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Tag: referee

  • Assistant referee sustains head cut by drink thrown from stands

    Assistant referee sustains head cut by drink thrown from stands

    Sturm Graz have condemned the “damaging” behaviour of a fan who threw a full drink at an assistant referee which cut his head open.

    The incident happened at the Austrian club’s home Europa League fixture with Cypriot club AEK Larnaca on Thursday.

    TV footage clearly shows a home fan rising from his seat and aiming the heavy projectile towards the assistant.

    Sturm Graz said the fan had been apprehended and they were now considering what action would be taken.

    “We are sorry that today we have disappointed many football fans,” a statement read.

    “This damages the reputation of football and us as a club. We always try to see football as a positive celebration and to tackle these things exactly. Fair play is our top priority.”

    The match was stopped in the 77th minute after Swedish assistant Fredrik Klyver was hit by what appeared to be a large plastic cup filled with liquid.

    He received treatment at the side of the pitch for a nasty gash before being helped from the field of play with a bandage around his head.

    After a delay of about 24 minutes, Klyver was replaced by fourth official Magnus Lindgren and the match was resumed. Lanarca went on to win the third qualifying-round, first-leg tie 2-0.

    BBC

  • FIFA reduces number of officials for final phase of World Cup

    FIFA reduces number of officials for final phase of World Cup

    The FIFA Referees’ Committee (FRC) on Monday, said it has reduced the number of match officials earlier slated for the final phase of the 2018 World Cup.

    Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of the committee, told reporters in Moscow, that 12 referees, 26 assistant referees and 10 Video Assistant Referees (VARs) have now been selected for the final phase.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the phase, which include semi-finals, third-place and final stage matches, begin with the semi-finals on Tuesday in St. Petersburg.

    “Given the fact that there are only four games left to play, the number of referees has been reduced again.

    “Five referees and 11 assistant referees have been removed from the list we gave out after the second round.

    “But the VARs, which are 10 in number, still remain as earlier selected for the final phase,’’ Collina said.

    NAN reports that the committee had last Wednesday selected 17 referees, 37 assistant referees and 10 Video Assistant Referees (VARs) for the final phase of the tournament.

    Collina however did not explain why the action was taken.

    “I can only say it was all due to the number of matches remaining in the competition,’’ he said.

    Collina added: “But at this point in time, the committee will like to thank all match officials who have been involved in the 2018 World Cup so far for their commitment and professionalism.’’

    The semi-final matches will see France take on Belgium on Tuesday in St Petersburg, while Croatia will face England on Wednesday in Moscow.

    The third-place match is slated for Saturday in St Petersburg, while the final match is billed for Sunday at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

    The new list of referees, from where match officials who would handle the final match of Sunday would be picked, has Alireza Faghani of Iran, Malang Diedhiou of Senegal and Mark Geiger of the U.S.

    Others are Cesar Palazuelos of Mexico, Andres Cunha of Uruguay, Nestor Pitana of Argentina, Sandro Ricci of Brazil and Matthew Conger of New Zealand, Cuneyt

    Cakir of Turkey, Bjorn Kuipers of the Netherlands, Milorad Mazic of Serbia and Gianluca Rocchi of Italy.

    Thirty six referees and 63 assistant referees were selected in March for the competition, alongside 13 VARs.

    They were picked from the 53 groups of three referees placed under FIFA’s watch for the competition since September 2014.

    NAN

  • World Cup: Colombia were robbed – Diego Maradona

    World Cup: Colombia were robbed – Diego Maradona

    Diego Maradona says Colombia were victims of a “monumental robbery” against England and accused referee Mark Geiger of favouring Gareth Southgate’s side.

    England booked their place in the quarter-finals of the competition with a win on penalties on Tuesday night.

    They had earlier taken the lead from the penalty spot after Harry Kane was fouled by Carlos Sanchez and, although Colombia equalised late on through Yerry Mina, it was England who held their nerve on spot-kicks to progress to the last eight.

