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      in Soccer

      I’m considered the greatest referee ever – I locked myself in my room for 36 hours before the 2002 World Cup final

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      LEGENDARY referee Pierluigi Collina once locked himself in his room for 36 hours before a World Cup final.The Italian is widely regarded as one of the greatest whistlers of all time.
      Pierluigi Collina said he locked himself in his room for 36 hours before the World Cup 2002 finalCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Collina was regarded as one of the greatest referees in footballCredit: Getty
      Collina was known for his no-nonsense style and remains one of the most respected figures in the game.
      In a glittering 28-year career of refereeing, he took charge of Champions League, World Cup and UEFA Cup finals.
      The 63-year-old was named “The World’s Best Referee” by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics six times in a row between 1998 to 2003.
      His invincible status was reinforced during his preparation for the 2002 World Cup final between France and Brazil.
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      The Bologna-born official asked for VHS tapes of both teams to analyse their style of play.
      Collina told ESPN: “I remember when I was asked to referee the 2002 World Cup final between Brazil and Germany.
      “I had to ask for VHS tapes of both teams. I locked myself in my room for a day and a half, taking notes and watching every minute of every match.
      “Because the goal of a referee is to be one step ahead, to know what is going to happen before it happens.”
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      “At the time, it was pretty unusual to prepare like that… but I’m proud of the fact that today this is normal prep for a referee.”
      Modern refs are heavily scrutinised for their decisions on the pitch.
      They pressure has arguably never been so high following numerous controversial VAR blunders.
      One of this season’s worst was Liverpool’s Luis Diaz goal being incorrectly disallowed for offside against Spurs due to miscommunications from the on-field referee.
      Audio from the control room revealed the officials understood they made a mistake but deemed it too late to reverse the decision.
      During his interview, Collina admitted that the pressure to get things right immediately can lead to mistakes.
      He added: “Sometimes accuracy and speed don’t go together. … If you want to be sure, it takes time.” More

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      in Soccer

      Premier League referee Anthony Taylor DEMOTED for first time in four years after ‘scandalous’ penalty decision

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      REFEREE Anthony Taylor has been demoted to the Championship for the first time in four years.The 45-year-old infuriated fans after awarding Newcastle a controversial penalty during a Premier League match against Wolves last weekend.
      Anthony Taylor has been demoted to the ChampionshipCredit: Alamy
      He awarded a controversial penalty to Newcastle last weekCredit: AFP
      He pointed to the spot after Hwang Hee-chan brought down Fabian Schar while attempting to clear the ball.
      The decision was not overturned by VAR despite a lengthy check, but both Hwang and Wolves boss Gary O’Neil were adamant that it wasn’t a penalty.
      O’Neil even went as far as calling it “scandalous”.
      The match finished 2-2 after Wolves came from behind twice.
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      However, Taylor’s controversial first-half call overshadowed the result.
      The referee has now been demoted to the Championship, where he will oversee this weekend’s match between Preston and Coventry.
      It will be his first second-tier match since 2019.
      Taylor is not the first Premier League official to be demoted this season.
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      Assistant referee Adrian Holmes officiated Millwall’s clash with Hull last month after incorrectly deeming Luis Diaz’s goal against Tottenham to be offside – a decision that was controversially not overturned by VAR in a shock error.
      Referee standards body PGMOL subsequently had to issue a grovelling apology. More

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      in Soccer

      Fulham vs Man Utd clash set to make Premier League history as trailblazing female referee appointed

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      REBECCA WELCH has made history by becoming the first woman appointed fourth official of a Premier League game.The 39-year-old will take to the touchline at Craven Cottage on Saturday as Fulham take on Manchester United.
      Rebecca Welch has become the first woman to be appointed fourth official of a Premier League gameCredit: PA
      The trailblazing official made history by becoming the first woman to referee a professional game in England after officiating a League Two clash between Port Vale and Harrogate in 2021.
      Welch followed that up by becoming the first female referee to oversee an FA Cup game this year, before officiating a Championship clash between Birmingham and Preston.
      And she has impressed enough to earn a call-up to the Premier League.
      Welch will act as fourth official to referee John Brooks and will be called upon if he is unable to officiate the match due to injury or any other reason.
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      She will become the fourth woman to be part of the team of officials for a Premier League match, following on from assistant referees Wendy Toms, Sian Massey-Ellis and Natalie Aspinall.
      But Welch will not be the first woman to act as fourth official for a Prem game – Massey-Ellis holds that honour after taking on the responsibility for the second half of West Ham United v Everton in 2017.
      Massey-Ellis was lineswoman but picked up an injury so took on fourth official duty for the Prem clash.
      Massey-Ellis will act as assistant VAR for United’s trip to Fulham.
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      Welch picked up a referee’s whistle 12 years ago at 27 after being dared to do so by a friend.
      The former NHS admin officer, who has played football since childhood, started her life as a ref in university football clashes and Sunday League games.
      Welch has officiated two Women’s FA Cup finals and has built up her experience refereeing in the WSL, Women’s Champions League and in international clashes. More

