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      Champions League final ref Szymon Marciniak to KEEP role after apologising over far-right links following Uefa probe

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      SZYMON MARCINIAK will keep his role as Champions League final referee after Uefa probed alleged links with a far-right politician.The Polish whistler was originally appointed to officiate Manchester City’s clash with Inter Milan in Istanbul next week.
      Szymon Marciniak has been selected to referee next week’s Champions League finalCredit: Getty
      His participation was subsequently in doubt, however, following allegations that he appeared as a speaker at a far-right event in Poland.
      Polish anti-racism group Never Again claimed that Marciniak promoted and even participated in an event organised by Slawomir Mentzen.
      Mentzen, 36, is leader of Poland’s Confederation Party – which uses a vile slogan denouncing Jewish and gay people – in addition to standing against abortion, taxes and the EU.
      Uefa released a statement following the allegations against Marciniak.
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      It read: “Uefa is aware of the allegations surrounding Szymon Marciniak and is seeking urgent clarification.
      “Uefa and the whole football community abhor the ‘values’ that are promoted by the group in question and takes these allegations very seriously.
      “A further announcement will be made, after reviewing all the evidence.”
      Following their probe, Uefa elected to keep Marciniak on as Champions League final ref after receiving a lengthy apology and clarification.
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      Marciniak, 42, allegedly appeared as a keynote speaker at a far-right event
      European football’s governing body added that anti-discrimination groups asked for Marciniak to keep his role as Champions League final ref.
      The far-right event that Marciniak was allegedly involved in took place on May 29.
      At the event entitled “Everest” – Marciniak was listed as a keynote speaker.
      The referee has officiated eight Champions League matches this term, including Manchester City’s semi-final second leg mauling of Real Madrid.
      He also took charge of last year’s World Cup final in Qatar.
      The Pole took charge of Manchester City’s Champions League semi-final mauling of Real MadridCredit: Getty More

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      Arsenal legend Thierry Henry reveals his five new rules to revolutionise football including extra points for goals

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      THIERRY HENRY revealed his five new rules to revolutionise football – including extra points for goals. The Arsenal legend knows a thing or two about the beautiful game having scored 417 career goals, including a club-record 228 for the Gunners.
      Thierry Henry has revealed his five-step plan to transform footballCredit: https://twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/
      Teams would be penalised for time-wasting by the opposition getting a free-kickCredit: Getty
      He also won the World Cup, Euros and Champions League and was part of the Premier League Invincibles in 2003-04.
      But now he has turned to coaching and punditry and is a regular on CBS Sports’ Champions League coverage.
      And on Wednesday night, he revealed his five-step plan to improve the global game.
      Henry was made ‘King for a day’ by CBS host Kate Abdo, and was given a crown and a red robe for the joke coronation.
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      Abdo said: “As most of you know we have just had a three-day coronation weekend here in Great Britain.
      “But if you thought the ancient rituals and gilded pageantry was done, you would be wrong.
      “He already has a statue outside The Emirates. And now Thierry Henry gets the biggest honour of them all… he is our king for a day.”
      Firstly, Henry wants to get rid of the dark arts of time-wasting – as Newcastle and Brentford have mastered this season.
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      The Frenchman said: “When a team refuses to play – time-wasting, kicking the ball out – the referee can give a free-kick just like in rugby 25 yards away from goal, you can put the ball wherever you want.
      “Just play football, that’s my rule.”
      The second rule sees teams who score three goals in a game get an extra point, regardless of the result.
      For example, Fulham would have got four points and Leicester one for the Cottagers’ 5-3 win on Monday.
      Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher asked what happens if a team scores seven – no doubt in reference to Liverpool’s thumping victory over Manchester United this season – to which Henry confirmed they goal-hungry side get two extra points.
      Thirdly, Henry said: “This is a big one for me.
      “Referees have to come after the game and talk to the press, please, and wear a mic also.
      “I want to hear what you say because they are not that polite sometimes, I wasn’t also at times.
      “Please can you explain your mistakes or how great you were, we want to tell you how great you were sometimes or how bad you are like people used to tell us.”
      This suggestion got a resounding “yes” of support from Carragher and Micah Richards, especially after recent success in France.
      You don’t buy a house without visiting itThierry Henry on signing players
      Carra asked: “Would you have more respect for them then?”
      Henry replied: “Yes because I can understand someone explaining, ‘This is what I saw – I made a mistake.’ You move on usually.
      “What used to bother me is when there was no explanation, they would just go and hide.”
      Henry’s fourth role would see sporting directors or whoever overseas transfers do their due diligence.
      He said: “You don’t buy a house without visiting it. You go in the morning, you go at night, you hear the noise.
      “I’ve seen so many players arrive at places without anyone knowing if they could adapt at the place.
      “Do you know what he’s about? Do you know his background?”
      Carragher chipped in: “What was the sporting director like at Monaco?” in a cheeky quip at Henry’s failed 20-match spell as manager.
      “If a team scores more than three goals in a game, give them an extra point…”King Titi has spoken. 👑 pic.twitter.com/B5gs5njfDj— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 10, 2023

