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      Who is Jesus Valenzuela? Referee taking charge at the 2022 World Cup

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      AS the World Cup creeps ever closer, SunSport have been taking a look at the tournament referees, after they were announced by FIFA.Jesus Valenzuela is the only representative from his country heading to Qatar, with Venezuela having never qualified for a World Cup.
      Jesus Valenzuela has taken charge of some important gamesCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Here is everything you need to know about him.
      Who is Jesus Valenzuela?
      Jesus Valenzuela was born in 1983 and made his professional debut in the Venezuelan First Division in 2011.
      Ten years on, he was named the South American Football Confederation’s best referee.
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      The 38-year-old took charge of the Copa America semi-final which saw Lionel Messi score the winning penalty in a dramatic shootout against Colombia.
      Valenzuela has also officiated at the Tokyo Olympic Games and more recently the South American World Cup qualifiers which saw Peru beat Colombia, forcing them to miss out on the tournament.
      Lionel Messi scored the winning penalty, sending Argentina through to the finalCredit: Reuters
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      Mike Dean swaps VAR hotseat for Spain as former referee takes mid-season holiday to stock up on BEER

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      MIKE DEAN has been given the weekend off by the Premier League for a holiday in Spain.The Wirral whistler, who retired as a referee last season, is now a dedicated VAR official.
      Mike Dean has taken some time away from VAR duties to stock up on beer in SpainCredit: Instagram
      And Dean, 54, has swapped Stockley Park for stocking up on beers in Murcia.
      Dean posted on his Instagram stories: “Outdoor fridge fully stocked ready for the invasion.”
      The picture had shelves of beers on show including Mahou and Estrella.
      Dean is enjoying his holiday ahead of next month’s World Cup.
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      During the Qatar tournament, the ex-Premier League official will be a pundit for beIN Sports to provide analysis of the finals.
      His last Prem action saw him as the VAR official for West Ham’s 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Monday night which angered Cherries caretaker boss Gary O’Neil.
      O’Neil slammed VAR as “getting ridiculous” after Kurt Zouma’s header for the opener was allowed to stand despite the ball hitting the arm of Thilo Kehrer in the build-up.
      The Hammers were also awarded a penalty when Bournemouth sub Jordan Zemura handled Vladimir Coufal’s cross.
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      Meanwhile, Dean also landed himself in hot water earlier this season when he failed to spot Cristian Romero’s hair pull on Marc Cucurella during Spurs’ 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
      Dean reviewed the incident but deemed it not to be a red card offence.
      And from the resulting corner, Harry Kane headed a stoppage time equaliser for Tottenham. More

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      Violence against referees is a blight on our game and number of physical assaults is alarming, says Karren Brady

