UEFA President Expresses Frustration with Refereeing Interpretations
Madrid, Spain – UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin voiced his confusion regarding inconsistent refereeing decisions during a conference organized by Apollo Sports Capital on Thursday. Speaking at the Forum, Čeferin stated, “I don’t understand it any more.”
The president highlighted the difficulty fans and himself face in interpreting varying rule applications within football matches. He specifically cited the contentious nature of handball calls, questioning how a non-psychiatrist could fully grasp the judgment calls regarding whether a handball constitutes a penalty or was intentional.
“We try to explain to referees that the referee is the one on the field who decides,” Čeferin explained. “The referee should intervene only in cases of obvious and clear mistakes. And these interventions should be brief, unlike instances observed in some European leagues – such as those in Spain and England – which sometimes involve 10-15 minute reviews of individual actions.”
Čeferin emphasized the importance of referee autonomy, asserting that interventions should be limited to situations of clear error.
He reiterated that the goal is to maintain a consistent and efficient approach to officiating.
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“This constant VAR intervention is making football unrecognizable and frankly, incredibly frustrating for everyone involved.”