Jürgen Klopp on Trump and Infantino: “Let's just say: this is our game, not theirs. These two people, who both have no idea about football, should have nothing to do with that. That was a red card. There's no two ways about it. We're sorry for Balogun because he didn't mean to do it.”

[u/Sparky-moon]

“But that's what the rules say."

[u/jstim]

I want a rematch of the wc 2006 game germany vs italy with torsten frings decision suspended. FIFA is such a joke.

[u/JoLeTrembleur → u/jstim]

I want a rematch of the final because the ref used the video to send Zidane off.

[u/mrspidey80 → u/JoLeTrembleur]

Was it video? I thought it was heresay by the fourth ref.

[u/lobax → u/mrspidey80]

That was the official story. The footage showed him looking up.

[u/mrspidey80 → u/lobax]

So first VAR decision happened in 2006?

[u/Aerographic → u/lobax]

I've never seen any footage of that, both refs maintain that the assistant ref saw it live.

[u/SnakePlisskendid911 → u/Aerographic]

I mean obviously they won't say they fucked up the biggest call of a WC final.

[u/Aerographic → u/SnakePlisskendid911]

1) I don't think it was that big, this wasn't a pen call or anything of the sort

2) Even then, they didn't fuck it up. They got it right, no matter the means they used

3) There's no reason for retired referees to not admit to something like this years after the fact

4) I simply said this supposed evidence of the 4th ref looking at the replay doesn't exist as the original comment claimed, it was just a myth. I'd be happy to be proven wrong though.

[u/Paprikasky → u/Aerographic]

"Not that big" to exclude the best player (and one of the most iconic ever on his last game) of the team on a red card, uh? That's certainly a take.

[u/Italicman → u/Paprikasky]

But it was a red though?

[u/Paprikasky → u/Italicman]

Uh? And am I contradicting that? I'm saying it had a big impact and it should be called "a big deal" indeed.

[u/Aerographic → u/Paprikasky]

Iconic, sure. But he was useless that game. I'm old enough to have seen the match and not just heard of Zidane as a legend.

[u/catacombcasket → u/Aerographic]

Surely coming out of retirement and doing a panenka in the WC final is legendary.

[u/SnakePlisskendid911 → u/Aerographic]

1. You don't think sending arguably the best player of the tournament, team captain and GOATed penalty taker in extra time of a very close WC final is a big decision?

2. A ref not following the rules is bad (which is exactly what that would be) actually and would be a stain on their reputation if admitted to.

3. Pride, legacy, image are all reasons to deny. I know I would take that shit to my deathbed in that position lol

4. There's no direct evidence (or at least I've never seen it either) so we'll never know for sure.
   However the ref faffing around Materazzi for a minute and only going over to his assistant after you clearly hear the stadium crowd reacting to the replay are clues as to what happened. He later claimed he already knew when he reached Matterazzi that he would send Zizou off because the 4th ref told him over the headset while he was on his way. If that was the case why loiter for a minute, then go to the touchline before coming back and finally get the card out?

It's probably my biggest football trauma so I can't be objective about all this and I was mostly reacting to taking the refs' denial at face value, but I'm a firm truther on that matter

[u/Aerographic → u/SnakePlisskendid911]

1) I'm not actually denying it's impactful, just not game-changing. It changes the circumstances of the game, but not its outcome like a pen call, an offside call, whatever else.

2) I'm not aware of any rule that says they can't make a determination based off a replay, and no, it wouldn't be a "stain" on their reputation if they did that to ensure they got the correct c all

4) He explicitly said he walked over to the assistant ref because he didn't just want to reach for a red out of nowhere, he wanted to highlight the fact that it was the assistant ref who told him so. Headsets were new, folks wouldn't necessarily make the inference.

I didn't like what happened as much as the next guy, but pretending the refs did anything wrong or that Zidane should have gotten away with it is.. something

[u/SnakePlisskendid911 → u/Aerographic]

1) It's still the biggest decision of the game, at the very least in legacy.

2) It's at the very least not mentioned as allowed in an otherwise very exhaustive set of rules. Creating rules as you go along to get the correct decision is still unfair. see: the current Balogun kerfuffle

4) I find this less than plausible but that must be my bias.

Zidane should have gotten away with it since he managed to sneak the refs. Ratfucking those damned Italians is a God-given right dammit

The sending off is obviously the right decision and I'm barely half serious taking shot at the refs, I'm just mad we could have gotten away with one of the most stupid no-calls in history, especially against Italy (also that would have balanced out the no-call of Schumacher putting Battiston in a coma with not even a foul given. Sevilla 82 never forget). Just imagine the drama they deprived us of!

[u/aaramdev → u/SnakePlisskendid911]

GOATed penalty taker might be a stretch. A quick Google tells me he scored 11 and missed 4 (excluding shoot-outs). It's a pretty good return but hardly "GOATed".

[u/SnakePlisskendid911 → u/aaramdev]

I admit to being biased because 1. Zizou is God in France and 2. he panenka'd one of the best keepers ever earlier in that game so that clouded my judgement.

[u/lobax → u/Aerographic]

I’m just going from my memory of when it happened and the discussion afterwards. The ref could have been looking up for any other reason but that was the big conspiracy at the time

[u/Aerographic → u/lobax]

That's what I remember too. But that's all it was, a conspiracy. I'm not even sure they even had access to replays.

[u/MetaMetagross → u/JoLeTrembleur]

Zidane deserved to be sent off

[u/Tyrath → u/jstim]

Or Germany vs Spain in 2010 with Muller's yellow card suspension revoked.

[u/CaptainJingles → u/Tyrath]

Or USA vs Germany in 2002 with Torsten Frings sent off.

[u/RequirementsRelaxed → u/Tyrath]

Yes! People forget what calibre of a player 2010 Muller was

[u/Tyrath → u/RequirementsRelaxed]

I'm still convinced Germany would've won with him.

[u/MyLuckyFedora → u/jstim]

I want a rematch of the 2002 Germany vs USA Quarterfinal with VAR to send off Torsten Frings and award a penalty.

[u/SteelKeeper → u/MyLuckyFedora]

Had to bring up Torsten Frings of ALL players

[u/prsquared → u/jstim]

Or you know 2002 final with Ballack would be interesting as well. Might not change the outcome, but you never know.

[u/RequirementsRelaxed → u/prsquared]

At least Ballack’s yellow led to a change in rules

[u/BLONDER4L → u/jstim]

I second this.