Referee expert Urs Meier about scandal at Valencia and Real Madrid: Referee expert Urs Meier about scandal at Valencia and Real Madrid

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The match between Valencia and Real Madrid in the Mestalla Stadium on Saturday evening is tough. The aftermath alone provides a handful of tense scenes. First, a whistled penalty was rightly taken back for the home team, after which Valencia missed the 3-2 twice before Real were awarded a corner in the ninth minute of injury time.

This is clarified by the defense – but only half-heartedly. The ball comes back to the right as referee Jesús Gil Manzano blows his whistle. Two seconds later the ball is in, Jude Bellingham heads the cross, but the goal does not count. A pack forms, after which the alleged goalscorer is thrown off the field.

Memories of the “Klötzli case”

“The scene obviously immediately reminded me of the ‘Klötzli case’,” says referee expert Urs Meier. It is the most famous refereeing scandal in Swiss football when Bruno Klötzli refereed the match between Sion and Wettingen on October 7, 1989 after a free kick from Valais. Klötzli does not notice that a Wettingen player is shot, the ball falls at the feet of Martin Rueda and he scores the supposed 1-1. While the ball is in the air, Klötzli’s whistle sounds, what follows is a chase by Wettingen’s players, who physically attack Klötzli.

In Valencia it’s not so bad. Urs Meier can understand the anger of the Real players. “It is the worst-case scenario and extremely unfortunate for the referee.” He has already mentally finished the game. “Even if everything were correct according to the rules, in retrospect he probably wouldn’t have blown the whistle at that moment.”

When Meier, as referee boss in the SFV, once offered the course ‘The art of the final whistle’, he was laughed at by his colleagues. “A good final whistle is worth its weight in gold,” said Meier. Ideally, says the former top referee, you whistle when the team in the lead has possession of the ball, play is stopped or the ball is in midfield. “Ending the game at the wrong time can ruin the good performance of an entire game.” See the ‘Klötzli case’ – and now the Valencia – Real match.

Source : Blick