UEFA Europa League - Referee Appointments (Group Stage MD2)

Kristo Tohver (EST) will perform his EL bow being in charge of Molde - Stuttgart (c) UEFA

(RUS) Anzhi			Young Boys (SUI)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 18:00 CET, Stadion Lokomotiv, Moscow (RUS) GROUP A
Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER) Assistant Referee 1: Markus Häcker (GER) Assistant Referee 2: Detlef Scheppe (GER) Fourth Official: René Kunsleben (GER) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Marco Fritz (GER) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Guido Winkmann (GER) UEFA Delegate: Dumitru Mihalache (ROU) UEFA Referee Observer: Alan Snoddy (NIR) Referee Liaison Officer: Dmitriy Cheltsov (RUS)

(AZE) Neftci			Internazionale (ITA)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 18:00 CET, Tofig Bahramov Stadium, Baku (AZE) GROUP H
Referee: Kevin Blom (NED) Assistant Referee 1: Berry Simons (NED) Assistant Referee 2: Davie Goossens (NED) Fourth Official: Bas van Dongen (NED) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Danny Makkelie (NED) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Tom van Sichem (NED) UEFA Delegate: Kuanysh Kanapyanov (KAZ) UEFA Referee Observer: Miroslav Liba (CZE) Referee Liaison Officer: Khagani Mammadov (AZE)

(RUS) Rubin Kazan			Partizan (SRB)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 18:00 CET, Centralniy Stadion, Kazan (RUS) GROUP H
Referee: Anastassios Kakos (GRE) Assistant Referee 1: Christos Akrivos (GRE) Assistant Referee 2: Dimitris Tatsis (GRE) Fourth Official: Dimitrios Saraidaris (GRE) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Michael Koukoulakis (GRE) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Ilias Spathas (GRE) UEFA Delegate: Jevgenijs Milevskis (LVA) UEFA Referee Observer: Luciano Luci (ITA) Referee Liaison Officer: Viacheslav Kharlamov (RUS)

(ISR) Hapoel Kiryat Shmona			Olympique Lyon (FRA)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 19:00 CET, Itztadion Kiryat Eliezer, Haifa (ISR) GROUP I
Referee: Artur Soares Dias (POR) Assistant Referee 1: Rui Tavares (POR) Assistant Referee 2: João Ferreira (POR) Fourth Official: Antonio Godinho (POR) Additional Assistant Referee 1: João Capela (POR) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Taborda Xistra (POR) UEFA Delegate: Tugomir Frajman (SVN) UEFA Referee Observer: Paul Allaerts (BEL) Referee Liaison Officer: Shlomo Ohayon (ISR)

(CZE) Sparta Praha			Athletic Club (ESP)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 19:00 CET, Stadion Letná, Prague (CZE) GROUP I
Referee: Manuel De Sousa (POR) Assistant Referee 1: Bertino Miranda (POR) Assistant Referee 2: Ricardo Santos (POR) Fourth Official: Venâncio Raposo Tomé (POR) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Duarte Gomes (POR) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Bruno Miguel Paixão (POR) UEFA Delegate: Charles Schaack (LUX) UEFA Referee Observer: Michel Vautrot (FRA) Referee Liaison Officer: Jiri Ulrich (CZE)

(ITA) Lazio Roma			Maribor (SVN)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 19:00 CET, Stadio Olimpico, Rome (ITA) GROUP J
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL) Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki (POL) Assistant Referee 2: Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL) Fourth Official: Radoslaw Siejka (POL) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Gil (POL) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Pawel Raczkowski (POL) UEFA Delegate: Orl Shilo (ISR) UEFA Referee Observer: David R. Elleray (ENG) Referee Liaison Officer: Danilo Filacchione (ITA)

(GRE) Panathinaikos			Tottenham (ENG)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 19:00 CET, OAKA Spiros Louis, Athens (GRE) GROUP J
Referee: Florian Meyer (GER) Assistant Referee 1: Holger Henschel (GER) Assistant Referee 2: Christoph Bornhorst (GER) Fourth Official: Jan-Hendrik Salver (GER) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Christian Dingert (GER) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Tobias Welz (GER) UEFA Delegate: Svein Johannes (NOR) UEFA Referee Observer: Christer Fällström (SWE) Referee Liaison Officer: Antonis Tzanetopoulos (GRE)