      Henry quickly moved on to his fifth and final rule to introduce temporary injury substitutes to prevent teams going down to ten players when someone needs treatment or doctors rushing assessments.
      This idea was proposed for the Premier League but was blocked by lawmakers Ifab which prompted a furious reaction from the PFA.
      The former forward then added a bonus legislation, allowing presenter Kate Abdo to bring a radiator with her to the studio “because she’s always cold”.
      And his suggestions got plenty of love on social media.
      One said: “That ref post-match conference looks a MUST thing to have.”
      Another wrote: “Interesting rules . . . particularly about the ref having a mic and doing a presser, very much needed.”
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      A third added: “Titi take three rules from rugby I like it.”
      And a final user simply commented: “Titi the king.”
      Leicester would have got a point from their 5-3 defeat at FulhamCredit: Reuters
      Henry wants to hear referees explain their decisions during the match and to the mediaCredit: Alamy
      He outlined his ideas on CBS Sports’ Champions League showCredit: https://twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1656417656717848576?s=20 More

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      Fans rage ‘what’s the point in VAR’ as West Ham denied penalty for ‘most obvious handball’ by Lindelof against Man Utd

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      WEST HAM fans were left raging after VAR denied them a penalty following an apparent handball by Victor Lindelof. Late in the first half of the encounter between the Hammers and Manchester United, Said Benrahma’s cross struck the arm of Red Devils defender Lindelof.

      The ball appeared to strike the arm of Victor Lindelof
      But the ref opted against giving a penalty
      However, referee Peter Bankes and VAR official Stuart Attwell deemed the Swede had not caused an offence in the action.
      The pundits in the BT Sports studio were unanimous in calling for a penalty, while fans online raged at the decision.
      Joe Cole said: “Without a doubt [it’s a penalty]. [Said] Benrahma hits it and he’s moved his arm towards the ball.
      “I don’t understand for the life of me why VAR hasn’t given it. It doesn’t make sense. If you’re David Moyes, you’re furious, it’s a nailed-on penalty.”
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      Taking to Twitter one said: “Is this not the most obvious example of handball there is?”
      A second typed: “How is that not a pen? He literally moved his to purposely handball it.”
      A third remarked: “Oh my goodness gracious me. Biggest handball I’ve ever seen he pulled his arm back out 🤣🤣🤣🤣.”
      “That’s handball all day and twice on a Sunday unless you’re Manchester United,” commented a fourth.
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      A fifth declared: “That is absolutely handball from Lindelof. Begs the question what the point of VAR really is?”
      Another added: “Lindelof has almost caught that.”
      Fortunately for the Hammers the decision did not matter in the end as they ran out 1-0 winners after David de Gea failed to stop Benrahma’s tame strike.
      Victory leaves West Ham seven points clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining.
      Fourth-placed United however are nervously looked over their shoulders as rivals Liverpool are only one point behind. More

