The Champions League is through the qualifying phase and the next stage--the Playoff Round, which starts in two weeks--is where the Elite Referees get reintroduced to the competition. So it's time to start this thread what we've had for a couple years now. This thread is for a discussion of UEFA referees in club competitions (UCL & EL) and their assignments and performances. If an individual match gets particular attention or interest, we will start an individual match thread. The top two categories of UEFA referees are listed below. Very occasionally, a referee from the next ("First") category will get a UCL assignment, but the below lists are essentially the people who will be doing UCL matches. Just a few changes from the last iteration of the list, which are highlighted in green and World Cup candidate referees have asterisks next to their names: ELITE [23] KRALOVEC (CZE)* ATKINSON (ENG) CLATTENBURG (ENG)* WEBB (ENG)* UNDIANO MALLENCO (ESP)* VELASCO CARBALLO (ESP)* LANNOY (FRA)* BRYCH (GER)* STARK (GER)* KASSAI (HUN)* RIZZOLI (ITA)* ROCCHI (ITA)* TAGLIAVENTO (ITA) KUIPERS (NED)* MOEN (NOR)* BENQUERENCA (POR) PROENCA (POR)* COLLUM (SCO) THOMSON (SCO)* MAZIC (SRB)* SKOMINA (SVN)* ERIKSSON (SWE)* CAKIR (TUR)* ELITE DEVELOPMENT [15] BEBEK (CRO) STRAHONJA (CRO) FERNANDEZ BORBALAN (ESP) GAUTIER (FRA) AYTEKIN (GER) GRAFE (GER) VAD (HUN) ORSATO (ITA) NIJHUIS (NED) STAVREV (MKD) HAGEN (NOR) HATEGAN (ROU) KARASEV (RUS) JUG (SVN) AYDINUS (TUR) UCL Final Referee has to come from the Elite list and cannot have done the game before. Competition for the match might be more wide-open than we've seen in many years. I would think Cakir, Eriksson, Skomina, Thomson, Moen, Kuipers, Brych, Lannoy, Velasco Carballo and Clattenburg all start out in the running. Unless some sort of statement needs to be made going into the World Cup, I can't envisage an obvious political issue here either--aside from France, there's no big country that really needs a "turn." Should really come down to performance and which clubs progress. If I had to choose a single favorite, I think I'd pick Eriksson right now, but there's almost zero confidence behind that pick. Also, as a reference, below is the overview of the scale that UEFA referee observers use to assess the officials: Description of the Marks 9.0 – 10.0 Excellent. 8.5 – 8.9 Very good. Important decision(s) correctly taken. 8.3 – 8.4 Good. Expected level. 8.2 Satisfactory with small areas for improvement. 8.0 – 8.1 Satisfactory with important areas for improvement. 7.9 One clear and important mistake, otherwise 8.3 or above. 7.8 One clear and important mistake, otherwise 8.0 – 8.2. 7.5 – 7.7 Below expectation, poor control, significant point(s) to improve. 7.0 – 7.4 Disappointing. Below expectation with one clear important mistake or a performance with two or more clear and important mistakes. 6.0 – 6.9 Unacceptable.
The other 4 matches. Shakhter - Celtic: KRALOVEC (CZE) Viktoria Plzen - Maribor: BENQUERENCA (POR) Lyonnais - Real Sosiedad: MAZIC (SRB) Pacos De Ferreira - Zenit: ATKINSON (ENG)
Wednesday Matches Steaua - Legia: RIZZOLI (ITA) Schalke 04 - PAOK: LANNOY (FRA) Fenerbahce - Arsenal: ROCCHI (ITA) Dinamo Zagreb - Austria Vien: WEBB (ENG) Ludogorets - Basel: STARK (GER) There is only 1 option for Super Cup and it is Eriksson.
Seems very likely it is Eriksson, but couldn't it also--technically--be Moen? Also, I know there must be a reason, but why isn't Proenca a possibility? He doesn't have a playoff yet and hasn't had the Super Cup.
Technically Moen could have the final but I find it hard to believe. Moen is inexperienced compared to Eriksson so his appointment would be a risk. Proenca had already 2 finals (CL and EURO) so a 3rd one seems improbable.