    Maradona, who scored his ‘Hand of God’ goal at the 1986 World Cup, says Geiger should have penalised Kane in the build-up to England’s second-half penalty.

    “Today I saw a monumental robbery on the pitch, a fatal mistake for a whole country,” Maradona told Venezuela-based channel Telesur.

    “Here’s a gentleman who decides, a referee who, if you Google him, shouldn’t be given a match of this magnitude.

    Geiger, an American, what a coincidence.”

    Maradona also criticised Pierluigi Collina, head of FIFA’s referee committee, for allowing Geiger to officiate the match.

    “I’m just sorry for the whole Colombian people,” Maradona said. “I cheered Colombia’s goal as if I had headed it myself.”

    Sky Sports

  • Football referee attacked, described as ‘worst in Britain’ [Video]

    An attack on a referee at an amateur football match has been described as the “worst assault on a match official on British soil”.

    Sunday’s incident occurred during a cup game organised by the Turkish Community Football Federation in north London.

    The Federation says it is “shocked and disgusted” and “strongly condemns” the incident, which was filmed.

    Police told BBC Sport they are investigating an alleged assault on a man in his late 20s.

    It is understood the referee suffered only minor injuries during the game at New River sports centre in White Hart Lane, which saw Dumlupinar Yeni Malatyaspor beat GS FC 2-1.

    The Metropolitan Police said it was called to a report of an assault between 18:50 BST and 19:05 BST in White Hart Lane.

    Footage of the incident was sent to charity Ref Support as part of its Referee Abuse Must Stop campaign.

    It shows a man being tackled to the ground and kicked on the floor by a group of people on a football pitch.

    “This is the worst assault on a match official we have seen on British soil,” said Ref Support’s chief executive Martin Cassidy.

    “The subject needs to be taken seriously and the FA referees department needs to allow a pilot of body cams at grassroots level, to not only act as a deterrent to assaults and abuse but also as an evidence-collecting device.”

    The TCFF and the London Football Association are investigating the incident while the Football Association says it has started a disciplinary process.

    “Both the London FA and the FA condemn any assault on a match official and have offered support to the referee,” said the FA.

    The TCFF said it is also meeting the team involved to “discuss our options with regard to any action we will take against the club and individuals involved.”

    Ian Braid, managing director of Duty of Care in Action Sport, added: “The trend of increasing abuse of match officials is something sport, not just football, needs to address, not only for the well-being and welfare of the individuals involved but to address the trend of declining numbers of people volunteering to be an official.”

  • Russia 2018: World Cup referee banned for life

    A World Cup-bound referee has been banned for life for a match-fixing attempt in Saudi Arabia just weeks before he was due to fly to Russia, says the country’s football federation.

    The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) says Fahad Al Mirdasi confessed to offering to fix the King’s Cup final between Al Ittihad and Al Faisaly.

    According to the SAFF, 32-year-old Al Mirdasi contacted an Al Ittihad official, who handed the messages over.

    Fifa has requested more information.

    “Fifa notes the information that referee Fahad Al Mirdasi has allegedly been banned from all football-related activities by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF),” the world governing body told BBC Sport.

    The SAFF added that Al Mirdasi, who has been a Fifa referee since 2011, admitted soliciting the corrupt payment after being taken into police custody.

    British former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg – who became Saudi Arabia’s head of referees in February 2017 – replaced Al Mirdasi for Saturday’s King’s Cup final, which Al Ittihad won 3-1 after extra time.

  • Wenger gets three-match touchline ban ‘abusive’ behaviour

    Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been given a three-match touchline ban and fined £40,000 for his behaviour in the referee’s changing room after Sunday’s game against West Brom.

    A Football Association statement said the Frenchman admitted “his language and behaviour was abusive, improper and questioned the integrity of the match referee”.

    Wenger was angered by referee Mike Dean after his side’s draw at The Hawthorns, where Calum Chambers conceded a late penalty for handball.

    BBC Sports