How to referee a semi-final second leg

Impressive

The vast majority of decisions made were correct. The Werder Bremen players did go down easily all night, and most of the time de Bleeckere took a hard line - get up and get on wih it. An odd free kick was perhaps a bit soft, but when it came to key decisions at the far ends of the field they were almost exclusively correct. Danny Huens made an outstanding call for offside to rule out a Pizarro header. However, Peter Hermans did miss an offside at the other end, but Hamburg couldn't score, so it didn't matter. Hamburg also had a goal chalked off for pushing in the penalty area at a corner - replays suggested they had a case for a spot kick but they didn't even appeal. Overall, probably the right decision, but marginal.

Textbook communication

In an encounter that was always simmering away, de Bleeckere showed common sense and compassion in communicating with the players, which many referees seem to lack. A word in the shell here, a wag of the finger there; he knew the players were on edge and by and large managed to keep them calm. When they did cross the line the yellow card came out; Da Silva squared up to Diego in the first half, while Hugo Almeida confronted Boateng in stoppage time. All four were booked for their stupidity. Frank was also very active at the corners, reminding the players not to push and pull, and awarding a free kick when they ignored his advice.

The football was the talking point

It is nice for a match to make headlines because the football was gripping, not because the referee made mistakes. This match was exciting. The teams played with enthusiasm and it was a true battle out there, twisting and turing all the way through. A fantastic game to have seen.

Special Credit

It is the plight of the referee, when you do badly everyone knows about it, when you do well no one cares. But de Bleeckere made a positive contribution to the match. I think he is the best in Europe, he is undeniably one of the top referees in the world with a wealth of experience of tough matches. He rarely has an off night. His fitness, positioning and anticipation of play are excellent. It would be fitting for him to be appointed to the Champoions League final this year, and he would warrant seious consideration for the World Cup final in 2010. Well done Frank.