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      Major change to VAR could come in next season and fans have been asking for it for ages

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      PREMIER LEAGUE fans could be able to listen to conversations between referees and VAR next season, according to reports.Supporters have been calling for the ability to hear what is being said for ages to help their understanding of why some decisions are being made.
      Supporters could be able to listen to conversations between referees and VARs from next seasonCredit: Getty
      The change could give fans more understanding as to why decisions are being madeCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      However, discussions between players or managers and referees will be kept confidentialCredit: PA
      It has also been pushed for by PGMOL boss and former Premier League referee Howard Webb since he started his current role in December.
      The aim would be to reduce confusion around controversial calls and give fans more appreciation toward referees and VARs.
      Especially in decisions such as the Kaoru Mitoma goal for Brighton against Tottenham that was incorrectly ruled out for handball.
      The Daily Mail has reported that football lawmakers IFAB would have “no problem” making audio recordings available to the public.
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      However, they would only be able to be heard after the games have finished and not broadcast live.
      The report also suggests that Premier League clubs are “open” to the idea as well as the officials.
      Although it is very unlikely to be implemented before the end of the current campaign.
      The report says that this is because managers would want to hear audio from decisions earlier in the season that have gone against them.
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      Fans would only be able to listen to conversations between stadium officials and those at Stockley Park.
      But they would not be able to hear the talk between the managers or players and referees such as Jurgen Klopp’s discussion with Paul Tierney during the win over Tottenham, these are considered confidential.
      There would be hope that with more transparency and accountability there will be fewer mistakes.
      This season PGMOL has issued at least ten apologies to clubs for getting decisions wrong this season, including three to Brighton.
      MLS’s refereeing body PRO publishes audio after every match round and did so while Webb was working in the United States.
      It is called ‘Inside Video Review’ and is published on PRO’s YouTube channel. More

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      Fans say ‘we need this in the Premier League’ after referee gives ‘game-changing’ interview live on TV

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      FOOTBALL fans are calling for post-game referee interviews after a “game-changing” example arrived from France. Officials have been under increasing pressure this season after video assistant referees increasingly fail to appease furious supporters.
      Jeremie Pignard is a well-regarded referee in the French leagueCredit: AFP
      Despite the VAR technology, frequent mistakes have still been made and experienced ref Lee Mason even quit the PGMOL after a high-profile error in February.
      Expert ref Howard Webb returned to England halfway into the season to try and get on top of England’s struggling refereeing body but has had a mixed time of it.
      Fans think they know a way to improve the system and have renewed calls for post-game interviews with refs.
      This was after taking inspiration from Amazon Prime, who managed to interview Ligue 1 official Jeremie Pignard after he took charge of a recent league match.
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      Appearing next to the TV presenter and pundits after the game, the man in the middle eloquently explained why he controversially allowed a Nantes goal to stand despite strong claims for handball.
      Pignard said: “If it’s really the lower biceps, like right here. Depending on what muscle.
      “That may not be the same for everyone. We can see it in the action, and this is why I took my time.
      “These kind of decisions are so important. The VAR reacted very well, sending me the footage so I can watch the action again. Every detail counts in those kind of moments.”
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      The ref’s detailed and compelling explanation of his thought process left fans convinced it should be the next step in England.
      One said: “I’ve been calling for this for years…referees in England get away with so much & have 0 accountability.”
      Another added: “Would be great to see this in all matches. Might not satisfy everyone but at least would help take the heat out of some contentious decisions.”
      While fan lauded the broadcaster for getting the referee on air as they said: “Amazon at it again with the referee interviews, game-changing.”
      And another football follower simply said: “@PGMOL … take note.”
      The Amazon interview follows another first earlier this year as a referee at the Club World Cup explained his VAR decision to fans inside the stadium.
      Fans were also left surprised when one referee in a women’s game brandished a white card as part of a new initiative. More

