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      Champions League star left stunned after being handed red card… for asking for opponent to be booked

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      MONACO were left in disbelief after their player was sent off for asking an opponent to be booked.The Ligue 1 had fallen behind during their Champions League play-off first-leg game against Benfica just after half-time after a sumptuous chip from Vangelis Pavlidis.Referee Maurizio Mariani showed a second yellow to Monaco’s Al-MusratiCredit: ReutersIt came after the midfielder gestured towards the ref that an opponent should be bookedCredit: GettyA challenge from Alvaro Fernandez on Breel Embolo in the 52nd minute then saw things go from bad to worse for the home side.With ex-Manchester United defender Fernandez on a yellow card by this point, Monaco wanted to try and take advantage of the foul by reminding Italian referee, Maurizio Mariani.Midfielder Moatasem Al-Musrati was chief among the culprits to do so as he was shown to be wagging his right hand at the ref in the gesture of showing a card. Mariani then brandished a yellow card but to the 28-year-old instead of the fouling player.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAl-Musrati, who had been booked in the 41st minute, appeared to be baffled by the decision as his Monaco team-mates then protested against it.It was a very unfortunate end to the Libya international’s Champions League debut following a loan transfer from Besiktas to Monaco in the winter transfer window.But IFAB rules state a yellow card can be awarded to a player who: “Argues with the referee or other match official (verbally or by making gestures).”The sending-off meant Monaco failed to get a vital goal back against the visitors to take to the second leg.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSMonaco boss Adi Hütter and left-back Krépin Diatta both felt the decision was unfair, with the manager also moaning about a late yellow for Denis Zakaria which rules him out of the second leg.Hütter said: “I didn’t see him walk to the referee. The only thing what he said maybe was ‘It could be a yellow card.’Jose Mourinho ruins Mauro Icardi with sarcastic comments and fans love it “Yes these are the rules we have to accept, but he was not aggressive right?”And when you see the second yellow card of Zakaria, he is suspended. These are harsh yellow cards.”Diatta said: “I think everyone saw for themselves.”He wasn’t angry and he was calm toward the referee. Sometimes it’s too severe.”The second leg will be played on Tuesday 18. More

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      Major change to VAR to be introduced for FA Cup fifth round despite concerns about accuracy

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      THE FA CUP fifth round is set to be the testing ground of semi-automated offside technology.The technology, also known as SAOT, is set to be introduced into the fifth round of England’s premier cup competition with a view to a wider introduction to English football later on.Semi-automated offside technology was successfully used at the 2022 World CupCredit: FIFAIt is now set to undergo a live trial during the FA Cup fifth roundCredit: AFPSAOT was successfully used at the 2022 World Cup and was set to be brought to the Premier League in autumn after clubs unanimously voted to bring it in last April.However, officials were not satisfied with its accuracy when testing in stadiums, leading to it being delayed and prompting frustration.According to The Guardian, the technology is now set to be trialled in the FA Cup fifth round.The report says the system has been refined and its effectiveness improved considerably in the past month.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLPGMOL chief Howard Webb and the Premier League’s chief football officer, Tony Scholes, have both now given their approval.Seven of the eight ties in the fifth round are being played at Premier League grounds, with the exception of Championship side Preston, making it ideal for an extended live-testing stage.Top-flight clubs will be officially informed about the trial by the Premier League at its shareholders’ meeting in London today.SAOT and Video Assistant Referee (VAR) have not been used in any of the previous rounds of the competition to ensure a “consistent refereeing approach for all clubs taking part in the same stage of the competition”.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSThis led to several controversial decisions, including Harry Maguire’s last-gasp winner for Manchester United against Leicester in the fourth round which would have been ruled offside with the help of technology.It is hoped the tech will reduce the waiting time for offside decisions to be made if VAR is introduced by more than 30 seconds.VAR ruined Coventry’s iconic FA Cup moment with offside decision in semi-final – but was technically CORRECTCamera footage and special tracking software are used to calculate the position of players at the moment of a potential offside, removing the need for VAR teams to manually add lines to still images.During Everton’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the last-ever Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, James Tarkowski’s last-gasp equaliser took four minutes before it came to a decision. Scholes had previously admitted to being sceptical until seeing recent improvements. He said: “I have to confess, given the difficulties that we had over the first few months of the season [with SAOT testing] I had severe doubts.”But the progress made over the last four to six weeks has been significant. “We believe we’re going to be adopting the best system and the most accurate system.”FA Cup fifth round draw in fullHere are all the games from the next round in the FA Cup…Preston North End vs BurnleyAston Villa vs Cardiff CityDoncaster/Crystal Palace vs MillwallManchester United vs FulhamNewcastle vs Brighton and Hove AlbionBournemouth vs Wolverhampton WanderersManchester City vs PlymouthExeter City/Nottingham Forest vs Ipswich Town More