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      in Soccer

      Referee finds incredibly novel use for vanishing spray as stunned fans say ‘could see this catching on’

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      SPANISH referee Saúl Ais Reig found an interesting use for his vanishing spray during a La Liga 2 match on Sunday.Traditionally, the spray is usually used to provide a temporary marker when taking direct free kicks.
      Referee Saúl Ais Reig used the vanishing spray to create a barrierCredit: X formerly Twitter
      The players then stopped surrounding himCredit: X formerly Twitter
      However, on this occasion the official used it to create a barrier when waiting for a VAR check to take place.
      Ais Reig appeared to tell the group of Mirandes and FC Cartagena players to stay behind the line until he received confirmation of the decision.
      His method appeared to work, leaving fans stunned.
      A video of the incident was shared on social media on Sunday and fans were quick to react.
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      One person wrote: “Give the players a clear line that they’ll get punished for stepping over, and they won’t. This might catch on.”
      Another added: “Could see this catching on…the players reaction to him going for the spray is funny.”
      A third fan wrote: “Honestly I love this. The surrounding the ref bull**** has to go.”
      While a fourth joked: “The players looked like children in trouble when that spray came out!”
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      Mirandes went on to win the match 2-1 thanks to goals from Carlos Martin and Sergio Barcia.
      Martin broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute before Cartagena defender José Fontán scored an equaliser.
      However, Barcia restored Mirandes’ lead with just a few minutes to play and the Reds went on to clinch the three points. More

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      in Soccer

      Watch bizarre moment referee gives ‘FOURTH OFFICIAL’ a yellow card – but all is not as it seems

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      A REFEREE appeared to book his own fourth official during a Bundesliga match.The incident which took place in a recent game between Magdeburg and Paderborn left fans puzzled.

      Referee Felix Brych appeared to book the fourth official
      Some fans think a Paderborn coach lifted up the board and was subsequently punished
      Some claim the ref brandished a yellow card because a Paderborn coach held up the substitutes board to signal a change – rather than the fourth official doing so.
      Paderborn boss Lukas Kwasniok watched on with bemusement as what appeared to be a member of his coaching staff was booked.
      Kwasniok was in the process of making two substitutions as he looked to close out a 1-0 win, which he failed to do so as Lucas Castaignos equalised moments later.
      One fan reacted to the incident saying: “The guy that holds up the board isn’t actually a ref he is part of the coaching staff so it isn’t the ref booking another ref.”
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      Another added: “If you see the shirt that he wear, he is not a ref, he is one of the team’s staff in this match. According to the regulation, only a ref that can hold and organise a substitution board 😂”
      A third wrote: “Friendly fire.”
      And another commented: “Yellow card for time wasting.”
      It has been an eventful season in Bundesliga so far with Harry Kane scoring from inside his own half against Darmstadt on Saturday.
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      The England captain bagged his second hat-trick of the season as Bayern Munich won 8-0, with all eight goals scoring in the second half.
      However Kane is still not the league’s top goalscorer – that honour goes to Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy who has 14 goals in just eight games. More

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      in Boxing

      David Adeleye ‘in big trouble’ after appearing to ‘PUNCH’ ref in stoppage loss to Fabio Wardley on Fury v Ngannou card

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      DAVID ADELEYE appeared to “punch” the referee for his showdown with Fabio Wardley after losing the Battle of Britain.The undefeated heavyweight was knocked out by Wardley in the seventh round of their Riyadh rumble on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s clash with Francis Ngannou.
      David Adeleye locked horns with Fabio Wardley in Saudi ArabiaCredit: GETTY
      The Ladbroke Grove bruiser was knocked out in the seventh round of the Riyadh rumbleCredit: GETTY
      A furious Adeleye raged at the ref over the stoppage, showing him with two fistsCredit: ESPN
      He then appeared to punch the official in the midriffCredit: ESPN
      Wardley dropped Adeleye with a nasty left hook but the Ladbroke Grove bruiser got back to his feet.
      But he was sent hurtling into the corner by another vicious combination, which prompted the referee to mercifully step in and wave off the fight.
      Adeleye fumed at the stoppage, double-fist pushing the referee in the chest.
      And moments later, he cracked the official with what appeared to be a short straight right to the body.
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      Adeleye’s post-fight rampage was caught by the cameras and quickly went viral.
      Boxing fans were left disgusted and took to X to lambast the 26-year-old.
      One wrote: “Unsportsmanlike conduct.”
      Another said: “He in troubles!.”
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      Victory over David Adeleye saw Fabio Wardley retain the British heavyweight titleCredit: GETTY
      And another said: “That’s a big NO-NO.”
      One remarked: “David Adeleye hit the referee with a body shot after he felt he was stopped too early.
      Another chimed in: “Did this fool David Adeleye just hit the referee with a body punch after having the fight rightfully stopped?
      “He should have been hitting Wardley with those.”
      Victory over Adeleye was super sweet for East Anglia’s Wardley, who was involved in a bust-up with a member of his rival’s team last month.
      He said: “I have boxing IQ.
      “I know how to lead someone on and that’s what I did.
      “It’s the difference in experience. I knew what to do as the rounds went on, I was on form and it’s probably the best I’ve felt.
      “Everyone tags this white-collar name on me but I’ve shed that name now.” More