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      WHEN Dave Bradshaw packed his kit before heading off to Platt Bridge’s ground in South Lancashire he hardly expected to return home with broken ribs, a broken nose and concussion.You don’t need to guess that Bradshaw is a referee — and this level of attack has become all too common on the fields of amateur football.
      Ref Dave Bradshaw suffered broken bones, concussion and whiplash when assaulted on the pitchCredit: ITV
      The red card that Bradshaw had shown to a player might as well have been a free-entrance token to an A&E department at the local hospital.
      Reading a case like this, the reaction is simply: Why would anyone want to be a referee?
      The number of physical assaults is alarming.
      A report this week put them at 380 last season and, at what appeared to be a normal weekend of football in the fourth division of the South Lancashire Counties League, there were three suspensions for threatening or violent conduct, including the attack on Bradshaw.
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      So bad has thuggery become in the neighbouring Merseyside Youth League that all matches were cancelled this weekend in protest at “multiple incidents of inappropriate and threatening behaviour” towards officials.
      There are more than 100 teams in the league and officials fear a boycott by referees that would end the enjoyment of football among children and teenagers.
      It seems a good deal of the trouble stems from parents who, from touchlines across the country, urge on their children and blame referees in abusive language.
      Players are encouraged to tackle illegally and respond in kind.
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      Then when a referee intervenes, wound-up boys (girls know better) curse or threaten and — in some cases — even attack the ref.
      He may indeed be a poor one, probably made worse by verbal pressure from managers on and off the pitch.
      But without respect for his or her authority, the game is deader than horse meat.
      The Bradshaws of Britain deserve better.
      Their rewards are small and while top-tier refs are reasonably well rewarded, it isn’t for money or prestige that thousands of people put up with loud criticism or even physical violence.
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      Here’s one ref’s experience: “He headbutted me. I managed to turn my head but he made contact with the side of it. I count myself lucky I avoided the full brunt.”
      Another said: “I showed him the red card for threatening and abusive behaviour. He then punched me on the left side of my face. He also threatened to meet me in the car park after the match.”
      The FA have a protocol for treating offenders.
      For physical contact — which can include a push, barge, or snatching cards out of a referee’s hands — the ban is 182 days.
      Five years out of the game, upwards to life bans, is the punishment for assaults, with points deductions for the clubs involved.
      Is enough really being done? Karren Brady
      Fines and a requirement to attend an educational course can also be applied.
      In the face of death threats and damage to mental health, it is a wonder that the FA continues to keep referee recruitment at a decent level.
      An FA spokesman said: “We are clear that all forms of abuse, whether on or off the pitch, are completely unacceptable and we will continue to do everything to stamp out this behaviour.”
      But is enough really being done?
      There is strong reluctance to involve the police to any real degree and I understand why no one in the game wishes them to be much involved.
      Read More on The Sun
      Yet there must surely be a point where policing football is considered, although not at the level of interfering in domestic matters.
      It is close, however, to the time when the copper’s whistle is blown on assaults causing serious bodily harm. Detention must be an option.
      Assaults on referees are a serious problem for footballCredit: Getty More

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      Steve Evans wants regular Monday chats with referees when emotions have cooled after career of scrapes with officials