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      Watch ‘softest penalty in history’ give Club Brugge ‘disgraceful’ last gasp Champions League win over Atalanta

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      FANS have slammed a huge Champions League refereeing blunder as the “worst decision of the season”.Club Brugge scored a 94th minute penalty to beat Atalanta 2-1 in a first leg play-off round clash.Gustaf Nilsson went down holding his face after a clash with Isak HienCredit: TNT Sports The referee controversially gave a penalty despite minimal contactCredit: TNT Sports The official then gave three Atalanta players bookings for their protestsCredit: RexNilsson dispatched the penalty for Club BruggeCredit: EPABut the decision to award the last-gasp spot-kick for a foul on eventual goalscorer Gustaf Nilsson was highly controversial.The striker chased down a loose ball in the box, only for Atalanta defender Isak Hien to get there first and hold him off.His right arm ended up brushing his Swedish compatriot, who went down clutching his face theatrically. Turkish referee Halil Meler pointed to the spot and the decision was surprisingly not overturned by VAR.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLFuming Atalanta stars surrounded the referee, with Rafael Toloi, ex-Chelsea man Juan Cuadrado and Hien all getting yellow carded.Nilsson kept his cool amid the chaos and scored to take a one-goal advantage to Italy next week.Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini stormed down the tunnel as the ball hit the back of the net, ripping his coat off as he went.Fans were left shocked by the decision, with one saying: “Might be the worst decision I’ve seen all season.”Most read in Champions LeagueBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSAnother added: “Disgraceful decision.”A third wrote: “Worst penalty decision ever. Absolutely embarrassing.”Ref Meler is no stranger to being at the centre of controversy after being punched by Ankaragucu’s club president Faruk Koca at full-time of a game just over a year ago.Ex-Premier League midfielder given red card but bizarrely allowed to continue playing after discussion with opponents More

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      ‘Goalkeepers should be complaining’ – Fifa referees chief Pierluigi Collina calls for major penalty rule change

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      PIERLUIGI COLLINA, arguably the world’s greatest ever referee, has proposed a a major rule change to penalty kicks.The Italian is currently the chairman of the Fifa Referees Committee.Pierluigi Collina has proposed a change to the penalty kick rulesCredit: GettyHe has suggested the ball should be dead if saved by the goalkeeperCredit: ReutersThe legendary ref hung up his whistle back in 2005 but remains well respected in football.He believes that goalkeepers should be complaining about the current penalty rules.Collina has insisted the attackers should not be allowed to take advantage of a rebound if the initial shot is saved.His plan would mean that if the penalty is saved, the ball is then dead and then leads to a goal kick.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLCollina, 64, told Repubblica: “I believe there is an excessive gap between the opportunities available to the attacker and those of the goalkeeper.”On average, 75 per cent of penalties are already scored, and often, the penalty kick is a bigger chance than the one taken away by the foul.”On top of that, the attacker is also given a chance to play the rebound off the goalkeeper. In my opinion, goalkeepers should be complaining.”I’ve already mentioned this in discussions we’ve had at IFAB.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”One solution is the ‘one shot’ rule. Just like in penalty shootouts after extra time.”No rebound. Either you score or play resumes with a goal kick, period.Never-before-seen moment in English football as referee speaks to crowd to confirm why Spurs goal ruled out vs Liverpool”This would also eliminate the spectacle we see before a penalty is taken, with everyone crowding around the area.”It looks like horses at the starting gates before the Palio di Siena (a traditional Italian horse race with jockeys riding bareback).”He has also suggested that the introduction of offside technology is a benefit to the game.He added: “At 40 metres from the goal, perhaps two centimetres are not decisive, but in the penalty area they become so.” More

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      Jude Bellingham at risk of LaLiga punishment as mic catches Real Madrid star’s X-rated rant at derby linesman live on TV

