this means that Nyberg, compared with his UEFA Elite colleagues, misses out on the experience of working with VAR in the great majority of his games. This is clearly a disadvantage, but it is of course also a reality that one cannot 'compensate' for. One should only hope that it will not affect Nyberg's career path.
ReplyDelete+1 Exactly 100%
DeleteFor your information, the swedish federation has basically nothing to say about VAR. The question is controlled by the elite clubs (and some other parties) which all are member owned as we have the 50%+1 rule and the supporters are very against an implementation of VAR.
DeleteTo counter that argument a bit, ex referee Jonas Eriksson has argued that it could be to the benefit of Swedish FIFA referees to not use VAR on a daily basis. Because, without VAR in Allsvenskan, it forces them to be brave and not rely on VAR to help them through difficult situations.
DeleteHowever, it clearly is bad for the newer referees who can't get
the VAR-course from the Swedish Federation.
So there’s been talks here about Makkelie being “out” for the final because of too many VAR overturns. Whether that’s fair or not, I’m not even going to get into.
ReplyDeleteWhat does bother me is the sheer inconsistency - borderline randomness - of the so-called “rejection policy” from the RefCom.
Let’s take István Kovács last year as a prime example. He handled Rangers vs Athletic in the quarterfinals. That match had two major, “subjective” VAR interventions:
* A yellow card upgraded to a red for DOGSO
* A goal initially allowed, despite attacking handball, with an earlier defensive handball also in the same phase.
Final decision? Goal disallowed for attacking handball, penalty given for the earlier defensive one. Two huge subjective calls.
Now imagine there was no VAR in that game - this would’ve gone down as a full-blown refereeing disaster. And yet we’re supposed to believe that performance somehow meets (or even gets near) a 7.7 threshold? Still, the Romanian got the UCL final.
So why was that apparently brushed aside for Kovács, while Makkelie is immediately written off? Because Kovács was on a Europa League match and it flew under the radar? Or because Vassaras has his back? Either way, it doesn’t look consistent - and it definitely doesn’t look fair.
If we’re heading towards a PSG vs Arsenal final - good luck to Roberto Rosetti making the call, because the alternatives aren’t exactly screaming “clear choice” either:
- Mariani has only been Elite since January 2025
- Nyberg and Zwayer barely touched the Champions League this year
- Siebert… survived his last game rather than actually officiating it (sorry, but come on)
- Schärer has been out injured for months - so sure, no mistakes in those months like e.g. Zwayer but also no exposure. That’s not fair. Stay “clean” simply by not being on the pitch.
At this point, the whole system feels less about consistent evaluation and more about optics, favoritism and convenience.
It would only be fair if, besides the UCL, he also officiates the UEL final. It can easily be done by him, finals are 10 days apart. Actually, because he is so much better than his countryman he should referee this final three times. Otherwise, the whole system is nothing but corruption and favoritism.
DeleteWe are truly lucky to be living in the era of this superb referee. Not only is he a great official, but what a human being he is! First, his childhood dream was to referee in the World Cup, but now he has discovered he has yet another childhood dream. What a day to be alive!
I’ve made my points in a substantive way, and I’d appreciate the same in return.
DeleteDon't listen to the haters, we all know Makkelie will referee the final no matter what. Why? Because he's simply the best referee in the world, by a huge margin. I've yet to see him ever make a mistake, it should be obvious to everyone that it will be him in charge. And if it isn't, it's a very corrupt world...
DeleteIt makes me so upset when people criticise him, why can't people just appreciate what we get to witness when the Dazzling Dutch Danny graciously takes charge of this beautiful game. With him on the pitch, football is truly an art form. One has to feel blessed to know that there is at least one referee who will always manage games to perfection.
lukas086, at this point in time we definitely not in mood for such. Agree or disagree either way our reply should be containing some valuable info at least for the readers,
DeleteI'm not being rude and no hard feelings
IMO this mess could have been avoided if Rosetti had a better management on his appointments the last 3 years. Vincic could have had last year's CL Final and Kovacs could be the No 1 candidate this year if Rosetti wasn't so quick to give Vincic the 2024 final (undeservedly IMO)
DeleteIf PSG plays in the final, I don’t see any referee other than Makkelie who deserves to take charge of the Champions League final. For some of the great referees, that match was the crown of their careers, and you can’t tell me that Mariani, Schearer, or someone similar could be the main referee for such a game. It wouldn’t surprise me if UEFA repeats a referee who has already officiated the final before, if it’s not Makkelie.
