2019-2020 UEFA Referee Discussion [Rs]

The UCL playoff matches are this week, which are where VAR and the Elite referees come in. Truly some of the most consequential matches until you get to the late knockout stages because money from group stage participation is on the line, so these are a big deal:

Cluj : Slavia Prague - CAKIR (TUR)
APOEL : Ajax - MATEU LAHOZ (ESP)
Linsker ASK : Club Brugge - MARCINIAK (POL)

VARs are from the same countries.

Eyes will be on Marciniak this year. He needs to perform if he wants late knockout stages and to secure a Euro 2020 appointment.

 

What do you mean by “decision?”

Also I heard that all three penalties awarded by Pawson were correct. What were the issues in that match?

 

Ah, okay. It’s been standard operating procedure forever, so I don’t really view it as a decision, which is why I asked.

No one knows.

Referees with no or little VAR experience are going to have to be used in the group stages. So at some point UEFA is going to need to relent. They might wait until matchday 1 but my guess is you’ll see Hategan and at least one of the English referees on the remaining 9 playoff matches.

 

Oliver with FIFA. Harder to say with UEFA. Taylor did really well last year. It’s close but probably still Oliver at the moment.

 

I know this is meant in jest and I agree with the sentiment. But putting her as FO to Turpin would be a smart move politically that would save some sort of face with those who recognize how absurd the Super Cup appointment was.

Short of that, I bet she sees a UEL group stage match this year.

 

Should, could and would are important distinctions here. I’m not sure which word best applies.

Steinhaus and Frappart getting UEL matches is still a pretty decent leap given there are a couple male FIFAs from their own countries who don’t. And they haven’t done any qualifiers.

That said, using more than one female referee does alleviate some of the pressure that would be applied if only one was appointed. So maybe it will be two or none.

 

Aren't you missing Brych?

Also, technically Ayetkin, Gil Manzano, Kassai, and Soares Dias, too, right? All are Elite referees with the requisite experience or training.

Ayetkin is very unlikely to get a match. Gil Manzano is AVAR on one of the leg 1 matches--that doesn't preclude him, but three Spaniards would be a lot for 12 matches. Kassai had a UEL match and appears to be on the downward swing. And I don't really know about Soares Dias--he's probably too far outside a top 12 to be trusted but it's not completely insane.

So in practice, I think your list is probably right if you add Brych. But in theory it is larger than what you've put down.

I would bet Zwayer and one of the English referees misses out (by virtue of serving as VAR to the other). Not sure who the third referee would be.

 

It's Kamphuis. Van Boekel is AVAR.

UEFA is opening up the VAR function much more widely for this season. They simply have to do so, of course, or the strains on personnel would be too demanding. But it means you are going to see a lot of main VARs in UEFA competitions who are either not highly rated or thoroughly vetted as CRs by UEFA. It's the Irrati phenomenon going continent-wide; the VARs for Cakir and Mateu Lahoz are also relative nobodies. And UEFA has no problem putting the lower-ranked official as VAR over a higher-ranked AVAR... because the rankings/assessments from VAR are and will be distinct from referee performance (as they should be).

 

Blom is FO this time.