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      STEVE EVANS wants referees to speak to managers every Monday.You’ll be hard pressed to find an EFL boss who has had more scrapes with officials in a career spanning Leeds, Rotherham, Peterborough, Gillingham, Mansfield, Crawley, Boston and currently Stevenage.
      Colourful EFL boss Steve Evans wants refs to speak to managers every Monday
      The experienced boss has had a long list of scrapes with officials down the years
      But Evans, 59, believes weekly phone chats between managers and officials after emotions have died down will prove constructive, educational and build mutual respect.
      The Scottish boss told me: “The referee would always ring you or take your call on Monday if there was anything contentious but now it’s the head of referees you must speak to instead. 
      “When you’re in the heat of battle on Saturday by Monday that has cooled down but the issue remains. So to get a call from the ref himself, and be able to discuss the situation man-to-man, was a great thing.
      “The ref would say for example, ‘I’ve had a look at the video and got another angle on it and my decision was spot on so what are your thoughts on it now?’ 
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      “Or he would apologise by saying, ‘I’ve had a look again, it’s not a penalty. I’ve let myself and you down.’
      “I would then say to the ref, ‘Don’t worry, I make mistakes every week. I got my tactics and selections wrong or made bad substitutions.’ 
      “By the end of those conversations, you’ve built huge respect for one another.”
      The PGMOL, the governing referees’ body, officially does not allow managers an option to hold a telephone call with the matchday official.
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      Although they are allowed to speak face-to-face after a 30-minute “cooling down period” following the final whistle.
      Teams can supply feedback and seek clarification on matters via a formal process.
      Clubs and managers are also able to contact the head of referees for the relevant league.
      In the EFL’s case, ex-Premier League refs Kevin Friend (Championship) and Mike Jones (League One & Two) field calls from clubs and managers and liaise directly with the officials.
      But Evans says it’s better hearing from the horse’s mouth and thinks it is sensible to let the dust settle on a match to guarantee constructive engagement.
      Kevin Friend is now in charge of Championship referees
      Steve Evans regretted his bust-up with David Coote at Luton so much that it inspired him to mend his attitude towards referees
      Steve Evans with our man Justin Allen at Stevenage’s training ground
      The Scottish manager knows full well what can happen when emotions are running high and points to an incident three years ago while he was managing Peterborough, which he deeply regrets and has led to him moderating his behaviour.
      Evans had a post-match bust-up with ref David Coote for sending off Ryan Tafazolli at Luton.
      He said: “I felt David brandished the red card because the crowd were on his back. I shouted very loudly at him in the tunnel and then in his dressing room afterwards.
      “As I left Kenilworth Road, I thought this is a guy who I knew well, had gone for a beer with and even driven 70 miles to Newark to take part in a Q&A session for him at his local referees’ association, which was a cracking night.
       “I was so disappointed with my behaviour because David is an honest guy. His decision was made in good faith. That’s probably the only time I knew myself I’d gone over the top.
      “It’s right to question decisions and officials welcome that but how you do it is so important. That’s where I’ve changed. I’ve accepted you can’t win every game. 
      “It took a long time to get into my head that maybe my centre-back or keeper was at fault for the goal we conceded rather than the ref or assistants.
      “Do I maintain my passion? Yes. Do I still appeal for decisions? Yes. Am I going to question them? Yes. But the way I’ve gone about it for the last few years has been different.”
      Some top officials have been accused of being “arrogant” but Evans believes they require to have that airs about them to deal with the egos of top footballers.
      However, the Scottish boss says it’s important to draw a distinction between being arrogant and strong.
      MY PANEL OF EFL BOSSES GIVE THEIR VERDICT …
      PAUL INCE (Reading)
      IF I lose I must speak to the media and make myself and the players accountable.
      When refs make mistakes that affect our results they’re not making themselves accountable. They hide behind their union.
      Sometimes you can’t even talk to refs. You’re not allowed to ask why they didn’t give this or that.
      I met Kevin Friend at a Luton game and he gave me his number. He’s looking after refs now and he told me, ‘Any issues you see, give me a call and we’ll talk about it and I’ll explain the reason why, or where we got it wrong or why a ref made a certain decision.’
      I make my players accountable. Refs should be no different.  
      WE don’t have VAR in the Championship so you just have to accept referees make honest mistakes.
      MARK ROBINS (Coventry)
      There’s no point having a go at the ref in the heat of the battle because he’s only got a split second to make a decision. I don’t think we should make it more difficult for them.
      The 48-hour consultation isn’t there anymore but in fairness I’ve only picked the phone up on a couple occasions. There’s no point because there’s no recourse. They just apologise. 
      DEAN SMITH (Norwich)
      I’VE never spoken to a referee on a Monday but there would be no point in doing so anyway.
      DANNY COWLEY (Portsmouth)
      WHERE would be without refs? I’m a qualified ref and I moan about them all the time.
      EFL officials should be full-time so they can have the right training, the necessary fitness levels and attract the right quality person to do the job well.
      GARETH AINSWORTH (Wycombe)
      WE’VE had gripes with refs but nothing major. But if you’re not allowed to ring a ref then it sounds like they’re protecting themselves even more from dodgy decisions.

      He recalls an incident while managing Rotherham that cost an official a Premier League gig.
      He said: “We were at home and the ref gave the opposition a goal. It was an awful decision but he wouldn’t engage with me, threatening to send me off. In the corner of my eye I saw Mike Riley, head of the PGMOL. 
      “Afterwards Mike asked if he could have a beer with me. He told me that the ref’s decision was spot on. 
      “But as he was assessing the referee for a promotion to the Premier League, his conclusion was, ‘If he couldn’t handle dealing with Steve Evans then what chance did he have with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho?’ 
      “A good ref will never shy away from going through an incident with you.”
      Evans is impressed with much of the work the PGMOL are engaging in. 
      In the summer, former referees Jon Moss and Adam Gale-Watts visited Premier League and Championship clubs to talk through various issues.
      And he enjoys when local referees, who do not take charge of Stevenage games, visit and will officiate training games.
      Read More on The Sun
      Evans said: “They’ll talk the players and coaches through all the various things that come up in games.
      “They’ll then come and have lunch with the lads and build up a great rapport. That is what you want from referees — actively engaging, building relationships and showing they’re human.” More

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      How Premier League table would look without VAR with Man Utd and Chelsea benefiting most from technology

