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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You have questions. I have answers. 1.) Is <insert referee here> a <insert team here> fan? It is a peculiar aspect of footballing physics that, inevitably, every referee – on any given day – is a fan of the team opposing yours. (Except my poor, stupid Spurs; no referee ever seems to be a Spurs fan.) There is no better illustration
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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 moreI get a report every day that tells me what people are searching for when they land on Play the Advantage. Between that report and my inbox, I have a pretty good idea of the burning questions people are dying to get answered. In the spirit of service that permeates everything I do, I’m starting a new feature to answer said burning questions. So,
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Add yet another feather of refereeing oddness to the Honey Badger’s cap. Italy’s Nicola Rizzoli gave Diego Costa a deserved penalty kick in Atletico Madrid’s Champions League semifinal clash with Chelsea, after Samuel Eto’o clumsily chopped him down in the box. But Costa went all “princess and the pea”, bizarrely claiming the ball wasn’t sitting right and continuing to spin
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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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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Pedro Proenca of Portugal will referee the Champions League final game between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid on Tuesday, April 29. Proenca is the most boring international referee around. And that’s good. You don’t get very far with a “pedro proenca controversy” google search because there’s just not much. He is a very consistent, deliberate referee who is very calm
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