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
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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So, it’s no World Cup, but a Europa League semifinal is a pretty good consolation prize for England’s Mark Clattenburg (above). Clatts has had a truly outstanding year, both internationally and in Premier League, where he’s successfully taken charge of numerous big games. It is just a shame that he did not get this tournament final, and makes the fact
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It’s official: Chelsea get the Honey Badger. Italy’s Nicola Rizzoli, who officiated the 2013 Champions League final, will referee the Chelsea v Atletico Madrid semifinal at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, April 30. This is bad news for Chelsea’s manager, Jose Mourinho, and his band of thugs. Rizzoli is known as heavy-handed with the cards, even internationally, and he has no
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PLAY THE ADVANTAGE 