Date
2007-03-08
Match
| Newcastle United | - | AZ |
 | - |  |
Result
4 - 2
Referee decisions
Yellow
0 - 1
Red
0 - 0
Penalty
0 - 1
Referee assessment
this match
overall
Our marks
7.5
7.3
Your marks
5.9
7.7
8
Control: 6
Calls: 8
Neutrality: 8
Style: 7.5
General assessment
Other reports for this match (2)
1) report by Knut Olsen
7
Control: He seemed well in control6
Calls: When in doubt, he gave AZ the advantage5
Neutrality: The penalty was a doubtfull one...8
Style: He positioned himself well and his authortity was selden questioned.6.5
General assessmentHe certainly has style. It looks like he is difficult to fool, but penalties, even for the minor team, should only be given without doubt.
Massimo Busacca matches
'11-06-03 Austria - Germany (1 - 2)'11-03-08 Barcelona - Arsenal (3 - 1)'11-02-09 Argentina - Portugal (2 - 1)'10-11-24 Glasgow Rangers - Manchester United (0 - 1)'10-11-03 Shakhtar - Arsenal (2 - 1)'10-10-12 Scotland - Spain (2 - 3)'10-09-14 Werder Bremen - Tottenham Hotspur (2 - 2)'10-08-27 Internazionale - Atlético de Madrid (0 - 2)'10-08-17 Dynamo Kyiv - Ajax (1 - 1)'10-06-16 South Africa - Uruguay (0 - 3)'10-04-27 Lyon - Bayern Munich (0 - 3)'10-03-31 Arsenal - Barcelona (2 - 2)'10-03-10 Manchester United - AC Milan (4 - 0)'09-12-08 Juventus - Bayern Munich (1 - 4)'09-11-24 Barcelona - Internazionale (2 - 0)'09-11-18 Uruguay - Costa Rica (1 - 1)'09-11-05 Nigeria u17 - New Zealand u17 (5 - 0)'09-10-29 USA u17 - Malawi u17 (1 - 0)'09-10-24 Honduras u17 - Argentina u17 (0 - 1)'09-10-10 Russia - Germany (0 - 1)'09-09-16 VfB Stuttgart - Glasgow Rangers (1 - 1)'09-09-05 Denmark - Portugal (1 - 1)'09-08-18 Celtic - Arsenal (0 - 2)'09-06-25 Brazil - South Africa (1 - 0)'09-06-18 USA - Brazil (0 - 3)'09-05-27 Barcelona - Manchester United (2 - 0)'09-04-15 Porto - Manchester United (0 - 1)'09-03-28 Spain - Turkey (1 - 0)'09-03-10 Panathinaikos - Villarreal (1 - 2)'08-11-26 Atlético de Madrid - PSV (2 - 1)'08-11-19 Germany - England (1 - 2)'08-11-04 CFR Cluj - Bordeaux (1 - 2)'08-10-11 Scotland - Norway (0 - 0)'08-09-30 Zenit - Real Madrid (1 - 2)'08-08-27 Liverpool - Standard (1 - 0)'08-06-25 Germany - Turkey (3 - 2)'08-06-17 Netherlands - Romania (2 - 0)'08-06-10 Greece - Sweden (0 - 2)'08-04-23 Barcelona - Manchester United (0 - 0)'08-04-10 Getafe - Bayern Munich (3 -3)'08-03-04 Sevilla FC - Fenerbahce SK (3 - 2)'07-12-11 Real Madrid - Lazio (3 - 1)'07-11-21 Serbia - Poland (2 - 2)'07-11-06 Schalke 04 - Chelsea F.C. (0 - 0)'07-10-24 Benfica - Celtic (1 - 0)'07-09-19 Barcelona - Lyon (3 - 0)'07-09-12 Norway - Greece (2 - 2)'07-08-29 Anderlecht - Fenerbahce SK (0 - 2)'07-08-22 England - Germany (1 - 2)'07-05-16 Espanyol - Sevilla FC (2 - 2)'07-03-24 Spain - Denmark (2 - 1)• '07-03-08 Newcastle United - AZ (4 - 2)'07-02-21 Porto - Chelsea F.C. (1 - 1)'06-12-05 Barcelona - Werder Bremen (2 - 0)'06-10-31 Bayern Munich - Sporting (0 - 0)'06-10-07 Scotland - France (1 - 0)'06-09-12 PSV - Liverpool (0 - 0)'06-08-22 Osasuna - Hamburger SV (1 - 1)'06-06-24 Argentina - Mexico (2 - 1)'06-06-20 Sweden - England (2 - 2)'06-06-14 Spain - Ukraine (4 - 0)'06-04-06 Schalke 04 - Levski Sofia (1 - 1)'06-03-01 Russia - Brazil (0 - 1)'06-02-23 Marseille - Bolton Wanderers (2 - 1)'05-11-22 Lille