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      in Soccer

      Premier League refs slammed as LAZY and ‘not good enough’ by former official after series of VAR blunders

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      FORMER Premier League referee Keith Hackett has slammed the current crop of top flight officials.Following a series of VAR blunders already this season, the ex-ref believes the officials are “not good enough”.
      Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has slammed the current crop of officialsCredit: Getty
      Darren England’s mistake during Tottenham vs Liverpool is one of several VAR blundersCredit: Getty
      He also criticised their laziness in a scathing review of the current standards.
      There have already been several high-profile blunders so far this term, most notably in Liverpool’s defeat at Tottenham last month.
      The Reds had a goal wrongly disallowed after VAR official Darren England failed to overturn the on-field decision.
      Hackett has now given his thoughts on the Premier League’s level of officiating.
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      Speaking on the Fair Game’s We Love You Football, We Do podcast, he said: “What we have seen over the years is a decline in the standards of refereeing.
      “They’ve lost some of the required management skills, the good communication skills between players and referees.
      “There are some referees that have reached the dizzying heights (of the Premier League) who have shortfalls in capability and I don’t think they are good enough.”
      The 79-year-old took charge of the 1981 FA Cup final and was an official at the Euros and Olympics in 1988.
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      Hackett believes VAR is promoting ‘lazy refereeing’Credit: Alamy
      He later became a Premier League referee and officiated 36 matches between 1992 and 1994.
      “There is a lack of basic law knowledge,” Hackett continued. “VAR protocol says if there is a serious missed incident, the game can be stopped.
      “Referees are practitioners of the law and if they’re not studying the law on a regular basis, we’re not going to advance refereeing.
      “Referees get into trouble these days because they are lazy.
      “Nigel Owens, the top-class rugby referee, warned me that the danger you have with VAR is it will promote lazy refereeing. And it has done that. I see referees hesitating on what is clearly a penalty.
      “Is it fear that they don’t want to make an error or is it that they are waiting for the decision to come from the stop department?
      “The role of the referee has to be to make the decision and then VAR to come in and help.” More

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      in Soccer

      TNT Sports commentator baffled by referee’s ‘strange decision’ that leaves Man Utd fans fuming during Copenhagen clash

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      FANS fumed at the referee after his bizarre call at half-time of Manchester United’s clash with Copenhagen.Not only did the official not add on any injury-time at the end of the first 45 minutes.
      Marco Guida was the man in the middle as Manchester United took on CopenhagenCredit: Getty
      The referee blew for half-time before the clock hit the 45-minute markCredit: TNT Sports
      But Marco Guida even blew his whistle BEFORE the clock hit the 45-minute mark.
      Instead, he called time around 44:45 – which the TNT Sports commentator labelled a “strange decision”.
      And it also prompted a furious backlash from United supporters.
      One said: “Never witnessed a referee blowing the whistle before 45 minutes.”
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      Another wrote: “The game ended at 44mins. Is the referee drunk?”
      And Specsavers joked: “Can the referee please arrive 15 seconds early to tomorrow’s appointment.”
      United rarely threatened the Copenhagen goal in the opening half and Erik ten Hag hooked off Sofyan Amrabat for Christian Eriksen during the interval.
      So plenty of supporters were actually relieved the first half finished early – because they had already seen enough.
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      One fan commented: “Man Utd are playing that bad the referee has blown for half-time at 44:45.”
      Another typed: “Referee couldn’t stand the rubbish he kept seeing and had to end the game 15 seconds early.”
      A third replied: “The referee is a legend! Honestly! Blowing 15 seconds early has to be the best thing anyone has done in that half!”
      And a final user joked: “Referee called half-time early, he’s tired of this stinkfest.”
      Quite a few others also made reference to the Africa Cup of Nations referee who famously blew for full-time after 85 minutes.
      Before the game, TNT Sports host Laura Woods jokingly told off Paul Scholes after he accidentally broke his microphone live on air.
      And then the Red Devils paid tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of the first home game since the club legend passed away aged 86 on Saturday. More