2021-2022 UEFA Referee Discussion [R]

The one thing I would add is that I don't think it's one of "those" where the Referee doesn't want to give two bites at it - playing advantage then awarding the PK when it doesn't accrue. I dont see any indication of advantage, so I just think he doesn't see a foul!

 

I found it because I was curious about how an Andorran team ended up in extra time in a European competition. Then I saw a PK in extra time and had to go search for the highlights!

 

It looks the referee was Ukrainian. I get it, you're not going to get Felix Brych on these games, but the referee was Viktor Kopiievskyi (according to wikipedia) who has been a FIFA referee since 2020 and must referee games in the Ukrainian first division.

That's not a total joke of a league. You have some big clubs with some big players in Dynamo Kiev and Shaktar Donetsk.

Watching it initially, I was thinking you're getting an official from some really small country like Kosovo or Azerbaijan or Luxembourg.

This guy looked completely in over his head. It might as well have been some Sunday morning amateur league referee who was in over his head.

 

Kopiyevsʹkyy just isn't very good unfortunately - FFU pushed him quite a lot but he made a really huge mess of his Dynamo vs. Shakhtar debut. He has a game manager style which is just absurd in Ukraine where you have to strictly punish offences in order to survive.

I can't state this clearly enough - if you ever referee Andorra, an Andorran team, in UEFA competition you have to be strict from the first whistle!! These football matches actually have zero relevance to the EURO, I hope that referees remember that, and the team(s) will just 'kill' you otherwise.

There are good referees in Ukraine - eg. Kozyryatskiy, Romanov, especially Balakin - but many are rather weak. As in many ex-socialist countries, the institutions, national associations, are much weaker than now private players in the industry, which does not help the referees at all.

They can get beaten up without much punishment for the perpetrators, can be ridiculously banned, some refs removed without much reason, etc. Sad state of affairs :/

 

Madden doesnt use VAR domestically either.

 

No, GLT has been tried in the Cup Final - in dramatic fashion as it happens - but VAR has not been used.

Cost is the issue for many of the "smaller" nations in UEFA, though I would imagine that given their status in IFAB, it will be quite embarrassing for Scotland if that situation persists much longer.

 

Although if you're talking IFAB members, I suspect VAR will be introduced in Scotland way before the money's there for it in Welsh domestic football!

 

Agreed, but I think from a historical standpoint (impact in UEFA competitions from both a Club and Officiating standpoint), I think Scotland are somewhat "bigger" than Wales, and so their absence from the list of UEFA countries now using VAR is more embarrassing.

I believe the Scottish League is the highest ranking League in UEFA not using VAR - the Scottish League is currently ranked 9th. Belgium, incidentally is 13th, Czech Republic 17th. Oh, and Wales is 50th!.

I believe we are now at around 30 of UEFA's 55 countries who are either actively using VAR, or are in the very late phase of testing.

 

The good news spreads even wider than that - there have been a significant number of guys who are not even on the International List who have been on the various qualifiers in the past couple of weeks, including Champions League. Usually as 4th or AR2 but still good appointments for them.

 

Also answers any remaining questions about Cakir post-EURO.

 

So the Cakir and Orsato appointments basically signal that they should be in Qatar for the World Cup? They definitely will see the 2021-2022 European season out which means they should be then in Qatar of November of next year.

That's why I found the Kuipers retirement odd. I know it's still a huge grind and commitment, but all Kuipers had to was get through this upcoming season and he was basically at the World Cup since the World Cup would take place in the middle of a European season. It's not like he would have to grind out through two full European seasons or three if the Euros took place last year like they should have.

I get it he would essentially be committing another year and a half of training for the opportunity to really do one game (the Final). He figured the odds of getting the Final and stress to perform well in the CL wasn't worth it.

 

I read on UEFA website that Ludogorets-Olympiakos referee is Grinfeeld, not Dias. The last Elite referee not appointed for any CL/EL/Conference match is Brych, so I can give him a 99% odd for the Super Cup.