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      Jose Mourinho has revealed he’s started wearing a WIRE for his own protection

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      JOSE MOURINHO has revealed that he has started wearing a wire to “protect himself”.The Roma manager made the shock admission following his side’s match against Monza.
      Jose Mourinho has revealed he has been wearing a wireCredit: Reuters
      As he wanted to ‘protect himself’ from referee Daniele ChiffiCredit: AP
      In the same comments he also claimed that referee Daniele Chiffi was the “worst” that he had encountered in his career.
      The Italian official sent off Mehmet Zeki in the fifth minute of injury time for a second bookable offence during the 1-1 draw.
      The result left Mourinho frustrated as Roma’s hopes of European football took a big blow.
      And he hit out at the referee after the game and demanded that Chiffi not officiate Roma games in the future.
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      The former Manchester United and Chelsea manager also claimed he was wearing a wire for that match so that any interactions he and the official had were recorded.
      He said: “I am not stupid, I had to protect myself. Everything is recorded.”
      It is not the first run-in Mourinho has had with Chiffi this season.
      The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager was sent off by the referee in September after his side were denied a penalty against Atalanta.
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      Mourinho also appeared to criticise his own club for not having “the strength” to tell Serie A that they do not want the referee.
      He added to DAZN: “This was the worst referee I have encountered in my entire career.
      “Believe me, I have dealt with many bad referees. Usually, when I talk about referees, it is because they have a direct influence on the game.
      “In this case, I don’t think that is true. But he is horrible. He makes no human connection with anyone, he has no empathy, he gives a red card to a player who slips because he is exhausted at the 96th minute.
      “Unfortunately, this too is a sign of Roma’s weakness as a club, because we do not have the strength of other clubs who can say we don’t want this referee.
      “I stopped working 20-30 minutes from the end, because I knew he would give me a red card for anything.
      “There are clubs that say I don’t want this referee and Roma either don’t have this capability or the DNA or anything else.
      “It’s horrible, with the few players I have in my squad, I could not get a red card.”

      Roma now sit seventh in the Serie A table, two points behind fourth-placed Inter Milan.
      However, the club has a worse goal difference than AC Milan and Atalanta. More

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      Fulham star claims ref told team-mate Liverpool penalty WASN’T a spotkick as fans fume at Nunez ‘dive’

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      FULHAM star Tom Cairney claims that referee Stuart Attwell admitted that he’d botched Liverpool’s penalty decision last night.The Reds beat the West Londoners 1-0 courtesy of Mo Salah’s 39th minute spot kick at Anfield.