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      Jude Bellingham risks possible LaLiga punishment after an X-rated blast at an assistant referee.In the 12th minute of Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid, the England superstar screamed “f*** you man, f*** off” as a throw went against the home side.Jude Bellingham risks LaLiga punishment after an X-rated blast at an assistant refereeCredit: GettyReal Madrid star Bellingham lashed out against Atletico MadridCredit: GettyThis foul-mouthed outburst comes months after he told a referee he was a “piece of s***” during Real’s 4-1 win against Espanyol.Bellingham, 21, escaped sanction for those actions in September but it remains to be seen whether Spanish league bosses will penalise this latest emotional rant, which was heard clearly on TV.Julian Alvarez, formerly of Manchester City, scored a penalty on 35 minutes for Atletico but Real equalised through France World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe on 50 minutes.Carlo Ancelotti’s side remain top of the league by a point ahead of their City rivals with 15 games left.Read More on FootballBritish Formula 1 driver George Russell attended the derby at the Santiago Bernabeu, watching the match from the comfort of the presidential box.Ancelotti might make several changes for the Champions League playoff first-leg trip to Man City as he tries to juggle domestic and continental competitions.The reigning European champions have a mounting injury list with defenders David Alaba (muscle) and Antonio Rudiger (hamstring) out – while Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal are long-term absentees with serious knee injuries.The Italian chief said: “For Tuesday’s game, we have to see the recovery of those who have played.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS“Those who haven’t played today have an advantage to play on Tuesday.” Spanish defender Lucas Vazquez said: “Another huge game awaits us in Manchester.Jude Bellingham’s furious reaction to Valencia goalkeeper after Vinicius Jr sent off in heated Real Madrid clash“It will be a difficult match against a great opponent that we have faced in the last four years.“The team is eager to show our football and our worth and try to get a win there.” More

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      Galatasaray match ABANDONED as opponents walk off the pitch after Morata scores controversial first goal for new club

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      GALATASARAY’s Super Lig clash with Adana Demirspor has been abandoned after players from the visiting side refused to play.The game in Turkey’s top flight was initially suspended after 34 minutes with table toppers Galatasaray leading 1-0. Alvaro Morata put Galatasaray ahead from the spot against Adana DemirsporCredit: GettyPlayers from Adana would later walk off the field in protest at the decisionCredit: GettyThe match in Istanbul was abandoned after just 34 minutesCredit: GettyAlvaro Morata put the hosts ahead with a contentious penalty at Rams Park after just 12 minutes. Dries Mertens hit the deck after minimal contact from the Adana defender. Morata – on loan from AC Milan – stepped up to score his second goal in three games for Galatasaray. Adana manager Mustafa Alper Avci was seen calling his players over to the touchline later in the half as midfielder Yusuf Barasi received treatment for an injury.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLPlayers from the Super Lig’s bottom side abruptly walked off the field and headed to the changing rooms. Confused Galatasaray players eventually followed suit along with the match officials.Around 20 minutes after the initial suspension, it was confirmed by the stadium announcer the match had been abandoned. Per TurkiyeToday, the announcement said: “The match has been abandoned by the referee due to Adana Demirspor withdrawing from the game.”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAdana Demirspor’s former president, Metin Korkmaz, confirmed the protest was against the penalty decision earlier in the game.He told the outlet: “This is a protest against the Refereeing Committee, not Galatasaray.”Jose Mourinho has launched a scathing attack on referees in Turkey with Fenerbahce considering boycotting the Turkish Cup in protest Korkmaz added that club president Murat Sancak would provide further clarification on the incident later. Adana are currently bottom of the Super Lig, with just 5 points from 21 games and a dismal -30 goal difference. Turkey’s top tier has been dominated by discussions over officiating in recent months.Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho is among those to have publically called out the standard of refereeing.The Special One branded the Turkish top flight “toxic” after his side beat Hatayspor 2-1 last month.And he even threatened to have his team boycott the Turkish Cup in protest. Mourinho’s press conference rant in full“I will watch the matches until I can because nobody wants to watch the Turkish league.“Who wants to watch this Turkish league abroad? They have the Premier League, the French league, the German league, the Portuguese league, the Dutch league.“Why should they see this? When the president met me, the director, even before that I met other important and respectful clubs in Turkey.“I couldn’t believe that this was the dimension. It’s too grey, it’s too dark, smells bad.“We were in good control, winning 1-0 when Atilla (Karaoglan, VAR ref), woke up because in the first half he was probably having Turkish tea.“Not to say an alcoholic drink so probably was Turkish tea. There was a clear red card on Bright (Oyasi-Samuel). If it is a Fenerbahce player he would wake up, even the ref on the pitch wouldn’t be afraid to give the card.“Referees are afraid to give decisions to us. For me the biggest scandal is a penalty in our favour.“As I was saying before, I don’t think abroad many people watch the Turkish league. I think in London only my son watches the Turkish league, nobody else.“I’m going to post on my Instagram. I don’t have many but I think more than five million will watch more of that penalty.“So they will know what the Turkish league is. (On a scale of 1-10 what grade would I give myself?) Zero.”In an extraordinary rant in November, Mourinho said: “Referees are afraid to give decisions to us. “For me the biggest scandal is a penalty in our favour.”As I was saying before, I don’t think abroad many people watch the Turkish league. I think in London only my son watches the Turkish league, nobody else.READ MORE SUN STORIES”I’m going to post on my Instagram. I don’t have many but I think more than five million will watch more of that penalty.”So they will know what the Turkish league is. (On a scale of 1-10 what grade would I give myself?) Zero.” More

