Luckily, the referees appear to have moved past their nervy start and the four referees today performed admirably. There was one big penalty call and a red card (both from Felix Brych in Uruguay v. Costa Rica) but neither could really be disputed. Mark Geiger (USA), Colombia v. Greece – Geiger did really, really well. Very solid performance, and he looked very
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The group stage gets started in earnest on Saturday with four matches. Arguably the biggest (at least in terms of attention) will be England v. Italy. Bjorn Kuipers of the Netherlands has been given the reigns of that one. Kuipers (above) had a solid Champions League Final, despite popular perception, and his strength in man management makes him a good
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Ever since Sergio Ramos’ 93rd-minute shot heard ’round the world in the Champions League final, people have been talking about stoppage time. Whether you believe referee Bjorn Kuipers’ decision to add five minutes to the second half was right or wrong, there’s no doubt that it impacted the match. So, how do referees decide how many minutes of stoppage time
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My post breaking down Bjorn Kuipers’ decision to add five minutes to the end of the Champions League final has caused a bit of a stir. (Hi, all of The Netherlands!) It’s hard to argue the numbers, so the main dissent has been that he was inconsistent between the first and second halves, and somehow that “proves” he was wrong.
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Bjorn Kuipers is a good referee. And for the most part, his part in the 4-1 Real Madrid extra time win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Final was played well. If you’re a Real Madrid fan, you thought he was great. Unfortunately, for everyone else – Atletico Madrid fans and neutrals – what he did well is overshadowed
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When Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid clash in the Champions League final on Saturday, one of refereeing’s rising stars will be in the middle: Bjorn Kuipers of the Netherlands. And who better to help us get to know a distinguished Dutch referee than…a Dutch referee? Or rather, The Dutch Referee. If you haven’t checked out Jan’s blog, I’d highly recommend
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Surprise! Not really. As I predicted, the Dutchman and the German will take the Champions League and Europa League finals. Bjorn Kuipers, a supermarket owner from the Netherlands, will manage the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in Lisbon, Portugal on May 24. Read more about Kuipers appointment on UEFA.com. Dr. Felix Brych, who is from Germany
Read moreWe now know who will referee the semifinals for the Champions League and Europa League. So, it’s time to make our predictions for the finals. Champions League: Bjorn Kuipers, Netherlands Bjorn Kuipers (above, left) is easily considered one of the top referees in the world, and will represent The Netherlands at the World Cup finals in Brazil. He was in contention
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The Champions League referees for Wednesday, March 19 have been announced. UEFA have clearly moved away from using non-Elite referees in these matches, because these guys are about as Elite as they come. Arguably the world’s top ref, Bjorn Kuipers (above), will referee Manchester United’s tie against Olympiakos. Moyes and company shouldn’t have much to complain about there; Kuipers is
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The Europa League referees for the Round of 16 first tie are announced, and it’s quite the impressive list. Three of the eight – Cuneyt Cakir of Turkey, Bjorn Kuipers of the Netherlands (above) and Jonas Eriksson of Sweden – will referee in Brazil. Of the remaining, Czech Pavel Kralovec is Elite, and Daniele Orsato of Italy is Elite Development.
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