      Darwin Nunez went down after Issa Diop dallied on the ballCredit: Sky Sports Premier League
      Fulham protested that there was no contact between Diop and NunezCredit: Sky Sports Premier League
      The penalty was awarded after Darwin Nunez nicked the ball from dallying defender Issa Diop, although replays showed that contact was minimal.
      After the match, Cairney fumed: “I thought we played very well at times, but to lose to a penalty that wasn’t a penalty is always a kick in the you-know-whats.
      “At the time, I wasn’t sure. The ref made a decision, I thought he’d seen contact. I asked him on the pitch, ‘please just make sure they check it.’
      “He said they checked it, but he said second half to one of our players that it wasn’t a penalty, so it’s frustrating because it goes to other people to make the correct decision.
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      “Issa Diop hasn’t touched him, Nunez has taken another step and then gone over, and then you lose to something like that at Anfield which is frustrating when we’re trying to climb as high as we can.”
      The incident also enraged Fulham fans online.
      One wrote: “That’s painfully awful by Diop but also a dive by Nunez.”
      While a second fumed: “There was no contact!”
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      Mo Salah converted the resulting spot kickCredit: Getty
      Salah celebrates his penalty, which turned out to be Liverpool’s winnerCredit: Getty
      A third tweeted: “Issa Diop vs Darwin Nunez is the ultimate battle of the chaos footballers.”
      And a fourth huffed: “There’s absolutely ZERO contact from Diop on Nunez. How on earth are they giving penalties now when there’s no contact?”
      Another added: “How is that a penalty for Liverpool against Fulham. Diop didn’t touch Darwin Nunez. They didn’t even need VAR to check that. This league man.”
      The result saw Liverpool climb to within four points of fourth-placed Manchester United, albeit having played two games more.
      Fulham, meanwhile, stayed tenth – but slipped to five points behind ninth-placed Brentford.
      ‘IT IS EMBARRASSING’
      After the match, Cottagers boss Marco Silva blasted the penalty decision as “embarrassing”.
      He told the BBC: “When you lose a game in football to that penalty, is embarrassing.
      “When you have the referee, then the VAR to help the referee, it is embarrassing.
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      “I didn’t speak with the referee. I think my players and everyone that is honest will say the same.
      “I will listen over the next few days if it is a harsh decision but for me it is clearly not a penalty. The player is already in the air.”
      Marco Silva blasted the penalty decision as ’embarrassing’Credit: AFP More

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      Jurgen Klopp finally reveals what Paul Tierney said to anger him during Liverpool’s thrilling win over Tottenham

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      LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed what Paul Tierney said to him during Sunday’s game against Tottenham. Klopp raged at the officials during the thrilling 4-3 encounter at Anfield.
      Jurgen Klopp has revealed what Paul Tierney said to him during Liverpool v TottenhamCredit: EPA
      Klopp was not happy with Tierney and Co during Sunday’s clash at AnfieldCredit: Reuters
      He launched a scathing verbal assault on referee Tierney after the match, fuming: “We have our history with Tierney, I really don’t know what he has against us.
      “He has said there [are] no problems but that cannot be true.”
      And this came after Klopp charged at fourth official John Brooks following Diogo Jota’s late winner – with him appearing to suffer an injury in the process.
      But the Reds boss has now revealed what Tierney said to him to trigger his anger.
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      Speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday’s match against Fulham, Klopp said: “Paul Tierney came over to me, I didn’t expect for a second a red card, and he said: ‘For me it’s a red card but because of him (the fourth official) it’s a yellow’.”
      The comments post-match left PGMOL bosses, who ar ein charge of refereeing, fuming, with Klopp set to be hit with an FA ban.
      In a statement, the body said: “PGMOL is aware of the comments made by Jurgen Klopp after his side’s fixture with Tottenham Hotspur.
      “Match officials in the Premier League are recorded in all games via a communications system.
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      “Having fully reviewed the audio of referee Paul Tierney from today’s fixture, we can confirm he acted in a professional manner throughout including when issuing the caution to the Liverpool manager.
      “So, therefore, we strongly refute any suggestion that Tierney’s actions were improper.”
      However, Klopp admitted his temper got the better of him in the exchange and revealed he expected to land a reprimand as a consequence of his actions.
      He added: “I know Paul Tierney is not doing this on purpose, absolutely not, but we have this history. It hasn’t happened intentionally but it’s still there.
      “I really regret the headlines I created. I have no clue what happens now. We haven’t heard anything yet.
      “I probably have to expect a punishment. The red card I got against City was in the same spot, foul against the same player, Mo Salah.”
      Regardless, Ref Support UK CEO Martin Cassidy has urged the FA to slap Liverpool with a POINTS DEDUCTION because of Klopp’s comments.
      He told the Express: “Unless the FA start addressing this behaviour with a points deduction it will never change.
      “Giving Liverpool a ÂŁ30,000 fine is nothing. Start giving them points deductions and watch them shut up and behave.

      “We believe that will be one of the silver bullets right across football to address right up from grassroots to the Premier League.
      “There have been touchline bans for decades, but it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse.” More