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      CHELSEA and Manchester United are the biggest winners from VAR this season.The Blues currently sit seventh in the Premier League table on ten points.
      How the team at Stockley Park have affected the table
      Refereeing and the use of VAR has been heavily scrutinised again this seasonCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Jarrod Bowen was somehow penalised as the refs decided this was a foul on Edouard MendyCredit: Getty
      But without the often-questionable intervention of the refs in their Stockley Park booths and subsequent reversal of decisions, they would be five places and two points worse off.
      Meanwhile, the Red Devils drop a big three points, the most in the division, to slide from fifth to ninth.
      Among the key calls to go in their favour was West Ham’s late equaliser controversially and inexplicably being ruled out at Stamford Bridge.
      And the ESPN research suggests the decision to rule out Gabriel Martinelli’s opener spared Erik ten Hag’s side a defeat – despite going on to secure a 3-1 win over Arsenal.
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      Brentford also drop five places to 14th without VAR thanks to their key role in the Bees beating West Ham while Liverpool would have lost the Merseyside derby.
      On the flip side, Arsenal are the Premier League’s biggest losers – despite still being top of the table.
      As mentioned, their 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford would be flipped to a win and therefore give them a perfect 21 points from seven games so far, extending their lead to two points from Tottenham instead of one from Manchester City.
      Spurs are also hard done by after their penalty at West Ham was chalked off – otherwise, they would be directly below the Gunners going into the crunch North London derby which sees Jarred Gillett on VAR duties.
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      Leeds and Everton both climb five places without VAR decisions while Bournemouth and relegation-threatened Wolves leap up four spots.
      The bottom three of West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Leicester remain the same.
      Forest’s sole Premier League victory this season against the Hammers would not have stood while not even scrapping VAR calls can help under-fire Brendan Rodgers get his first three points of the season for the struggling Foxes.
      Gabriel Martinelli’s goal at Old Trafford was ruled out for a foul on Christian EriksenCredit: Getty
      Conor Coady thought he had won the Merseyside derby for Everton before a VAR reviewCredit: Getty More

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      Watch referee hold ‘VAR review’ on FAN’S PHONE before disallowing goal to spark wild celebrations

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      A REFEREE disallowed a goal at a football game after holding a VAR review on a FAN’S PHONE. VAR is a controversial tool at the best of times – and that’s with the use of high-quality cameras and a whole team at Stockley Park.
      A referee takes a fan’s phone to watch a replayCredit: Twitter/@sportbible
      The referee watches the footageCredit: Twitter/@sportbible
      He then rules the goal should be disallowedCredit: Twitter/@sportbible
      But this maverick referee paid no mind to that as he held his own impromptu review with nothing but a pitchside fan’s phone for assistance.
      In a viral video, said to take place at a Serbian lower league game, a fan brandishes his mobile to help the referee come to a decision on whether to allow a goal.
      The referee took the phone and looked at the footage for over half a minute before deciding to rule out the goal.
      This decision sent the team wearing blue wheeling away in celebration of the ruling in their favour.
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      Fans were quick to draw comparisons to the actual VAR process used typically in the top professional leagues and competitions.
      One user described it as: “VAR on budget.”
      A second user said: “Better than VAR,” while another echoed this saying: “So even Sunday league Serbia is better than the EPL VAR!”
      However, some eagle-eyed viewers also picked up on the referee never actually returning the phone to the fan who gave it to him.
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      A user asked: “Is he going to return his phone?”
      Another said: “the referee took his phone,” and followed it up with a crying emoji.
      VAR officiating came under intense scrutiny after some very controversial calls during the last set of Premier League fixtures.
      The Premier League and PGMOL (the referees’ governing body) declared they would review the decisions made at Stamford Bridge and St James’ Park that weekend. More

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      How cheeky Chelsea stars tricked Diego Costa into making X-rated comments to referee which nearly got striker sent off

