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      New footage shows Jude Bellingham losing it with referee in Real Madrid clash and swearing at him in heated scenes

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      NEW FOOTAGE shows Jude Bellingham swearing at referee at half-time during Madrid’s clash with Almeria.The Madrid man can be heard swearing at the ref as he complains about not being given enough fouls during the game.
      Jude Bellingham fumed at the referee
      And was confused when the ref agreed with him
      He walked away in disgust
      New footage shows Bellingham saying: “That’s a foul on me there!”
      The referee replies saying: “I agree with you in that one.”
      Rather than the reply calming Bellingham down, he responded by saying: “Oh my God… brilliant. I don’t get a f*****g foul for you agreeing with me though. It’s just f*****g s**t man every week. F*****g hell.”
      Despite Bellingham’s complaints, Madrid were generally seen as the ones that got the rub of the green with decisions.
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      Madrid struggled massively against the bottom of the league side, who haven’t won a single game this season.
      They entered half-time at 2-0 down as Almeria raced into a surprise lead.
      Referee Francisco José Hernández Maeso was at the centre of the controversy for ruling out an Almeria goal, awarding Real Madrid a penalty and allowing a goal scored with Vinicius Junior’s upper arm to stand despite VAR intervention.
      All three decisions were made after Hernández Maeso rewatched the incidents on the pitch-side monitor.
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      Bellingham was on hand to score the penalty awarded by the referee after he judged Kaiky Fernandes to have handled the ball, despite him being pushed in the back by Madrid striker and former Stoke man Joselu.
      After the game, Almeria’s Edgar González said: “This is a competition that should be fair for everyone, and sometimes it’s hard to see that.
      “The [Madrid penalty] is a clear foul and I think the second is handball. All the decisions went in their favour.”
      Defender Marc Pubill also added: “somebody decided we couldn’t win and that’s what happened.”
      Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti saw things differently, however, saying: “I understand Almería’s anger with the decisions, but I think they were all correct.
      “I have seen them back. I think the referee gets them right. It’s not VAR making the decisions. VAR advises and the referee decides. I think he was right. More

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      Howard Webb ‘claims VAR was RIGHT not to overturn Ivan Toney’s goal’ in unseen letter to Nottingham Forest

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      PGMOL boss Howard Webb has insisted VAR were correct not to intervene and disallow Ivan Toney’s free-kick in a letter to Nottingham Forest.Toney, 27, marked his return after an eight-month betting ban by scoring the opener in Brentford’s 3-2 win over Forest on Saturday evening.
      Ivan Toney was spotted moving the ball before scoring a free-kick at the weekendCredit: X formerly Twitter / @SkySportsPL
      Referee chief Howard Webb insists the VAR followed the protocols correctlyCredit: Rex
      But the goal caused much uproar as the England striker was spotted moving the ball and the vanishing spray before the set-piece was taken.
      Forest wrote to the referees’ body, the PGMOL, insisting Toney’s conduct was a “serious missed incident”.
      The Tricky Trees also questioned why VAR Michael Salisbury did not intervene in the matter.
      But, according to The Mail, Webb responded to Forest on Monday confirming that the appropriate protocols were followed.
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      Rules agreed by the International Football Association Board [IFAB] dictate that the VAR can only get involved in matters relating to “goals, penalties, red cards and mistaken identity”.
      Toney’s re-placing of the ball did not fall within this remit, so VAR Salisbury was unable to intervene.
      Forest are now internally discussing Webb’s response before they issue a comment publicly.
      However, they are “unlikely” to pursue the matter any further.
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      Toney could have been booked for moving the ball had it been spotted by referee Darren England.
      It is the second time in less than a month that Forest have been left furious with the implementation of VAR.
      In December, Forest defender Willy Boly was controversially dismissed for a second yellow card despite cleanly winning the ball in a challenge with Bournemouth’s Adam Smith.
      VAR was unable to intervene as it was a yellow card offence rather than a straight red.
      Neville won’t approve
      Manchester United legend Gary Neville will be unimpressed by Forest’s decision to write to the PGMOL.
      That is because he criticised both Liverpool and Arsenal for doing the same thing earlier this season.
      He tweeted: “Clubs writing to the PGMOL is embarrassing!
      “Liverpool and Arsenal started it and set the precedent of this nonsense.”
      Fuming fans
      Football fans were fuming after Toney moved his free-kick at the weekend.
      And they took to social media to vent their frustrations.
      One said: “Toney moving the ball to a more favourable position. Ban him again.”
      A second fan added: “Ivan Toney caught red-handed moving the vanishing foam (and the ball) while the referee’s back is turned.”
      A third replied: “Ivan Toney does not score that goal if he didn’t move the ball and the white foam. How did VAR not check that?!”
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      Another responded: “Toney not only moved the ball after the wall was set, he moved it a second time and even moved the foam 🤣 I’ll give Turner a break on this one.”
      While a fifth said: “Naughty boy Toney, moving the ball & the foam whilst ref wasn’t looking! Still a useless wall with that gap & GK in wrong position.”
      Toney curled the free-kick into the corner having moved the ball slightly to the rightCredit: X formerly Twitter / @SkySportsPL More