OSC - Benfica (0 - 0)'05-11-12 Norway - Czech Republic (0 - 1)'05-10-19 Anderlecht - Liverpool (0 - 1)'05-10-08 Uzbekistan - Bahrain (1 - 1)'05-09-28 Porto - Artmedia Petrzalka (2 - 3)'05-09-07 Northern Ireland - England (1 - 0)'05-08-24 Debrecen - Manchester United (0 - 3)'05-06-28 Brazil u20 - Argentina u20 (1 - 2)'05-06-21 Morocco u20 - Japan u20 (1 - 0)'05-06-18 Colombia u20 - Syria u20 (2 - 0)'05-06-14 Egypt u20 - Argentina u20 (0 - 2)'05-06-11 Honduras u20 - Chile u20 (0 - 7)'05-04-28 Parma - CSKA Moskva (0 - 0)'05-03-30 Serbia and Montenegro - Spain (0 - 0)'05-03-16 Steaua - Villarreal (0 - 0)'04-12-07 Porto - Chelsea F.C. (2 - 1)'04-11-17 Russia - Estonia (4 - 0)'04-11-02 Werder Bremen - Anderlecht (5 - 1)'04-10-13 Iceland - Sweden (1 - 4)'04-09-29 CSKA Moskva - PSG (2 - 0)'04-08-11 Wisla Krakow - Real Madrid (0 - 2)'04-03-11 Auxerre - PSV (1 - 1)'04-03-03 Barcelona - Brøndby (2 - 1)'03-12-08 Argentina u20 - Egypt u20 (2 - 1)'03-12-04 Spain u20 - Uzbekistan u20 (1 - 0)'03-12-02 Cote d'Ivoire u20 - Ireland u20 (2 - 2)'03-11-29 Colombia u20 - Egypt u20 (0 - 0)'03-11-04 Besiktas - Sparta Prague (1 - 0)'03-10-22 Real Madrid - Partizan (1 - 0)'03-10-11 Belgium - Estonia (2 - 0)'03-08-13 Shakhtar - Lokomotiv Moskva (1 - 0)'03-06-07 Israel - Slovenia (0 - 0)'03-04-30 France - Egypt (5 - 0)'03-02-20 Porto - Denizlispor (6 - 1)'02-12-12 Leeds United - Malaga (1 - 2)'02-10-30 AEK - Genk (1 - 1)'02-10-12 Poland - Latvia (0 - 1)'02-09-18 Lokomotiv Moskva - Galatasaray (0 - 2)'02-05-18 Germany - Austria (6 - 2)'02-04-17 Austria - Cameroon (0 - 0)'01-11-13 Czech Republic u21 - Croatia u21 (0 - 0)'01-10-18 Bordeaux - Standard (2 - 0)'01-09-25 Gaziantepspor - Hapoel Tel Aviv (1 - 1)'01-07-21 Czech Republic u18 - Serbia and Montenegro u18 (1 - 0)'01-06-02 Northern Ireland - Bulgaria (0 - 1)'01-04-25 Italy - South Africa (0 - 1)'01-03-24 Norway u21 - Poland u21 (1 - 2)'00-10-26 Liverpool - Liberec (1 - 0)'00-09-28 Rijeka - Celta de Vigo (0 - 1)'00-09-01 Bosnia-Herzegovina u21 - Spain u21 (0 - 2)1999-09-16 Teplice - Ferencváros (3 - 1)1999-09-02 Finland u21 - Germany u21 (3 - 1)
(A click on 'All matches' will show all international matches for this ref that we at WorldReferee know about - including those we didn't report on.)
Newcastle United - AZ, 4 - 2. St James' Park, Newcastle, England, 2007-03-08
Swiss Massimo Busacca is a respected referee on the highest level. He is sure of himself, fair to the players and because of his experience nobody questions his decisions. Maybe some one should.
penalty
Az didn't stand a change against England's currently number 11. Top coach Van Gaal misjugded his opponent and the Dutch players lost it completely until Busacca suddenly out of nowhere saw a hands ball in the penalty box. Taylor's arm was hit by the ball, so what, these things happen, but the referee awarded a penalty (which initially was missed by Dembele who, while he tried another shot, was kicked to the ground, something that could have been enough for another penalty if not Koevermans had pushed the ball into the net). But it shouldn't have been a penalty. Busacca had it wrong.
Anyway
Anyway, referees can make mistakes in split second decisions, even great ones. We won't hold it against him.