ReplyDeleteI doubt it… Rosetti will make a decision that suits the best for him and his own credibility - the easy way out. And that doesn’t always align with what’s most fair (Letexier in the final of EURO 2024 is the prime example).
DeleteFact is: UEFA has no backbone, always concerned about headlines, so they consistently pick referees with a “clean” profile for finals. Media pressure effectively shapes both appointments and rejections and it’s getting worse and worse.
That same logic filters down into refereeing itself: games are “survived” rather than officiated, big calls are avoided, and the priority becomes not to stand out instead of getting decisions right.
I just asked a substantive question about *how* Kovacs could have been appointed to a UCL final after two subjective OFRs in a QF (because many referees would have been rejected and how is that a fair policy?) and the only response is sarcasm. That says a lot. This blog is losing credibility, and it’s no surprise valuable contributors are walking away.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Lukas and MQ increasingly seem like the same sarcastic person. His contributions add little to nothing to the discussion.
French media L'Equipe reports that Willy Delajod have been selected as VAR. Weird delay announce, maybe FIFA saw that they needed more VAR than those already chosen.
ReplyDelete*selected for the World cup
DeleteOT: Referees at Women's U17 EURO now underway in Northern Ireland:
ReplyDeleteElisabeth Calvo Valentín (ESP)
Kristina Kozoroh (UKR)
Frederikke Lydia Søkjær (DEN)
Elena Gobjila (MDA)
Tjaša Misja (SVN)
Rita Vehapi (KOS)
Joanna Vassallo (MLT)
Dong Fangyu (CHN, AFC exchange ref)
Observers:
DeleteDagmar Damková CZE
Graziella Pirratore ITA
Ana Minic SRB
Blazenka Logarusic CRO
https://archive.ph/QAMan
ReplyDelete1- Congratulations to Willy Delajod!
2- There were three officials who met the parameters for the potential identity of the suspect arrested in England on suspicion of child sexual assualt, supposing the incident had occurred in the last eighty days. Two of them were among the officials mentioned in this article; so, it seems they can be ruled out. The final official, who is not from France, had been selected by FIFA as a VMO. One can suppose that the ruling has been made, and Delajod has replaced that official on the list for the next World Cup. The formal annoucement should follow soon, I guess.
True. Clément Turpin and François Letexier, the two French central referees selected for the 2026 World Cup (June 11 – July 19), spoke at length this Wednesday at Clairefontaine – the French national football center – during a “media day” organized by the French refereeing department.
DeleteIt also announced the addition of Willy Delajod to the World Cup VAR list. All assistant referees have been confirmed. The controversial story from The Sun is therefore either false or does not concern them.
Oh that make sense now with this
DeleteWeiß man dann schon wer das war?
DeleteReal test and serious for joao tonight
ReplyDeleteEskas proactive before kick off
ReplyDeleteDid Pinheiro miss a YC against Olise about a minute before the first PSG goal? No call but looked like SPA.
ReplyDeleteThey just showed Kimmich motioning for it right after the goal.
DeleteMinute 7, Correct YC, good start
ReplyDeleteThats going to cause trouble, yellow card not necessary and makes life incredibly difficult
ReplyDeleteIt was completely necessary. A cynical late foul stopping a good attack
Delete@A16, well, if this is not a mandatory YC, we must stop refereeing. Very good decision by Portuguese crew, in case of miss it would have been a huge mistake!
Delete7”is early for the opening YC. Must now be consistent
ReplyDeleteGood teamwork for first YC
ReplyDeleteThat offside call against Kane. Should it have been played out and called back if necessary?
ReplyDeleteHe looks very uncertain in everything he has done so far, doesn't look as confident in his decisions, and especially his non-decisions, as Siebert did for the most part last night.
ReplyDeleteYellow card was lacking in contact and we very often see promising attached YC not punished in early stages, especially in Premier League, so i stand by my comment!
Clearly, you are not watching the right game
DeleteHe is letting the game to go on much more than Siebert did
What on earth just happened?
ReplyDeleteOnly God knows what Pinheiro was thinking in that situation. I don't know how he gave that in favour of PSG
DeleteMajor major blunder, clear handball, should've been 2nd yellow
ReplyDeleteSecond YC against Nunes for handling at 29' missed.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness!!! What did Pinheiro just do. How on earth is that a free kick for PSG?
ReplyDeleteHe was having a decent game and he does this.