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      Bizarre moment bitter referee sends off footie star for ‘disrespectful’ act at end of match

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      A REFEREE issued the most bizarre red card after a highly unusual incident that saw him getting trolled in Turkey.Ilker Yasin Avcı blew his whistle for last time on Sunday following the Turkish second-division match between Genclerbirligi and Sakaryaspor.
      A referee pulled out the strangest red card in Turkey
      Sakaryaspor ace Murat Cem Akpınar trolled referee Ilker Yasin Avcı
      Akpinar went for a handshake but pulled his hand away and Avci sent him off
      That was when Sakarayaspor ace Murat Cem Akpınar, who plays on loan from Trabzonspor, approached the ref and extended his arm to seemingly shake his hand.
      And just when the official was ready to return the favour – in what he thought was an act of sportsmanship – Akpinar pulled his hand away.
      That enraged Avci who immediately reached into his pocket and whipped out a yellow card.
      That was the midfielder’s second booking of the night and it ultimately led to a red card.
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      Fans were divided on social media as some thought the Turkish ace deserved to be sent off as he was “disrespectful” but others argued the referee was just being a little too bitter.
      One fan tweeted: “IS THERE REALLY SUCH A RULE?”
      Another commented: “He deserved it.”
      A third wondered: “What happened?”
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      This fan said: “Since when is that a red card?”
      And that one wrote: “I was going to ask if there is such an application, but the football player was disrespectful.”
      Genclerbirligi won 3-1 at home and Sakaryaspor were left unhappy with Avci’s officiating.
      The visitors’ chief Semih Ciftci and technical manager Turgay Karslı criticised the official and the linesman after the game.
      Fans were left divided on social media as to whether the ref was right
      Ciftci said: “The referees were very malicious. There was a penalty in the second half. We say, ‘Let them show the position on VAR’.
      “The referee said, ‘No! Don’t talk or I’ll give you a yellow card’. Also, the linesmen threatened us and did not let us talk. They give a yellow card to anyone who objects.
      “They are threatening speeches on the field. We cannot express ourselves.
      “In the position for the second goal, the opponent player takes [Rajko] Rotman down to the ground as if wrestling. How can they not see this? It’s incredible, we can’t understand it.
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      “We could not understand these decisions of the referees. How do these happen, and on what basis are these decisions made? Let these be explained and let them tell us.
      “Let’s say ‘thank you’ and be content with our rights. But we will not remain silent this way.” More

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      Asian Cup ace escapes red card for horror flying kick as fans say WWE star ‘would be proud’