(UKR) Metalist			Rapid Wien (AUT)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 19:00 CET, Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv (UKR) GROUP K
Referee: Menashe Masiah (ISR) Assistant Referee 1: Nissan Davidy (ISR) Assistant Referee 2: Oren Bornshtain (ISR) Fourth Official: Amihay Yehoshua Mozes (ISR) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Eli Hacmon (ISR) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Haim Jakov (ISR) UEFA Delegate: Dimitri Bokeria (GEO) UEFA Referee Observer: Michel Piraux (BEL) Referee Liaison Officer: Vitalii Shved (UKR)

(NOR) Rosenborg			Leverkusen (GER)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 19:00 CET, Lerkendal Stadion, Trondheim (NOR) GROUP K
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG) Assistant Referee 1: Simon Long (ENG) Assistant Referee 2: Simon Bennett (ENG) Fourth Official: Scott Ledger (ENG) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Anthony Taylor (ENG) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Michael Jones (ENG) UEFA Delegate: Gunther De Saedeleer (BEL) UEFA Referee Observer: Zoran Petrović (SRB) Referee Liaison Officer: Kvam Frode (NOR)

(GER) Hannover 96			Levante UD (ESP)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 19:00 CET, Hannover Arena, Hannover (GER) GROUP L
Referee: Liran Liany (ISR) Assistant Referee 1: David Elias Biton (ISR) Assistant Referee 2: Dvir Shimon (ISR) Fourth Official: Shabtai Nahmias (ISR) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Orel Tsvika Grinfeeld (ISR) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Ziv Adler (ISR) UEFA Delegate: Dennis Cruise (IRL) UEFA Referee Observer: Horst Brummeier (AUT) Referee Liaison Officer: Wolfgang Mierswa (GER)

(SWE) Helsingborg			Twente (NED)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 19:00 CET, Olympia, Helsingborg (SWE) GROUP L
Referee: Robert Madden (SCO) Assistant Referee 1: William Conquer (SCO) Assistant Referee 2: Stuart Stevenson (SCO) Fourth Official: Graham Chambers (SCO) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Brian Colvin (SCO) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Paul Robertson (SCO) UEFA Delegate: Claude Runavot (FRA) UEFA Referee Observer: Terje Hauge (NOR) Referee Liaison Officer: Martin Ingvarsson (SWE)

(SUI) Basel			KRC Genk (BEL)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 19:00 CET, OAKA Spiros Louis, Athens (GRE) GROUP G
Referee: Bülent Yıldırım (TUR) Assistant Referee 1: Serkan Gençerler (TUR) Assistant Referee 2: Orkun Aktaş (TUR) Fourth Official: Çem Satman (TUR) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Halis Ozkahya (TUR) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Yunus Yıldırım (TUR) UEFA Delegate: Jordi Pascual (AND) UEFA Referee Observer: Valentin Ivanov (RUS) Referee Liaison Officer: Jürg Burkhart (SUI)

(HUN) Videoton			Sporting (POR)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 19:00 CET, Sóstói, Szekesfehervar (HUN) GROUP G
Referee: Kristinn Jakobsson (ISL) Assistant Referee 1: Sigurdur Thorleifsson (ISL) Assistant Referee 2: Johann Gudmundsson (ISL) Fourth Official: Gunnar Gunnarsson (ISL) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Thorvaldur Arnarson (ISL) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Gunnar Jónsson (ISL) UEFA Delegate: George Fantaros (CYP) UEFA Referee Observer: Aleksei Spirin (RUS) Referee Liaison Officer: Tibor Vamos (HUN)

(ENG) Liverpool			Udinese (ITA)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 21:05 CET, Anfield Road, Liverpool (ENG) GROUP A
Referee: Stefan Johannesson (SWE) Assistant Referee 1: Magnus Sjöblom (SWE) Assistant Referee 2: Joakim Flink (SWE) Fourth Official: Henrik Andren (SWE) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Markus Strömbergsson (SWE) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Tobias Mattsson (SWE) UEFA Delegate: Jean-François Crucke (BEL) UEFA Referee Observer: Martin Iseli (SUI) Referee Liaison Officer: David Horlick (ENG)