Ok. I agree that Eriksson seems the favorite (and have read the rumors that he's got it). But I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something in the process of elimination. Technically it could be one of those three. EDIT: I suppose you could get really technical and say Tagliavento is also eligible, but that is even more unlikely
Yes if you want to be really technical then there are other options. Carballo, Undiano and Tagliavento are these other options.
Watching PSV - Milan (Cakir). Good first half for Cakir and his team, I thought. They got a very close not-offside decision correct on Milan's goal, and I think he's doing well with his foul selection. Bit of a blemish a few seconds before halftime, when he cautioned a PSV defender for a reckless foul against Balotelli, when in reality there was barely any contact and Balotelli threw himself to the ground unnecessarily. The incident occurred right on the touchline in front of the benches, which may have played a role. A replay showed that AR1 took his eyes off Balotelli and the defender to look at the offside line, so Cakir was making the call by himself (+ 4th offcial?), and his view was obscured by the PSV defender's body.
Watched Kralovec this evening and I can't say he impressed me. He missed a clear penalty for Shakhter (min. 11) for handball even though he had a good position. He should have overruled his AR1 at min. 45 when the AR signaled a foul in front of him (in favor of Shakhter) but if he had wait 3'' then another attacker would have taken the ball (as it happened) and there would be a great advantage. He should have played the advantage but chose to listen to his AR. AR2 missed 2 identical offsides' (min. 3+4).
Yellow?!? (Arsenal/Fenerbache) Yeah, the ball was right there, and it wasn't on purpose (probably), but still... http://deadspin.com/heres-arsenals-laurent-koscielny-getting-his-face-obl-1179020630
That's a tough one. He is looking right at the ball, making a play on the ball and he kicks at a level that is understandable to play the ball. Should he hold up/off because Koscielny challenges? I don't know. That's right on the border between reckless and excessive force. But I'd say probably red for me. Meanwhile, I find some level of humor in this incident (hopefully the YT video stays up): Not exactly the same as what Cakir famously gave last year against Nani, but it is quite similar. Add in the fact that Howard Webb gave it and it makes it all the more interesting, given people say this isn't called as SFP in the English game. Of course, people also say English referees officiate differently in Europe, so there is a counter-argument. An added note: the sent off player had literally just come on the field as a substitute--this was the first instance of dynamic play since the substitution.
I'm not entirely convinced Webb would have shown red for that in the PL. I certainly don't think there'd be the demand for it that you got in that game, either from players or the crowd.
No way does Webb give that in the EPL and, honestly, I doubt he would have given that if it was Real Madrid vs. Bayern in the Champions League semi-final. Or maybe I'm wrong and the pre-season seminars they had prior to the start of the UEFA season might have changed his thinking.
Tuesday's playoffs... Austria Wien : Dinamo Zagreb - TAGLIAVENTO (ITA) Basel : Ludogorets - COLLUM (SCO) Legia Warsaw : Steaua Bucharest - PROENCA (POR) PAOK : Schalke - KUIPERS (NED) Arsenal : Fenerbache - VELASCO CARBALLO (ESP) Literally down to Eriksson or Moen for the Super Cup, so Eriksson seems to be the safe bet.
Final UCL Playoff appointments: Zenit : Pacos de Ferreira - UNDIANO MALLENCO (ESP) Maribor : Plzen - BRYCH (GER) Celtic : Shakhter Karagandy - MOEN (NOR) Real Sociedad : Lyon - SKOMINA (SVN) Milan : PSV - CLATTENBURG (ENG)
PAOK : Schalke - KUIPERS (NED) I think Kuipers has been too lenient and I didn't see the first YC on Jones as yellow unless I just missed it. The second one was absolutely a yellow for a 2CT Red. Jones knew it too... He's trying now to tighten the game up here towards the end.
Really tough match. Celtic under a ton of pressure in front of home crowd to come back from down 0-2. Thought he was excellent. Fitness and work rate were phenomenal. Is he a WC candidate?
Yes. I think conventional wisdom is that he's young and is probably just on the outside looking in, but he does have a shot--probably in a group of 3-5 referees for the final couple UEFA spots once everything at the top is sorted out. He's probably a lock for EURO 2016, at the very least.