What should the referee have done?

[Kebbie Gazauzkas]

Please watch this short clip and state your opinion.
What cards (if any) would you show in such a situation?
The game is Portugal vs. the Netherlands (2006 World Cup), I feel that Valentin Ivanov did a good job with the game and deservedly showed 16 yellow cards and 4 red cards, but he didn't see this incident.

Thanks beforehand!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiuhNf07hKY

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac6TxZ2g5AU

[JoseP]

He should go over and flip off the Portugese players.

[saabrian]

Amen. I was astonished at how much stick Ivanov got. I not a ref but I think he did an excellent job reffing two teams who were determined to waste their great skill and play like it was Bolton vs Blackburn.

[mw26]

disclaimer: arsenal fan, love rvp

i couldn't possibly send of rvp for that, but definite caution (although that kinda went down to no-card threshold in that game). if that'd been me (or so many other players), fists would have been thrown. simply amazing restraint. watching it months later, i want to jump in there and punch carvalho and ricardo.

oh, yeah, if carding, one is also required for (carvalho?) for instigatine by pushing rvp unprovoked

[jose\/erde]

Angry frustrated people what they are doing best. IMO verbal or signaled aggression isn't much for carding.

[KMJvet]

Maybe a yellow card to RVP for the elbow--need a better angle. For sure a yellow card to RVP for the diving. And for sure a red card to RVP for the obscene gesture.

[MassachusettsRef]

Yeah, this is an impossible case study for two reasons. One, the match itself. The context of all the cards, and especially at that high level, where Ivanov knew he was setting records he didn't want to have to, makes everything difficult to decipher. Two, it does look like a dive, but we really only see one angle and the Portuguese player does move his arm--a sole video angle has fooled us before, so maybe it wasn't a dive.

That being said, in a vacuum, Van Persie certainly gets sent off for the obscene gesture.

[Claymore]

MR has it right.

BTW, I love the irony of the Portuguese players getting upset about foul simulation. :D

[Kebbie Gazauzkas]

Thanks for the interesting responses!
I agree that Ricardo Carvalho should have been cautioned, but not sure if giving another player the finger (or equivalent) is a mandatory red card offense.
Also, I guess that there could be a yellow card if players are leaning over/trying to intimidate a fallen footballer from the opposing team.
The goalkeeper Ricardo Pereira already had a yellow card.

It's also weird that van Persie's anger seemed directed at Ricardo Pereira, not at Carvalho who had pushed him.

[DadOf6]

not sure if giving another player the finger (or equivalent) is a mandatory red card offense.

It's a red card according to the LOTG. Mandatory? A referee has room to use his judgement.

[IASocFan]

...but not sure if giving another player the finger (or equivalent) is a mandatory red card offense...

From FIFA's LOTG:
"Sending-Off Offences
A player, substitute or substituted player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following seven offences:
...
6. uses offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures"

The referee has some discretion in these things, but RVP had definitely earned a RED card.

[Kebbie Gazauzkas]

Thank you, wasn't sure about that rule, seems reasonable given the fact that mocking the referee or another player could be a yellow card (e.g. Rooney and Lusio were shown second yellows for sarcastically applauding referees after being booked), though in the particular circumstances Robin van Persie's reaction seemed understandable.