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      CHEEKY Chelsea players tricked Diego Costa into making X-rated comments to a Premier League referee – and almost got the hot-head sent off.Costa – who returned to England with Wolves this week – signed for the Blues from Atletico Madrid in a £32million transfer in summer 2014.
      Diego Costa regularly got into trouble with referees during his time at ChelseaCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      John Terry burst into hysterics when one referee almost sent Costa off for his bad languageCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      But the Spain international, who grew up in Brazil speaking Portuguese, barely knew a word of English as he arrived in the Premier League.
      So skipper John Terry and his team-mates made the most of the opportunity to play the hilarious prank by telling Costa the word for “sorry” was actually “c***”.
      Then in one of his first appearances for Chelsea, Costa did not take long to get into trouble with the referee who wanted a word with the fiery forward.
      As he walked away, the goalscorer muttered “c***” towards the official.
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      Stunned, the ref called him back over, asking Costa to clarify what he had just said.
      Then the striker repeated the expletive to his face, prompting the referee to summon over captain Terry for a word.
      The shocked whistler told JT what had happened and told the legendary Chelsea icon to tell Costa to clean out his potty-mouth.
      But instead, Terry burst out laughing on the pitch and explained the practical joke to the referee: “We told him ‘c***’ meant ‘sorry’!”
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      Although certainly appreciating the banter, the referee did warn Terry he had to tell Costa the proper word for “sorry” – because he almost showed him a red card for foul and abusive language.
      The 24-cap Spain star went on to score 59 goals in 120 appearances in three seasons as Chelsea before returning to Atleti.
      He was somehow only once shown a red card – in an FA Cup battle with Everton.
      However, he earned a reputation for his combative style at Stamford Bridge resulting in a series of FA suspensions.  
      Then back in Madrid, he was sent off on his second debut for the club and banned for eight matches in 2019 after insulting a LaLiga ref’s “prostitute mother” and repeatedly grabbing Jesus Gil Manzano while swearing and shouting at him after being sent off for dissent. 
      But now Costa is back in the Premier League after completing a one-year free transfer to Wolves following the ACL injury to new signing Sasa Kalajdzic.
      And boss Bruno Lage will be hoping Costa is on his best behaviour and lets his feet do the talking if he makes his debut against champions Manchester City on Saturday – with experienced ref Anthony Taylor the man in the middle. 
      Diego Costa got an eight-game ban for abusing a Spanish refereeCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Costa will want to keep his mouth shut and let his feet do the talking at WolvesCredit: Getty More

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      Football fans left stunned after non-league Chippenham awarded ‘shocking’ penalty against Oxford City

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      FANS of Oxford City FC have been left stunned after rivals Chippenham Town were awarded a controversial late penalty. And The Hoops shared a clip of the penalty on their social media to highlight the refereeing call.

      An Oxford City defender gets back to clear the ball off the lineCredit: Twitter
      The Chippenham Town attacker who was pressing the ball follows through and gets tripped up by the defender after the ball has already been clearedCredit: Twitter
      The referee awarded a penalty to the dismay of OxfordCredit: Twitter
      A poor header back towards goal was latched onto by a Chippenham attacker, who then proceeded to lob the ball over the goalkeeper.
      But a defender managed to make a heroic sliding clearance off the line to prevent a goal, taking the onrushing attacker out with it.
      However, City were left perplexed when a penalty was awarded against them for a seemingly clean tackle.
      Jordan Young subsequently converted the 98th-minute penalty to hand Oxford their second defeat on the spin in the National League South.
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      Oxford manager Ross Jenkins was also critical of the decision on Oxford City’s YouTube channel.
      He said: “Yeah it wasn’t just out angle, it was the whole stadium’s angle. It was all sides of the stadium that saw it wasn’t a penalty.
      “It was an error from us to head it backwards, we accept that, but then we’ve done so well to recover and clear it off the line.
      “You can clearly see our player has nicked the ball first and their players followed through and gone over the top of him.
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      “I’m not quite sure what the referee saw, but it’s not good enough because it’s cost us points tonight… it’s really disappointing and a big error on the ref’s part.”
      Fans on social media echoed this sentiment.
      One user said: “No pen, great defending,” while a second described it as: “shocking.”
      Another added: “If that is a penalty I’m a polar bear.”
      Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey even weighed in on the debate.
      He said: “Imo (in my opinion) no one would have complained if the referee had just played on.”
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      It comes amid a weekend of controversial decisions in the Premier League despite the assistance of VAR.
      Referee governing body PGMOL even admitted decisions which went against West Ham and Newcastle in their respective games against Chelsea and Crystal Palace would be reviewed after heavy criticism. More