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      LEBANON star Khalil Khamis escaped a red card after a horror FLYING KICK on China’s Dai Wai Tsun in the Asian Cup.Fans went crazy as the shocking head-high challenge wasn’t even given as a foul by the referee.
      Khalil Khamis brutally kicked China midfielder Dai Wai Tsun in the faceCredit: reddit
      And fans have been left outraged with the WWE style kickCredit: reddit
      The challenge was not deemed a red card offence and wasn’t even given as a foulCredit: AFP
      The 23rd minute incident saw Khamis, 29, attempt to clear his lines with his foot during their goalless draw in Group A.
      But after he smashes the ball away, he follows through with a stud led kick to Tsun’s face.
      As the midfielder goes down in agony clutching his face, Khamis protests his innocence as China’s players call for a card.
      But referee Hyung-Jin Ko blows his whistle to signal there was an offside in the build up to the Lebanese defender’s clearance.
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      Despite VAR reportedly having a look at the incident, no foul was given and no card was awarded.
      Fans were both confused and outraged over the decision, with one writing on Reddit: ” This is an MMA kick to the face.”
      A second joked: “WWE star Sheamus would be proud.”
      A third wrote: “He took the ball…and the eye of the opposing player.”
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      The opposite occurred yesterday when South Korea beat Bahrain 3-1 in their Group E opener.
      Five South Korean players and two Bahraini players received yellow cards from referee Ma Ning, and manager Jurgen Klinsmann blamed the officials for making it “a tricky game.”
      Bayern defender Kim Min-jae was booked early on, and Tottenham captain Son Heung-min, was called for diving in the Bahrain box in the final minutes.
      Son saw a yellow for simulationCredit: Getty More

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      Audio of Martin Odegaard’s handball against Liverpool is released as Howard Webb reveals referee got decision WRONG

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      HOWARD WEBB has revealed Liverpool SHOULD have been awarded a penalty in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal last month.The former Premier League referee gave his thought on the incident after releasing the VAR audio in the latest instalment of Match Officials Mic’d Up.
      VAR audio from Martin Odegaard’s handball against Liverpool has been releasedCredit: Premier League
      PGMOL chief Howard Webb talks through VAR’s decision to not award Liverpool a penalty for a possible handball against Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard 👇 pic.twitter.com/xAOm6o4xLM— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 16, 2024

      Liverpool were denied a penalty by referee Chris Kavanagh during the match at Anfield on December 23.
      Mohamed Salah had attempted to flick the ball round Martin Odegaard when the ball hit the Arsenal captain’s arm.
      However, a VAR review into the incident confirmed Kavanagh’s on-field decision.
      The audio from the decision shows Kavanagh saying: “No, his hand’s on the floor. His hand’s on the floor,” as the Liverpool players appealed for penalty.
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      Assistant VAR Lee Betts can then be heard during the review saying: “Yeah, from the brief look I’ve seen, yeah, agreed, yeah, yeah.”
      VAR David Coote then confirms the decision, explaining: “For me, Lee, I’m back with live. So, he’s falling down, he’s moving his arms in towards him, so it’s check complete for me.”
      Webb and former Liverpool striker Michael Owen disagreed with that analysis on Match Officials Mic’d Up, though.
      Ex-Red Owen admitted: “I thought it was a penalty,” before Webb explained his views on the decision.
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      “So do I,” the PGMOL chief responded. “The referee on the field recognised that Odegaard had slipped and saw his arm go towards the ground. 
      “We talk about ‘supporting arms’. If somebody falls, breaks their fall with the arm, it’s all very natural and a pretty well-established concept. In this situation. though, there’s an important difference to a normal play that’s falling.
      “This is not just Odegaard accidentally falling on to the ball. He does slip, his arm does go out, but he actually pulls his arm back in towards his body, which is when the ball makes contact with the arm.
      “The VAR looked at that aspect. He felt it was a case of Odegaard trying to make himself actually smaller by bringing the arm back towards the body. That is the element that’s important here.
      “Whether it’s instinctive or deliberate, he gets a huge advantage by bringing the arm back towards the ball. All the feedback we got afterwards was very clear. The game expects a penalty in this situation. I would agree.”
      Webb argued that the red card for Fulham’s Raul Jimenez at Newcastle and penalty awarded – also on review – for Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski’s “sustained” tug on Brighton striker Danny Welbeck, were correct interventions.
      Howard Webb revealed referee Chris Kavanagh should have given a penaltyCredit: Premier League
      He also backed Manchester City’s crucial penalty in the win at Everton, where the Toffees argued Amadou Onana was too close to the Nathan Ake shot to be penalised.
      But more surprisingly perhaps, the former World Cup final whistler said VAR Michael Salisbury was justified in allowing Luton’s last-gasp leveller at Turf Moor to stand.
      Burnley were furious, convinced that Elijah Adebayo had fouled keeper James Trafford before Carlton Morris headed home.
      But ref Tony Harrington’s initial view that Trafford has instigated the contact was eventually backed by Salisbury’s belief it was “not a clear and obvious error”.
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      Webb said: “I can understand why Burnley would expect a free-kick but I’ve spoken to a whole host of people who don’t see it that way.
      “VAR was brought in to rectify very clear situations. This was a grey one, not black and white. It split opinions so the VAR came out in the right place.” More