He’s extremely inept at managing dissent, the worst I think I’ve ever seen at handling swarming.
ReplyDeleteThey gave an earlier handball by liamer
ReplyDeletePinheiro got lost. Honestly, he got lost.
ReplyDeleteHes lost the plot!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIf you know the Laws of the game, this cannot be a penalty
DeleteExplain me then
DeleteThis is a clear UEFA standard. No handball, when ball is kicked by a teammate
DeleteOk didn’t know that stupid guideline
DeleteScandal in munich. Ref has lost control and made 2 terrible decisions.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunate handball, but never a penalty by the book. Pinheiro is losing control, unable to gain respect
ReplyDelete“By the book” the penalties given least week against Davies and White should not have been given as they were deflections off the defender’s body and yet they were. So, no consistency from UEFA.
DeletePinheiro very quickly loosing control
ReplyDeleteAs I expected, this is a level above Pinheiro. He looks completely lost on the pitch...
ReplyDeleteExcellent no pk call.. spot on
ReplyDeleteSecond dramatic referee... Pinheiro is a disaster. What a very very bad referee
ReplyDeleteKompany was about to have a heart attack complaining over Eskas.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that wasn't a UEFA handball, no VAR check, this is a huge disgrace. Wow I didn't know that Pinheiro is this bad. What a f*ck
ReplyDeletelearn the rules
DeleteUefa has its own rules remember correctly
DeleteNo. Same in IFAB statements in that case.
DeletePinheiro found an offence nobody else seemed to see (maybe Eskas?). Clever refereeing or bad management? Got him out of a sticky situation
ReplyDeleteThis is a typical no penalty decision for UEFA
ReplyDeleteTo everyone that comment in the blog, in Portugal the referee association shows us a lot of UEFA videos and their guidelines are clear: if the ball comes from a teammate the decision is NO PENALTY
So you can stop a potential own goal with your hand it’s not an offence what is that guideline
DeleteIf you don’t do it in a deliberate way, yes
DeleteThat is a stupid thing to put in place then. Don’t understand it
DeleteFrom the IFAB: ”A player is hit on the hand/arm by the ball from a team-mate’s kick/header?
DeleteThis is not a handball”
I am surprised by those asking for the penalty, while I completely agree about the lack of charisma, attitude and respect. Undeserved appointment, and now we see why
ReplyDelete+1
DeletePues ha tenido dos acciones complicadísimas Pinheiro en cuestión de minutos y parece que las ha resuelto bien (Marca Newspaper.). They say: good decision in both situations
ReplyDeleteI really don't understand why they insist on such a bad referee. I haven't written anything in a long time, but I couldn't stand this awful referee they chose for the World Cup anymore. It was truly a disaster.
ReplyDeleteThis match will see cards.
ReplyDeleteHe has the charisma of someone who has just started refereeing under 7s. He looks lost.
ReplyDeletePossible second YC for SPA:
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/7e431b
But the replay of alleged previous handball by Bayern player was not shown.
Call made by Eskas? Pinheirro thanking somebody with gesture after the call.
Can’t say if there was handball though.
DeleteUnfortunately, tonight we once again saw the hesitation referees seem to have when it comes to PSG. A clear second yellow card for handball stopping a promising attack was not given against PSG.
DeleteAfter that, the handball inside the penalty area was, in principle, a ball coming from a teammate, but the arm still made a clear additional movement towards the ball. I can understand supporting the on-field decision there, but the non-awarded second yellow card is, in my opinion, very difficult to explain.
Before the handball of Mendes there is a handball (given by Eskas) from the player of Bayern
DeleteIf true, he had to blow the whistle the second Bayern gained possession to end the advantage, but he didn't, hence handling by Nunes.
DeletePenalty area incident:
ReplyDeletehttps://streamff.com/v/f704bcd6
Never handball when ball kicked (coming) by teammate.
However, many people don't know that.
In UEFA competition*
DeleteYes, and once again let me say that's a big problem if all federations do as they want about handballs, the same UEFA should publish official guidelines not all for referees, but also for fans because otherwise it's impossible to understand. See today, for sure many people are not aware of that, and it keeps a very negative imagine of refereeing. I agree with you about this argument.
DeleteThank you Chefren. This is an absolutely unexpected ball so the arm of the defender only has to be in a natural position. And for it was, the touch only came as thr consequence of a reflex triying get away from the ball. So in this „unexpected ball scenario“ play on is correct for me.
