It’s not often that we get to hear what the referees say to the players before a match. So, I was pretty fascinated to hear Wolfgang Stark’s speech to the Porto and Sevilla captains while watching Fox’s live stream. First of all, Wolfgang Stark has been there, done that, has the t-shirt. He is not there to babysit. Here’s exactly what he
Read more
I don’t have much of value to add to this week’s Serie A referees. Only that Catania v. Torino wins the Eye Candy of the Week award, with both Nicola Rizzoli and Marco Guida serving as adds – to Gianluca Rocchi*, no less! Saturday CHIEVO – VERONA TAGLIAVENTO DI FIORE – NICOLETTI IV: MUSOLINO ADD1: DOVERI ADD2: CIAMPI INTER – BOLOGNA MAZZOLENI
Read more
Here are your referees for this weekend’s MLS games. Saturday Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas REFEREE: RICARDO SALAZAR AR1: Peter Manikowski AR2: Mike Kampmeinert 4TH: Mark Kadlecik Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Colorado Rapids REFEREE: IOANNIS STAVRIDIS AR1: Kevin Klinger AR2: Matthew Kreitzer 4TH: Daniel Radford Columbus Crew vs. Toronto FC REFEREE: ISMAIL ELFATH AR1: George Gansner AR2: Jason White 4TH: Sorin
Read more
It should be a nice, uneventful week for Premier League referees, though at this stage in the season – and with the title race still somewhat open – I guess “uneventful” is a relative term. Martin Atkinson (above) probably has the toughest job on paper. Arsenal visits Everton on Sunday. With the teams at fourth and fifth respectively, Everton need to
Read more
Roma and Parma will play their match that was originally scheduled for February 2 exactly two months later, on Tuesday, April 2. That match was originally suspended due to rain. Andrea de Marco (above) will once again be the man in the middle.
Read more
It’s a position a referee never wants to be in. Martin Hansson, one of Sweden’s top referees, was overseeing the first game of the Swedish season with Djurgarden at Helsingborgs. Approximately 30 minutes before the match, a man was attacked by rival fans. Sadly, he did not survive. Though the match began, word of the man’s death spread, and distraught Djurgarden
Read more
Yes, it was a dive. Wayne Rooney took advantage of a poorly-thought out challenge from Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was already on a yellow. Rooney tripped over him and literally threw himself into the air, arms splayed, head thrown back, like the worst ballerina ever. The dive worked, though; Rooney conned referee Carlos Velasco Carballo into a second yellow card and a sending off
Read more
These appointments are about what you’d expect for Europa League matches: solid referees who aren’t quite at the Champions League/World Cup level. Svein Oddvar Moen (above – dreamy, no?) is actually on the World Cup list, as the alternate team for UEFA. Wolfgang Stark has been top dog in Germany, but is close to retirement and has been recently eclipsed
Read more
For the record, Mark Clattenburg is on fire this year. Just when I said I suspected that there would be no non-World Cup referees in the Champions League quarterfinals, he comes up big for Real Madrid v. Dortmund. It’s a shame, really. Howard Webb’s struggles are well-known, and Clatts is having the year of his life. If the last 6-9 months were
Read more
I’m sorry, I can’t help myself. I know there’s lots of important stuff going on in the refereeing world (like Nicola Rizzoli babying half the Sassuolo team over a non-existent penalty), but I’m obsessed with Lee Probert. I hope there’s a medication for that. Anyway I’m sorry, but this is hilarious. This is Gordon Strachan narrating Lee getting Arsene Wenger tossed for kicking
Read more
PLAY THE ADVANTAGE 