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      Ex-referee wants controversial rule scrapped before more Premier League players get hurt

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      MARK HALSEY has called for the delayed offside flag to be scrapped to avoid more serious injuries.Ederson limped off with a leg injury after the Manchester City keeper collided with Sean Longstaff as the Brazilian tried to prevent the Newcastle midfielder from converting Alexander Isak’s cross.
      Mark Halsey has urged the Premier League to scrap delayed offside flagsCredit: PA
      Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson was injured before an offside flag went upCredit: Rex
      The goal was ruled out by VAR due to an earlier offside in the build-up at St James’ Park on Saturday.
      It is the second time City boss Pep Guardiola has lost a star due to injury in a similar situation after John Stones was forced off at his former club Everton last month.
      SunSport’s referee expert Halsey says the use of the offside flag needs to be looked at with an urgent review of the VAR protocol to protect players.
      The former Prem ref said: “The safety of players is paramount to the game.
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      “This directive about holding the flag needs reassessing because too many players are getting injured. I would change it.
      “It’s happened twice for City, firstly with John Stones and now with Ederson.
      “Football is an entertainment  business and fans want to see the best players on the pitch. Some of the best players are missing matches for injuries that are needless and avoidable.”
      Assistant referees have been told to keep their flag down — even if they think there is an offside — until the passage of play is complete.
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      Only once a goal is scored or the chance has gone will the assistant then  raise their flag to confirm the initial offence.
      That is so if a goal is scored then VAR can review the offside call.
      But Halsey, who started his career as an assistant referee, believes more responsibility needs to be given to officials on the field.
      He explained: “I’m all for letting the game flow — but officials need to show common sense.
      “If it’s a clear offside and the player is 40 yards from goal then the assistant referee should just automatically flag if they believe the player is offside.
      Ederson collided with Sean Longstaff as he tried to prevent a disallowed goalCredit: Rex
      “If the ball is in or around the penalty box then you don’t flag because you won’t get a serious injury with players bearing down on goal. There’s no risk for the keeper or defenders chasing back in that situation.
      “I understand why the protocol was introduced because everyone in football doesn’t want goals to be ruled out for tight offsides.
      “But these situations are not about a toenail being offside, they are yards offside. Assistant refs just need to award the offside.
      “It’s about understanding football and I can understand managers’ frustrations for this needless holding of the flag when there’s a clear offside so far up the pitch.” More

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      He’s putting on a Scottish accent, fans cry as ex-Prem referee Mark Clattenburg stars in Gladiators reboot

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      FANS have accused former Prem League referee Mark Clattenburg of putting on a Scottish accent as he took to the Gladiators ring. The popular BBC show returned to TV screens for the first time in more than two decades with a brand new squad.
      Fans were left stunned to see the new line-up of refereesCredit: BBC
      Former referee Mark Clattenburg took on the stage for the first episodeCredit: BBC
      The classic show was back on BBC One on January 13 with a stellar line-up of athletes and sports stars.
      Bradley Walsh and his son Barney are the new hosts.
      The series originally aired on ITV from 1992 to 2000, and was presented by Ulrika Johnsson.
      But this new reboot left fans stunned after former referee Mark Clattenburg took on the stage for the first episode.