DeleteHowever, the missed handball (I did not see a handball by Laimer before) would have been a second yellow card which for me at the moment seemes to be a crucial miss.
Agree and I don’t understand why IFAB is not making a clear guidelines that would apply ire all around the world which will make it easier for every referee and every fan.
Delete+1
DeleteIt's not difficult to understand that this is a completely different situation from a player using their arms to make themselves bigger in response to an opponent's shot or cross. He instinctively dodged the unexpected ball from close range, causing his arm to rise. He didn't extend his arm towards the ball.
DeleteYou wouldn't expect a teammate to kick the ball directly at you, would you?
Do you have a link to these UEFA rules?
DeleteVERY VERY STRONG REFEREE IN MUC. NO 2ND YC AND OF COURSE NO HANDBALL. MASTERCLASS FROM THE REF!
ReplyDeleteSorry! After review: clear missed 2nd YC for Mendes!!!
DeleteDon't think it was a penalty but I can understand people being frustrated considering the one last week.
ReplyDeleteNo penalty, as many people have said. Do anybody know in which RAP it can be findable where UEFA showed this? Thanks
ReplyDeleteImpossible to read (allegedly) refereeing people's comments demanding a penalty for that handball...
ReplyDeletePinheiro is very good*, you have to expect such an outburst from a team that feel hard done by the referee in two incidents within two minutes in such an important game. And throwing cards for dissenting behaviours at that moment would've had an exactly opposite effect. If I noted correctly, he booked Bayern player in next action though, what was an optimal management.
*the most important will be the possible 2YC incident, no replay of potential foul by Bayern player was shown but why the delay in giving it? the only reason would be an advice from Eskas but without the replay it feels so wrong... like inventing a call to escape the scenario of issuing a RC so early in the game
Well, let me add, if we want to think about a scenario in which officials wanted to escape from a second YC decision (terrible, in case), to me, they had not enough time to think about that before. The delay you report could be explained by the fact that either Eskas or AR1 elaborated the call and then he needed that two seconds to inform referee while play was continuing, then an extremely bad luck that the other handball happened. But as long as we don't see first replay...
DeleteHowever, in some circumstances, I think broadcaster are very unready, they don't understand anything about refereeing. This is not done on purporse, they couldn't understand they had to show previous situation to people watching game.
@ Euro Soccer Ref: I only agree with your second paragraph, expecially the last sentence you wrote.
DeleteYou can't buy courage in the shop next door, that's what it seems to be.
It looked the same to me about the potential SYC but I watched the sequence carefully just now and the referees should be absolved of any blame (and instead praised!) - you can see Eskas immediately hit the push-to-talk button upon Laimer's handball, which appears to be correctly seen by the Norwegian, so everything was solved correctly. Many of the comments here are very poor. Overall, a good first half by Pinheiro but his foul recognition was a little bit Tantashev for my taste (too many small, clear offences ignored whilst the ref 'goes with the flow').
DeleteFrom the overhead camera, it looked as though Laimer had handled the ball just moments before. It’s hard to say, but I’m inclined to think it was the right call. But I don’t know if Pinheiro would really have shown him a second yellow card.
DeleteAgree @chefren, about the replays that they didn’t show, just a remainder that this is a German director for tonight game which maybe explain it.
DeleteSpeculations aside, it's the only evidence we have so far (broadcaster should show better replays of the incident!):
Deletehttps://snipboard.io/5bTkH9.jpg
Pinheiro clearly thanks Eskas for his advice, so it's the Norwegian who told him it was a handball of Bayern player prior to the 2YC-handball by Nuno Mendes. It could've been, indeed. We have to trust the referees there.
Then, the performance is really strong, with all decisions being correctly/acceptably assessed and good, calm management of the tense moments.
Thank goodness we have serious comments like this one. Reading some of the comments, it's like social media. I can't understand how a referees' forum can criticize and mistreat referees in this way. I'd like to see many of you criticizing like this try refereeing a match.
DeleteRegarding the possible 2YC, pending a clearer picture, it seems like a decision made (or rather, avoided) out of fear. It's very difficult to referee when you have to keep everyone happy and can't make certain decisions. I see elite referees defenseless against absurd rules and inept leaders who are bought off by those in power.
Even for the players those type of situation is really confusing because maybe in a month they will cause a PK for the same situation just bcose it’s a FIFA competition.