(POR) Académica			Hapoel Tel-Aviv (ISR)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 21:05 CET, Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra (POR) GROUP B
Referee: Stephan Studer (SUI) Assistant Referee 1: Jean-Yves Wicht (SUI) Assistant Referee 2: Johannes Vogel (SUI) Fourth Official: Sandro Pozzi (SUI) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Alain Bieri (SUI) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Wermelinger (SUI) UEFA Delegate: Wolfgang Thierrichter (AUT) UEFA Referee Observer: Stephen Lodge (ENG) Referee Liaison Officer: Antonio José Fernandes Cardoso (POR)

(ESP) Atlético			Viktoria Plzen (CZE)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 21:05 CET, Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid (ESP) GROUP B
Referee: Antony Gautier (FRA) Assistant Referee 1: Michaël Annonier (FRA) Assistant Referee 2: Philippe Jeanne (FRA) Fourth Official: Laurent Stien (FRA) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Laurent Duhamel (FRA) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Ruddy Buquet (FRA) UEFA Delegate: Ionel Piscanu (ROU) UEFA Referee Observer: Jozef Marko (SVK) Referee Liaison Officer: Rubén Díaz Morales (ESP)

(FRA) Olympique Marseille			AEL Limasol (CYP)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 21:05 CET, Stade Vélodrome, Marseille (FRA) GROUP C
Referee: Tony Asumaa (FIN) Assistant Referee 1: Matti Heininen (FIN) Assistant Referee 2: Marko Hänninen (FIN) Fourth Official: Mikko Alakare (FIN) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Mattias Gestranius (FIN) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Antti Munukka (FIN) UEFA Delegate: David Roger Griffiths (WAL) UEFA Referee Observer: Stefan Ormandjiev (BUL) Referee Liaison Officer: Pierre Masse (FRA)

(GER) Borussia M'gladbach			Fenerbahçe (TUR)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 21:05 CET, Borussia-Park, Mönchengladbach (GER) GROUP C
Referee: Fernando Teixeira Vitienes (ESP) Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Alonso Fernández (ESP) Assistant Referee 2: Manuel Ángel Torre Cimiano (ESP) Fourth Official: José Fernández Miranda (ESP) Additional Assistant Referee 1: César Muñiz Fernández (ESP) Additional Assistant Referee 2: José Antonio Teixeira Vitienes (ESP) UEFA Delegate: Thórir Hákonarson (ISL) UEFA Referee Observer: Robert Jeurissen (BEL) Referee Liaison Officer: Heinz Willems (GER)

(BEL) Club Brügge			Marítimo (POR)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 21:05 CET, Jan Breydelstadion, Bruges (BEL) GROUP D
Referee: Leontios Trattou (CYP) Assistant Referee 1: Michael Soteriou (CYP) Assistant Referee 2: Charalambos Charalambous (CYP) Fourth Official: Aristides Christou (CYP) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Marios Panayi (CYP) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Marios Tsangaris (CYP) UEFA Delegate: Patrick MgGrath (IRL) UEFA Referee Observer: Cosimo Bolognino (ITA) Referee Liaison Officer: Alex Verstraeten (BEL)

(ENG) Newcastle United			Girondins Bordeaux (FRA)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 21:05 CET, St. James' Park, Newcastle (ENG) GROUP D
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP) Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrián Devis (ESP) Assistant Referee 2: Jon Núnez Fernández (ESP) Fourth Official: Raúl Cabañero Martínez (ESP) Additional Assistant Referee 1: David Fernández Borbalán (ESP) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP) UEFA Delegate: Tormod Larsen (NOR) UEFA Referee Observer: Edgar Steinborn (GER) Referee Liaison Officer: Graham Laws (ENG)

