Reminiscences of the Habsburg monarchy

Referee Jug

We have been watching Mr. Jug many a time on screen, mainly as an aar in Mr. Skomina's team. But the young Slovenian (b. 1980) has come of age. UEFA experts picked him out in a squad of referees who had had some experience in CL encounters or at least in many EL matches (Gautier, Radovan, Gil, Bebek) and designated him with the honours of the final match. Mr. Jug didn't disappoint his mentors. He had an almost impeccable evening - let the game flow, knew in most cases when and how to intefere, and cooperated well with his assistants. He also didn't hesitate to award two penalty-kicks in a row to one team (Spain). But unfortunately, he blotted his entry in my notebook once. It happened in the 37th minute. At the time the scoreline was Spain 2, Italy 1. An Italian defender tackled an opponent inside the Italian penalty-area. It was an honest' clean tackle, for the ball and to the ball. Then both players slipped while the ball remained behind them. Mr Jug, the closest man on earth to the incident got it wrong and awarded a penalty-kick which was converted and sent both teams into the dressing-rooms with a Spanish hefty lead (3-1). At the beginning of the second half Spain clinched it with another goal from a penalty-kick. The unbridgeable gap was reduced late in the game. Spain were worthy winners of the encounter. They used accurate and efficient passing of the ball till they found a gap and the right opportunity to shoot at goal. Italy, on the other hand, used defensive tactics and long boals sent to one or two players up-front. They scored twice, but it wasn't enough to stem the tide...

The assis

Mr. Brandner was serviced with the most difficult situations to decide upon. In the 10th minute, a long ball was sent forwards towards the Italian striker Immobile who was on the right-hand side. Mr. Brandner ran along the touchline trying to keep in pace with the ball and the players. Was Immobile behind the last-but-one defender when the ball was delivered to him? the question remains looming in the air as the replay didn't provide an angle to make a final judgement. However, the Italian striker scored the then equalizer (1-1). Half an hour later (41') another marginal decision. This time an Italian forward on the far side, was adjudged offside. The replay camera suggests the possibility of a defender on the near side being a fraction closer to his goalline than the his opponent. Although I'm not sure the Austrian ar was 100% right in both cases, I would accept both his decisions in complicated situations. Mr Toth had a comparatively easy task, but he botched it in the 47th minute. Spain's defender Martinez was adjudged by both ar and ref., fouling an opponent near the touchline. In my opinion the decision was harsh enough as it looked more an accidental entanglement of feet than foul play. But making things worse, the ar instructed the referee by word of mouth, to caution the Spaniard, which Mr. Jug did reluctantly. About the fourth official, Mr. Bebek (Croatia), there isn't much "to write home".