There have always been, and there will always be, controversial decisions made by referees in football games. Some are as a result of a minor error on the referee’s part. However, some controversial calls seem so blatant that you nearly feel like the referee was paid to make a ridiculous call like that.
In 2016, the Video Assistant Referee was introduced in some leagues to help curtail controversial decisions by giving the referee extra pairs of eyes and more Here, we look at some of the most controversial decisions that have been made during a football game. 10. Sterling Dive vs Denmark, Euros 2020 We’ll be starting with the most recent controversy in the world of football.
The Sterling dive that the referee blew as a penalty for England in their Euro 2020 semifinal game against Denmark. Denmark had gone ahead in the 30th minute of the game with a brilliant freekick by Mikkel Damsgaard. But England pulled one back 9 minutes later and dragged the game to extra time.
It was in the first half of extra time that Sterling drove into the 18 yard box and fell to the ground when there was obviously no contact from Joakim Maehle. The ref immediately blew for a penalty, and even after consulting the video assistant refs, he refused to change his decision, and would not go to the pitch-side monitor to check for himself either. This controversial moment was a very huge one as it pretty much lost Denmark the game.
Although Kasper Schmeichel, the Danish goalie, saved Kane’s spot kick, the England skipper scored from the rebound, and that goal sent England to the final. 9. Lampard “Ghost Goal” vs Germany, 2010 World Cup This headline is enough to paint clear images in the minds of anyone who followed the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
This was just a Round of 16 game, but it ended up being one of the most memorable moments of the tournament. In the first half of the game, the star-studded Three Lions side was already down 2 goals to 1 against a formidable Germany. However, in the 38th minute, Lampard struck a fine shot from outside the box and put England level.
Or so they thought. And well, so we thought. So every commentator thought.
So the coaching staff of both teams thought. So the fans thought. So everybody around the world thought, except the referee.
The ball hit the crossbar, and very evidently completely crossed the line before it bounced back out and Neuer grabbed hold of it and continued play. Frank Lampard, who had already gone off to celebrate, was devastated when he didn’t hear the referee’s whistle. This was such a big moment in the history of modern football, as this was the main motivation to introduce technology to assist referees with decisions like this.
2 years later, goal line technology was introduced. Germany went on to win the game 4-1. 8.
Robert Hoyzer Scandal You know, sometimes you watch a game and suspect that the match had been fixed because of the poor officiating. Most times, it all ends as a suspicion. But well, not this time.
Robert Hoyzer, a German referee, was found guilty of taking a bribe of 46,000 pounds and, wait for it, a television to make sure that Paderborn went through against match favorites, Hamburg, in a German Cup game. How did he do it? Well, Paderborn were 2 goals down, so, Robert just awarded 2 ridiculous penalties against Hamburg and even sent one of their players off.
Anyway, Hoyzer didn’t get away with it as he was tried for his corruption and was given a 2 year, 5 month prison sentence. 7. Nigeria vs Cameroon, AFCON 2000 Final The final which was held in the National Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria was tightly contested.
It ended 2-2 after extra time and so, the winner had to be decided on penalties. Everything seemed to have been going well, until Victor Ikpeba stepped up for his spot kick. He converted, as the ball had clearly crossed the line.
However, the referee, Mourad Daami, counted it as a miss, which pretty much cost Nigeria the trophy in front of their home fans, as they ended up losing 4-3 on penalties. This colossal error on the referee’s part led to huge riots in the city of Lagos that day. 6.
Tottenham vs City, UCL 2019 This Quarter Final UEFA Champions League game between these 2 English sides is still one of the most memorable VAR-influenced games. First, Llorente scored to put Spurs in front in the 73rd minute. City players protested as they all felt Llorente used his hand to control the ball first.
The referee went to the pitch-side monitor and decided he was satisfied with the goal. Like that wasn’t enough, in additional time of the second half, Sterling thought he had equalized for the Manchester club and put them through. But after a few moments, and a lot of celebration from City players and supporters, the goal was ruled out for offside.
Manchester City ended up losing the game 4-3, and Tottenham Hotspur progressed, and even made it all the way to the final. 5. Clive Thomas’ Premature Fulltime Whistle In a group stage game in the 1978 World Cup between Brazil and Sweden, Clive Thomas awarded a corner kick to Brazil in the dying seconds of the game, and then went on to blow the whistle for fulltime just after the ball was flown into the box.
Anybody who watches football knows that that is such an awkward time to blow the final whistle. And well, it was even worse because Zico went ahead to score from that corner, but it couldn’t stand because the final whistle had already been blown. The game ended 1-1.
4. Henry’s Handball Assist In a crucial World Cup qualifying game in 2009, France were a goal down to Ireland in extra time and on the brink of failing to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, after making it to the final at the previous campaign. In the 102nd minute, France got a free kick.
The ball was crossed into the box, but it seemed to have missed everybody and was going out for an Ireland goal kick. So, Thierry Henry, who was closest to the ball, stopped it from crossing the line by slapping it with his left hand, before he put in a cross to William Gallas who scored. Normally, the referee should have blown for a handball and awarded a free kick to Ireland, instead he let the goal stand.
This decision was heavily controversial as that goal was enough to deny Ireland a place in the 2010 World Cup. 3. Tom Ovrebo, UCL 2009 Surely, this is a name Chelsea fans will never forget.
Although the London club has gone on to win 2 Champions League titles since then, I still doubt that they have completely forgiven Tom Ovrebo for denying them their second UCL final in as many years. It is hard to point out which exact moment to talk about as there were so many. Denied penalties, unwarranted bookings, the whole lot.
According to many Chelsea fans, they could have been awarded up to 4 penalties in the second leg of the semifinal alone. Barcelona fans, as well as many football pundits, have, over the years, tried to debunk claims that Tom was partial in that semifinal game, but the least you can say is that that was a very controversial game and one that is always remembered as such. 2.
Side-netting Goal Stefan Kiessling’s goal for Bayer Leverkusen against Hoffeinham is one of the most bizzare goals you will ever get to see in modern football. 1. The Hand of God Much does not need to be said about this.
This is perhaps the singular most controversial goal ever scored in the history of the game. Diego Maradona scored the first goal of the Quarter Final game against England in the 1986 World Cup, in his own words, a little with his head and a little with the hand of God. Maradona, who died in November 2020, then went on to double his tally in that game with what is widely regarded as the goal of the century.
Argentina won that game 2-1 and went on to win the tournament. This goes to show yet again that many of these seemingly little decisions usually have huge effects in the grand scheme of things. For more videos like this, be sure to hit the like button, subscribe to the channel if you haven’t already, and turn on the bell notification so you never miss an upload.
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