(NOR) Molde			VfB Stuttgart (GER)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 21:05 CET, Molde Stadion, Molde (NOR) GROUP E
Referee: Kristo Tohver (EST) Assistant Referee 1: Hannes Reinvald (EST) Assistant Referee 2: Silver Koiv (EST) Fourth Official: Jaanus Mutli (EST) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Hannes Kaasik (EST) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Roomer Tarajev (EST) UEFA Delegate: John BcBeth (SCO) UEFA Referee Observer: Ioannis Tsachilidis (GRE) Referee Liaison Officer: Einar Halle (NOR)

(ROU) Steaua			Kobenhavn (DEN)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 21:05 CET, National Arena, Bucharest (ROU) GROUP E
Referee: Antonio Damato (ITA) Assistant Referee 1: Riccardo Di Fiore (ITA) Assistant Referee 2: Luca Maggiani (ITA) Fourth Official: Giorgio Niccolai (ITA) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Andrea Gervasoni (ITA) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Domenico Celi (ITA) UEFA Delegate: Márton Esterházy (HUN) UEFA Referee Observer: Fritz Stuchlik (AUT) Referee Liaison Officer: Sorin Cojocaru (ROU)

(SWE) AIK Solna			Dnipro (UKR)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 21:05 CET, Råsundastadion, Solna (SWE) GROUP F
Referee: Ivan Kruzliak (SVK) Assistant Referee 1: Tomas Somolani (SVK) Assistant Referee 2: Ondrej Brendza (SVK) Fourth Official: Erik Weiss (SVK) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Richard Trutz (SVK) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Vladimir Vnuk (SVK) UEFA Delegate: Stanislaw Speczik (POL) UEFA Referee Observer: Stephen Bennett (ENG) Referee Liaison Officer: Leif Sundell (SWE)

(NED) PSV			Napoli (ITA)
Thursday, 04 October 2012, 21:05 CET, PSV Stadion, Eindhoven (NED) GROUP F
Referee: Alexandru Dan Tudor (ROU) Assistant Referee 1: Cristian Nica (ROU) Assistant Referee 2: Aurel Onita (ROU) Fourth Official: Octavian Sovre (ROU) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Ovidiu Alin Hategan (ROU) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Sebastian Coltescu (ROU) UEFA Delegate: Barry Bright (ENG) UEFA Referee Observer: Rodger Gifford (WAL) Referee Liaison Officer: Wout Schaap (NED)

"Should I chop my arm off?"

When Pavel Královec blew the final whistle after an intense and terrific UEFA Champions League match between English, respectively German champions Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund, the 1-1 draw accomplished at Etihad Stadium surely felt like a loss for the German side after many missed goalscoring opportunities and a converted penalty kick in the 90th minute of play in favour of the home team. 

Analysis of the situation

Subotić (l.fgr.) undeliberately touching the ball with his arm (c) WELT

The penalty call though has to be unfortunately (all the more harder it must feel) considered as a match influencing and therefore crucial mistake by the Czech official aspiring a promotion from UEFA's Elite Development Group to Elite Group of referees. 

Pavel Královec (r.) wrongly awarding the penalty kick (c) DerWesten

After a confusing situation in the box, the ball suddenly reached Kun Agüero who performed a sideways scissor-kick that facilitated the most controversial decision at the matchday: Dortmund defender Neven Subotić touched the ball with his arm so that Královec immediately pointed at the spot having been excellently positioned. All the criteria that is relevant for the question of whether a deliberate handball is existing strengthen the impression that it has been a bad call. Subotić's arm neither was in an unnatural position, nor was it deliberately and intentionally carted out to impede the ball. Furthermore, the distance between ball and arm surely did not exceed a metre. The Serbian's reaction time was therefore absolutely limited, he is not at fault. The most striking aspect is, beside the distance, the fact that his arm did not move towards the ball. In addition, it is in this specific case not important whether the ball would have reached the goal or not.

Neven Subotić later stated that it was "a nightmare to him that would not make him sleep" that night. He added: "It is simply sad that the referee has stolen us the victory. My arm was shot from felt 10 cms, should I chop my arm off?".

Despite the circumstance that Královec has certainly proven courage to whistle a penalty in the very last minute, this handball is not deliberate and therefore led to an unjustified penalty.

Contrary to this analysis, UEFA however justified this penalty. As Pavel Královec stated in an interview, Spanish referee observer Luis Medina Cantalejo declared this decision as a correct one.