UEFA Officiating this year

Is it just my imagination or is the officiating in this European Championship unusually bad.

I can understand a missed call now and then or a mistake here and there but almost every match seems to have had really bad calls made… And they don’t seem to concerned. There is not any press on it. Is it some sort of unwritten rule that you don’t criticize the UEFA or something?

Some games it has looked like out and out favoritism! Is it just me?

It doesn’t matter to me who wins. Just wish they would pay attention and try to make it fair.

And can some one tell me why they tossed out the German and Austrian Coaches? Was the ref just having a bad day or what? And now I hear the German Coaches can’t have contact with the teem until after their game with Portugal…for what?

It looks like a bunch of dictatorial little kids are running the show…

Or is it just me?

It's bad, yes. I don't know about unusually bad, though, at least not compared to the average World Cup where half the officials normally referee in the Saudi 2nd division.

Some dodgy decisions, but not too many in crucial games; I guess there'll be more of a stink once someone makes a howler in the knockouts and a team is eliminated as a result, since a bad decision in the group stages doesn't usually matter too much.

Yes it's pretty damn bad, I have raised an eyebrow or two.

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Originally Posted by Fisherking

And can some one tell me why they tossed out the German and Austrian Coaches? Was the ref just having a bad day or what? And now I hear the German Coaches can’t have contact with the teem until after their game with Portugal…for what?

It looks like a bunch of dictatorial little kids are running the show…

Or is it just me?

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They both left their benches and started to argue, face to face. Ref didn't make a bad decision, imho. It could have been harmless (as it probably was, as they shaked hands later) but the ref isn't supposed to be a mind reader. When both coaches leave their benches and meet up in the middle for some head-to-head discussion, it's usually up to no good. And it seems they knew they've made a mistake, that's why there was little protest to the decision.

Sorry that is not how it went down.

Here is the text to a couple of news paper articles on that event.

The difficulty was with the ref and I think it is an over reaction on the part of the officials...

It is only a symptom of the problem and EUFA backing an official's bad decision is not a solution, it only adds to the problem.


BASEL, Switzerland -- Germany's coach, Joachim Loew, will to have to watch his team's quarterfinal match against Portugal today from somewhere other than his team's bench.

UEFA yesterday suspended Loew for one game for a spat with an official. He and Austria coach Josef Hickersberger were ejected from their final group game Monday after they argued with fourth official, Damir Skomina of Slovenia. Loew can't have anything to do with his team from a half-hour before the match until a half-hour afterward.

Hickersberger was also suspended for a game but his team has been eliminated from Euro 2008.

ARROGANT
Oliver Bierhoff, manager of the German team, said the suspension was in large part due to the "arrogance" of the fourth official.

The fourth official assists the other officials with substitutions, checks players before they come into the game and ensures the coaches stay within their coaching box.

"We're disappointed," Bierhoff said. "It's not good for the team and it's not a good decision for football. In 14 years, Joachim has never had a suspension or fine."

While any communication is banned, coaches have been known to communicate by cellphone or hand signals.

Asked how Loew would communicate with his team, Bierhoff said: "We will not be communicating."

Loew had expected to be exonerated by UEFA.

"I haven't offended anyone," he said Tuesday. "I didn't transgress any serious rules."

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BASEL, Switzerland (AFP) — Germany manager Oliver Bierhoff has urged UEFA president Michel Platini to investigate the one-match ban handed to German coach Joachim Loew for Thursday's Euro 2008 clash with Portugal.

Loew has been banished from the sidelines by European football's governing body for the last eight clash after losing his appeal on Wednesday against his one-match ban for being sent off in Monday's 1-0 win over Austria in Vienna.

The German boss and Austrian coach Josef Hickersberger were both sent to the stands by Spanish referee Manuel Gonzalez just before half-time for arguing with the fourth official.

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has said he wants Loew to be allowed back on the bench and German manager Oliver Bierhoff said the squad were upset by UEFA's stance.

"I am very disappointed with the decision and I don't understand it," said Bierhoff.

"If you look at the facts, there has been a misrepresentation, there were enough cameras around the place to see the two managers weren't arguing with each other.

"This is not just about Joachim Loew, it's an issue which effects every coach, they have to be there to do their job.

"There is a lot of things going on in the heat of the moment and I can understand UEFA wanting to protect their referees.

"But the fourth official can often come across as quite arrogant and it something which Michael Platini should look at."

Bierhoff said he was waiting on clarification from UEFA to decide whether Loew could travel with the team to the stadium and what exactly he could do.

And he said the decision had an effect on Loew personally.

"In 14 years as a coach, he has never been fined or suspended and he took it hard, it was a blow to him," said Bierhoff.

"He can't rely on his gut instinct during the game now, this is an important match and he is disappointed not to be able to influence it."

Goodness, why is this cr stuff in the backroom? :inquisitive:


And what the hell is EUFA? Someone fix it already. :beam:

Bah, there have been a couple of mistakes, but the majority has been sound.

I think it's because if people talk about referees for long enough it will inevitably result in un-Frontroomish language.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fisherking

Sorry that is not how it went down.

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Could be, I didn't see the argument, I've just seen that when the ref sent them off, they were standing somewhere in the middle between their respective benches. The fact that they didn't argue between themselves, but with the fourth ref makes it even worse. It's not your place as a coach to do that, and ref can send you off for that. Expecially on EC, WC or other big important competitions. Rules were always enforced more strictly on those type of competitions.

From what I get the 4th Ref made the problem… I can not find any further statements as to the argument but from what I understand it started over player substitutions and the Austrian coach being too animated. Loew took issue with the Ref about coaching zones…the whole thing seems ridiculous.

The assessment that the Ref was AROGENT may be justified.

More important is the selective vision of some of these Refs. Here is just one example: I can not remember which game it was but the camera caught one player strike another in the back twice and knee him on the tail bone with two refs looking on…and no call was made while lots of seemingly inadvertent contacts draw yellow…

In some of these games you can almost see which side is favored. That just should not be.

Some of it just seems pretty flagrant to me. Maybe my standards are just too high…

And what the hell is EUFA? Someone fix it already

yes please, irritates me every time i see it!