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      ‘Robbed’ – Fans fume at lack of VAR again following latest controversial FA Cup decision after Maguire’s offside goal

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      FANS have been left raging AGAIN over the lack of VAR in the fourth round of the FA Cup.Several matches this weekend have been impacted by controversial refereeing decisions, with officials in Stockley Park not in place until the next round of the competition.Blackburn star Dominic Hyam was seemingly onside when he headed in at the back postCredit: BBCHarry Maguire’s goal was allowed to stand as the linesman did not spot the offsideCredit: ITVThere has been debate over whether Newcastle’s goal did cross the line or notCredit: BBCManchester United beat Leicester 2-1 on Friday thanks to Harry Maguire’s last-gasp header, which was incorrectly not flagged for offside.On Saturday, Chelsea claimed there were two handballs in the build-up to Kaoru Mitoma’s winner and Birmingham had earlier also felt hard done by a lack of technology.Newcastle were awarded a goal against the Blues when it was unclear whether the whole ball had crossed the line or not.The controversy continued into Sunday as Blackburn had a goal chalked off for a debatable offside against Wolves.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLDominic Hyam headed home at the back post from a free-kick and replays showed that Hwang Hee-chan looked to have played him onside.The incident occurred when the game was goalless and Wolves scored twice almost directly after to win it 2-0.It led to Blackburn fans joining in the fury, with one saying: “No VAR makes you realise just how bad the referees are.”Another added: “Robbed, should be one up, poor decision.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBBC commentator Chris Sutton highlighted the inconsistencies after Blackburn’s disallowed strike, saying there was no flag for Maguire when he looked “three miles offside”. It comes after United boss Ruben Amorim admitted: “The goal was offside. We should have VAR. It should be here to overturn the decision. It’s hard on Ruud, it’s hard on the opponent.”BBC makes half-time innovation in FA Cup clash between Leyton Orient and Man CityThe FA explained the lack of VAR in a statement, which read: “This decision ensures that there is a consistent refereeing approach for all clubs taking part in the same stage of the competition.”Chelsea felt Tariq Lamptey deliberately handled the ball in the build-up to Brighton’s winnerCredit: ITVKaoru Mitoma may have controlled it with his arm before finishingCredit: ITVHow Blackburn 0-2 Wolves unfolded By SunSport’s Martin BlackburnMATHEUS CUNHA gave another reminder of why Wolves were so desperate to keep him in January.Despite links to Arsenal and Manchester United, the Molineux board stood firm and handed him a new four-and-a-half year contract earlier this month.Joao Gomes opened the scoringCredit: ReutersMatheus Cunha was the star of the show againCredit: ReutersHe celebrated that with a goal against Aston Villa last weekend and was on target again here to help Vitor Pereira’s men into the fifth round.Cunha and fellow Brazilian Joao Gomes struck within the space of a minute in the first half to bring a touch of Samba magic to a freezing day in East Lancashire.The talk among home fans in the build-up to the game was about an approach from Derby for John Eustace – which is believed to appeal to the Rovers boss.On the face of it, the idea of swapping a team in the play-off positions for one in the relegation zone looks a puzzling one.Yet his team have lost seven of their last 11 league games to leave their position in the top six much more precarious.He was also frustrated by a lack of support from the board in January, suggesting the new signings who did come in were made by the club rather than him.Even so two of them – Yuri RIbeiro and Emmanuel Dennis – were handed debuts here and were among eight changes made by Eustace.Another new arrival – winger Augustus Kargbo – blazed an effort over the bar but was causing the visitors defence a real headache down the left.And the Championship side thought they had a lead which would not have flattered them as Dominic Hyam nodded in John Buckley’s swirling free-kick at the back post.Celebrations were cut short by the linesman’s flag but replays showed they were hard done by and VAR would almost certainly have seen the goal stand.Minutes later live-wire winger Kargbo burst into the box and went down under a challenge from Emmanuel Agbadou.Referee Lewis Smith whistled but instead of pointing to the spot he booked the Rovers new boy for a dive.It was looking promising for Rovers but in the blink of an eye, the tie changed and before long they had a mountain to climb.Todd Cantwell lost possession and Wolves worked it well with Hwang Hee Chan picking out Joao Gomes in the box.The forward’s shot lacked any conviction but still squirmed under second choice keeper Balazs Toth and crept over the line for his third of the season.  It was a poor goal to concede and Rovers were still feeling sorry for themselves when they shipped a second just over a minute later.  This time it was an impressive move as Rodrigo Gomes and Nelson Semedo worked it out to Cunha on the right.His first time shot flashed past Toth at his near post – although again the Hungarian keeper might have been disappointed.There is no doubting the quality of Brazil international Cunha though – no wonder Wolves moved to protect their investment by giving him a lucrative new deal earlier this month.Rovers could have gone under but came close to grabbing one back before the break with Sam Johnstone saving smartly from Dennis at his near post.And after the break, Cantwell swapped passes with Amario Cozier-Duberry but lifted his shot high over the bar.READ MORE SUN STORIESBut Rovers efforts fizzled out and it was Wolves who looked more likely to add to their tally with Toth making a full stretch save to tip away Cunha’s long range effort.Sub Pablo Serabia flicked an effort over the bar and put another into the side-netting but in the end it didn’t matter. 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      We have GOT to take death threats to referees seriously… we shouldn’t assume it ‘won’t happen’ in Premier League