      The former Premier League, 48, refereed the Champion’s League cup final and Euro 2016 final.
      But on tonight’s episode Clattenburg shocked the nation after stepping in to take over from the famous Scottish voice of John Anderson.
      During the one-hour episode, Clattenburg said the show’s famous line: “Contestants, ready? Gladiators, ready?”
      After the show, fans rushed to social media to comment on the former football referee seen blowing the iconic whistle.
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      One user said: “Mark Clattenburg is definitely putting on a Scottish accent.”
      Some questioned if the former professional referee – who comes from the North East – was in fact Scottish.
      Another added: “I see former football ref Mark Clattenburg is attempting a Scottish accent to sound like John Anderson.”
      Others were so shocked to see the former referee they slammed he was after “some cash”.
      One wrote: “Mark Clattenburg must be desperate for some cash to go on Gladiators.”
      Another said: “Mark Clattenburg refereeing on Gladiators I don’t know why I’m shocked he always loved the camera.”
      A third said: “I hope there is no VAR too! I never imagined I’d be seeing Mark Clattenburg refereeing.”
      However, some fans were less impressed, with one writing: “Mark Clattenburg is the ‘Gladiator’s ready’ referee on the new series of Gladiators. Another reason not to watch it.”
      Before the long-waited episode, Clattenburg said that landing the Gladiators gig was “one of the most amazing things I will do in my life”.
      He also praised the show’s original referee John Anderson as “legendary” and said taking over the whistle “is such an honour”.
      It comes as a Gladiators contestant was rushed to medics after suffering an horror knee injury as he’s left fighting back tears.
      Contestant Finley took on his next challenge called the Gauntlet.
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      It required the contenders to get to the end of the Gauntlet in just 30 seconds – while there were four zones each protected by a Gladiator.
      But things took a nasty turn when Finley injured his knee during the intense game.
      Gladiators has returned after decades off airCredit: BBC
      Mark Clattenburg refereed the Champion’s League cup final and Euro 2016 finalCredit: Getty More

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      ‘World’s hottest referee’ wows fans with sexy bikini snaps as she tries stand-up paddleboarding on Thailand holiday

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      THE “world’s hottest referee” has left her followers stunned with her latest holiday snaps.The beautiful Karolina Bojar-Stefanska officiates in the Ekstraliga, the top tier of the women’s game in her homeland of Poland.
      The ‘world’s hottest referee’ has stunned fans with her latest holiday snapsCredit: INSTAGRAM @bojarmeow
      The gorgeous Karolina Bojar-Stefanska has been enjoying a holiday in ThailandCredit: INSTAGRAM @bojarmeow
      The Polish official tried her hand at paddleboardingCredit: INSTAGRAM @bojarmeow
      She shared a number of photos from her trip to Koh Lipe IslandCredit: INSTAGRAM @bojarmeow
      The 26-year-old hit the headlines when she married fellow Polish ref Daniel Stefanski.
      Fifa-listed Stefanski, 45, is a regular in the middle in the men’s top-flight in their home country.
      He and Karolina tied the knot in October 2020 and even got the chance to officiate together just over a year ago.
      That occurred at an event in the Polish city of Gliwice and the beautiful Karolina shared photos from that occasion with her 164,000 Instagram followers.
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      Away from the pitch, Karolina has wowed fans with a number of holiday shots of herself travelling the globe.
      Pictures from her adventures to both Greece and the Maldives have previously been shared by her on social media.
      Now the gorgeous whistler shared a photo dump from her latest exploits in Thailand.
      And she left little to the imagination with her kit.
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      The first snap showed her in a tiny black bikini holding a paddle board on the beach, and that was followed up by her standing upright on it out on the sea.
      Karolina, who had tagged herself in Koh Lipe Island, then finished her post with a shot of her in action on it, captioning the trio of pictures with the message: “My first time on a SUP.”
      And it did not take very long with her legion of admirers to jump into the comments.
      “Wow” and “incredible” were two of the most popular and regular compliments she received.
      Another declared that she was a “super beautiful girl”.
      A fourth simply called her “wonderful” as a fellow admirer declared: “I have a crush on you. I love you.”
      Karolina Bojar-Stefanska is married to fellow official Daniel StefanskiCredit: Instagram
      Karolina officiates in the women’s top-flight in her homelandCredit: Instagram @bojarmeow
      She regularly wows her followers with the photos from her travelsCredit: INSTAGRAM @bojarmeow More