DeleteDid someone notice tackle made by psg plater in 42min tn the box was late and take bayer player down after the cross made
ReplyDeleteI did but laimer did not complain could have been a pk
DeleteIn UEFA, there's no such thing as "it's not a penalty," regardless of whether it's UEFA or FIFA, does the player have to pick up the ball and twirl it in his hand for it to be a penalty? Some of the comments are terrible, but thankfully the referee is even more terrible than you, and for Pinheiro, it will be over before the World Cup even begins.
ReplyDeleteSee the videos from Refcom. Its a clear situation. I d'ont like so much the style that Pinheiro use but tonight till the moment is a Master Class of Officiating
ReplyDeleteFully agree with Euro Soccer Ref.
ReplyDeleteToo many people have been spouting nonsense against Pinheiro in this 1H, angrily reacting against 100% correct decision like Mendes' SPA YC and the non-PK for Joao Neves' handball, even if I understand complaints about the Portuguese referee's lack of natural authority.
Foul detection has been really, really good so far, with the question mark of Laimer's handball before the potential 2YC to Mendes (Pinheiro initially called Mendes' handball and even briefly reached his pocket, but changed his mind after ¿Eskas' input?)
I wonder how many of tonights Law5 commentators just got negatively polarized against Pinheiro regardless of performance by Ahmed's continuous and monothematic spamming?
Agree with you but to have such bad authority and to get such big game is very poor choice from Rosetti and committe. Feels like he has problem with english as he handles big games in Portugal a lot better. Hope he will not lose this game.
DeleteAccording to the LoTG this is a penalty. Apparently according to UEFA it's not. So UEFA is above the LoTG. Hilarious....
ReplyDeleteHandling the ball
For the purposes of determining handball offences, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit. Not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offence.
It is an offence if a player:
deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball
touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised
scores in the opponents’ goal:
directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper
immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental
Very good perfomance for joao pinheiro in first half
ReplyDeleteOf course you said that, hes been so poor
Deleteplease, at least tonight, don't comment... Pinheiro looks completely executed
DeleteHalf time replays showing it looks like either the AR or FO gave handball against Bayern before it hit Mendes' arm.
ReplyDeleteDo you have the clip ?
DeleteAhmed truly has a strangle hold on this forum haha. Pinheiro's been fine so far.
ReplyDelete+1.
DeleteThe amount of people writing who, it seems, want the referee to fail/mess up/be criticised/be rejected makes me feel sick.
That was a huge error re missed Mendes 2nd yellow. Im willing to forgive the penalty shout as it came from his own player, but the 2nd yellow card missed is a massive and game changing error.
DeleteHe also comes across as arrogant and looks all over the place. No discipline control either.
The reason for the difference in handball laws from own your team to oppositon team is obvious. You are never expecting your own player to slam a ball against you from 2 yards, as opposed to when you are defending and the responsibility is on the defender to not make themself bigger
ReplyDeleteLaimer neither committed a foul nor touched the ball with his hand. The Paris player should have received a second yellow card and a red card. A clear and potentially game-changing decision.
ReplyDeleteAs seen on German television during halftime: no handball by Laimer—therefore a free kick for Bayern and a yellow-red card for PSG. The handball inside the penalty area was correctly called.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of who wins today's game, European refereeing will arrive at the World Cup under heavy doubts following the controversies surrounding Kovacs, Turpin, Vincic, and now, Pinheiro.
ReplyDeleteAnd you can add the doubt about physical condition from Marciniak
Delete30' El Bayern pide penalti
ReplyDeleteJoao Neves toca el balón con la mano en el área y los jugadores piden penalti, pero el árbitro no ve nada punible. El toque viene precedido de un despeje, por lo que es involuntaria.
29' Reclaman la roja para Mendes
El jugador del PSG ya tiene una tarjeta amarilla y acaba de tocar el balón con la mano, por lo que el Bayern reclamaba su expulsión. Sin embargo, había una mano previa de Laimer y la acción queda en nada.
(MUNDO DEPORTIVO - NEWSPAPER FROM BARCELONA). THE 2 DECISIONS ARE CORRECT. 1) LAIMER TOUCH THE BALL WITH IS ARM BEFORE MENDES MADE THE SAME. 2) THERE IS NO PENALTY KICK BECAUSE THE BALL CAMES FROM A TEAM MADE THAT WANTS TO PUT THE BALL AWAY
Tnt sport showed a replay and it went off his chest and onto his arm.
ReplyDeleteSo did laimer handball or not? We did not get clear replay
ReplyDelete