Football, Technology And Controversial Officiating
Technology in football is yet to be used by officials during matches and this rule, opposed to the one which states that a referee’s decision is final, is one of the major factors behind what many people brand as “injustice” in the sport. Too many wrong decisions from referees are said to have “killed games” as resentment within groups of supporters, teams and coaches never stops increasing.
Is it even necessary to enumerate bad calls? Any football follower—from the lowest to the greatest teams and leagues in the world—could do a better job citing uncountable controversial incidents that have indeed affected the fate of teams, not only in a single game but in an entire tournament.
Take Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger, for instance. Following the questionable officiating of Massimo Busacca during Arsenal’s Round of 16 match against Barcelona in the 2011 UEFA Champions League campaign in which Robin van Persie got harshly sent off, Wenger marked UEFA’s system as “dictatorial”.
Well, some prefer to accept that such incidents are part of football. Ferguson—who believes his side have been on the end of bad officiating so many times—even suggested recently that the only thing you can hope for is to be on the lucky side of wrong decisions.
“We’re getting the best referee [in Howard Webb ahead of Manchester United vs Chelsea] and we hope it is our turn for a little bit of luck,” Fergie stated according to The Telegraph before last weekend’s big clash at Old Trafford.
Note that Ferguson didn’t go unpunished for these comments, though. Governing bodies in football are officially not ready to be influenced by anyone, although Jose Mourinho (publicly) and perhaps more or less people (in their closets) wonder if there are some kind of conspiracies in football.
The Truth In Images vs UEFA's Decisions
Thanks to technology, replays and images are available for the truth to be exposed. But the rule of football has overpowered the truth. In normal circumstances, during El Clasico III, Pedro’s dive against Arbeloa, Alves’ spectacular reaction to Pepe’s kick that never touched his leg, Marcelo’s hurtful stamp on Pedro’s leg among one too many fouls should have been penalized.
The referee and his team on the night, however, decided to take matters in their hands differently. Pepe got sent off for Real Madrid, Barcelona went unpunished for their theatricals, Marcelo and Adebayor escaped harsher bans and many other controversies happened as the beauty of El Clasico got tarnished.
After the match, everyone knows what happened. In reply to Barcelona’s report against Jose Mourinho’s strong comments, Real Madrid also submitted a complaint of their own as they protested against the issue of Barca’s diving besides their claim that Sergio Busquets had racially abused Marcelo. Live Soccer TV shares with you the video that got Real Madrid supporters fuming at Barcelona:
With almost no surprise, the next thing we learned was that UEFA had rejected the reports of both Barcelona and Real Madrid. It has to be underlined, however, that Madrid had strong points—about their cases against Barca’s theatricals—through video evidence! But the same mind-controlling rule had the loudest voice in the end; it was that rule that says, ‘a referee’s decision is final’.
So why should UEFA—upon Real Madrid’s contestation of the first rulings—finally launch an investigation on the matter of Sergio Busquet’s racial abuse against Marcelo? Isn’t Real Madrid’s complaint on this issue “just an allegation” rather than a printed fact? Shouldn’t we call this “lack of evidence”?
“Mono Mono” or “Mucho Morro”, What Did Barcelona's Sergio Busquet Say?
Well, according to Los Blancos, it’s a “proven fact” and UEFA have agreed to open a disciplinary case against Sergio Busquets “on the basis of evidence provided by Real Madrid (video and statement of club and player)” as it has been written on UEFA’s official website. Live Soccer TV shares the relevant video with you. See below:
Was Sergio Busquets saying, “mono, mono” (which means, “monkey, monkey”) or “mucho morro” (which means, “you've got a cheek”)? Suspect Busquets claims he said the latter as questions keep flowing in debates that have stormed Youtube and other websites on the net.
Would it have been necessary for Sergio Busquets to appear as hiding his mouth if his words were rightfully not against the rules of the game on racism? If Busquets had really directed a racist insult at Marcelo, wouldn’t there have been a fight on the pitch right away?
Sergio Busquets will be hit by a 5-match ban, if he is found guilty, according to the sentence written in UEFA’s book rule. This is because football has vowed to fight racism—it is believed. The question about how UEFA will dig and find the truth in an allegation that is rather unconfirmed—through sound especially—is making rounds among Barcelona fans who are now accusing Real Madrid of trying to stain the image of the Blaugrana.
Unconcerned people may simply say, “let whatever judgment falls fall.” Either way, isn’t it overly ironic that a case is made out of a suspected fact, whereas clear truths through images are overlooked because “a referee’s decision is final”?