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      YOU have to be a special sort of thug to threaten a referee with death.It’s impossible to imagine how any spectator could wield a knife or point a firearm at a man because he disagrees with a football decision.Michael Oliver received death threats after sending Myles Lewis-Skelly off against WolvesCredit: PALewis-Skelly was sent off for a foul on Matt DohertyCredit: PABut it does happen and in this mixed-up world no threat to kill should be ignored.Several football officials have been murdered by bullet or blade in the US, Colombia, Somalia, Argentina and several other countries in the last dozen years.And we should not assume it could not  happen here, evidence of more than 2,500 reported assaults recently in grassroots football points to the grim possibility.Believe it or not, one recent attack followed an Under-7s game and another was on a 17-year-old assistant ref.Read More in FootballFootball is a passionate game. It is mostly played fairly on the pitch.In the professional game fortunately there are precautions in the ground and outside, supervised by the police and stewards.And Premier League chief football officer Tony Scholes recently claimed that the rest of the world regarded our refereeing as “a model they would like to follow”.Correct this may be but Scholes would not wish any country to approve of the treatment of referee Michael Oliver who suffered “death threats” after Arsenal’s game against Wolves at Molineux.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSOliver sent off Myles Lewis-Skelly for a foul on Wolves defender Matt Doherty.VAR supported the call, leading to fury among Arsenal supporters.’Serious problems at PGMOL’ Ex-Prem ref blasts VAR after baffling decisions at Liverpool and WolvesThe red card was controversial but could not excuse threats of physical attacks of any type.Refs in all sports must be a protected species from violence or gross abuse.Oliver’s response has been restrained and next week he is in charge of Wednesday’s Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool.Fortunately there have been no threats towards the VAR assistant ref Darren England.He supported Oliver’s decision — one that, to be honest, seemed perhaps a notch above the  usual verdict for similar offences.A point to be made here — football is a game of great passion but when players’ react angrily to refs decisions, it does stir the rage of a number of hot-blooded supporters.And a few of them are evil enough to threaten refs with injury and even death.My view is that overall the Premier League refereeing standards are high, although conclusions involving VAR are over-elaborate — as if the ref were a chess master studying a key move.Commenting on a new report on Premier League refereeing, Scholes said that the vast majority of decisions were being made more quickly.Notably, VAR was faster and in use less often than in past seasons.The red card decision was eventually overturned by the FACredit: GettySixty-four errors had been made by refs in key incidents after 23 matchweeks this season, down from 80 in 2023-24 over the same number.Only four of 70 VAR interventions were incorrect — four too many in my book.For spectators, protracted delays are the most irritating part of VAR.And that has long made me wonder whether VAR is good value — even with the alleged improvement in accuracy and delivery at only 20 seconds.Can we be confident this figure is stopwatch precise?It wouldn’t feel like it for many of us sitting in the stands awaiting the VAR decisions.The general tone of Scholes’ comments seems fair, though and he will surely agree with the view that refs must remain aware that the drama of actual play should not spoiled by repeated stoppages, or incorrect calls.The importance of accurate refereeing should never be underestimated, either.READ MORE SUN STORIESOne bad decision can lead to some serious repercussions.Lost points, relegation, missing out on Europe, and, god help us, death threats — none of which are welcome. More