Unofficial Referee Observer’s Report © Árbitro Internacional & The Third Team

(FRA) FRANCE 4:0 UZBEKISTAN (UZB)

Quarterfinals, 6 July 2013, 17:00 CET – Rize (TUR)

Match Officials Name ORI Mark1 Mark2 Difficulty3

Referee Sandro Ricci BRA 8.6 Challenging
Assistant Referee 1 Alessandro Rocha BRA 8.4 Challenging
Assistant Referee 2 Emerson De Carvalho BRA 8.3 Normal
Fourth Official Carlos Vera ECU 8.3 Normal
Blog Referee Observer Chefren ITA
1
Final mark according to evaluation scale.
2
Mark if the final mark had not been influenced by a crucial mistake (only in case of a crucial mistake, to be held empty if no crucial mistake occurred).
3
Difficulty has to be integrated into the final mark. Levels of difficulty are: “normal”, “challenging” and “very challenging”.
4
Blog-Referee Observer =Inofficial referee observer appointed by the blog administrator.

Evaluation scale
(for referee, ARs and Description of the Marks
fourth official)
9.0 – 10.0 Excellent.
8.5 – 8.9 Very good. Important decision(s) correctly taken.
8.3 – 8.4 Good. Expected level.
8.2 Satisfactory with small areas for improvement.
8.0 – 8.1 Satisfactory with important areas for improvement.
7.9 One clear and important mistake, otherwise 8.3 or above.
7.8 One clear and important mistake, otherwise 8.0 – 8.2.
Below expectation, poor control, significant point(s) for
7.5 – 7.7
improvement.
Disappointing. Below expectation with one and clear important
7.0 – 7.4 mistake or a performance with two or more clear and important
mistakes.
6.0 – 6.9 Unacceptable.

Small description of the match (extra-ordinary incidents etc.):

The first quarterfinal of FIFA U-20 WC 2013, played between France and Uzbekistan in Rize, at
Yeni Şehir Stadium. The attendance was really low, only 2,057 people were on the stands. Not the
best scenario to play a so important match. The referee appointed was Sandro Ricci from Brazil, at
his third (and probably last) match after two presences in group stage. Overall, the match had a
clear progress in favor of the French team, which dominated starting from the first minutes of first
half. For this reason, even though the referee had to cope with three crucial and important
decisions (two penalties and a sending off), the match was not heavily challenging, but anyway still
challenging.
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Referee
Crucial Decisions (refer to penalty kicks, sending-off situations etc.)

Minute and Description of the Scene / Assessment of the referee’s decision

Penalty whistled in favor of France. Bahebeck (FRA) is fouled in penalty area by
Shamshitdinov (UZB). Correct call. The referee decides to show a YC to the
defender and not a RC, evaluating the situation not as DOGSO. The choice can
34’ be acceptable, because even though the player was alone in area towards the
keeper, he hadn’t the clear possession of the ball and for this reason probably the
keeper might have had a last chance to reach the ball before the opponent.
Anyway, borderline decision, a RC might have been acceptable, too.
Penalty whistled in favor of France. Handball by Turapov (UZB) in area. Correct
decision, the arm is too widely open and the touch is blatant. Very naïve action
43’
by defender. One of the rare cases in which it appears absolutely correct to
whistle a penalty for this kind of situations.
Shamshitdinov (UZB) gets his second YC and he is sent off. Correct decision,
70’ after a blatant and reckless foul on Bahebeck (FRA) which might have costed
even a straight red.

Basic Observations (refer to the general application of the LotG, highlight the
referee’s tactical approach, personality, match control, management of the teams
and players, teamwork etc.).
Please deploy short but precise and detailed sentences!

Positive Points
1. Evaluation of crucial situations in area. Two penalties were correctly given.
Control of the game and communications with the players. Firmness in his
2. decisions, he appeared to be sure after each call, and this is very important in
order to gain respect and authority under the eyes of players.
Respect for the players. The Uzbek player which got the second YC was injured,
3. therefore Ricci tried to wait in order to show the second yellow and the
subsequent red. Very good management of the situation.

Points for Improvement

The card management can be improved: at the beginning of second half, when
the match was clearly already decided in favor of France, he appeared
deliberately lenient in some situations. He avoided to give almost mandatory YC
1. to a already booked Uzbek player (53’ and 61’). Small point for improvement,
anyway at the end the major and crucial decisions were not affected by this
choice. Maybe the referee was aware of the progress of the game and this was a
deliberate choice.
2. He could try to ask his assistants for more teamwork , they reported only offsides.
55’: a player from UZB kicks the ball deliberately away after a whistle in favor of
3. France. The referee doesn’t notice the situation. More attention needed in those
cases.
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The referee’s character

Physical Aspects + Expected -

Fitness / Stamina X
Always close to play without interfering with it X
Flexible diagonal movement X
Positioning at set pieces X
Efficient positioning, having a good angle of
X
vision to play
Close to the penalty area, if needed X

very very
Tactical Approach lenient medium strict
lenient strict
Description X

Yes So-so No
Consistency in the tactical approach / style X
The tactical approach suited to the require-
ments of the match / the match benefitted X
from the tactical approach of the referee
Ability to adapt the tactical approach if
X
needed

Further observations (peculiarities of the referee revealing his character)

The tactical approach showed by Ricci was medium because at first he
appeared to be strict, giving a YC in the first half for a dangerous tackle, but
then at the beginning of second half he became (as said) lenient regarding
several situations happened in favor of France and against Uzbekistan. For this
reason, at the end his overall approach can be identified as “medium”.
Sometimes he showed lacks of consistency, but we can’t know if in a match
with a different outcome, he might have done the same choice.
As said, probably this was his last match in this tournament. Overall, he had
good performances in his three matches, so he can be a candidate for the WC if
nothing extra-ordinary happens in the next months.
 Unofficial Referee Observer’s Report © Árbitro Internacional & The Third Team

Assistant Referee 1

Please assess the first assistant referee’s performance.

Minute and Description of the Scene / Assessment of the AR’s behaviour

28’ Bahebeck (FRA) is correctly evaluated onside. Very good NO FLAG.
Digne (FRA) is flagged offside. Very difficult decision, the left foot seems a bit
39’
ahead. Correct evaluation by assistant.
Sanogo (FRA) is flagged offside. No replays from tv, the decision should be
45’+2
anyway correct.
89’ Sergeev (UZB) is flagged offside. No replays, we take the decision as correct.

Assistant Referee 2
Please assess the second assistant referee’s performance.

Minute and Description of the Scene / Assessment of the AR’s behaviour

Sergeev (UZB) is flagged offside. The decision should be correct, TV replays are
24’
not clear Therefore, we stay with assistant.
71’ Digne (FRA) is flagged offside. Wrong decision, the player was onside.
81’ Bosetti (FRA) is correctly evaluated onside.

Fourth Official

Please assess the fourth official’s performance.

Minute and Description of the Scene / Assessment of the fourth official’s behaviour
The fourth official Carlos Vera from Ecuador was not really challenged in the
Full time match, he executed well his duties about substitutions and added time. Nothing
extra-ordinary to report.