Soccer-Russian Media, Fans Slam UEFA for «Unfair Treatment»

[mastodon]

Soccer-Russian Media, Fans Slam UEFA for «Unfair Treatment»

Reuters - Russian media and fans were outraged on Monday after European soccer's governing body UEFA ordered Lokomotiv Moscow to replay their Champions League qualifier against Austria's FC Tirol.

The Russians were up in arms after UEFA upheld Tirol's appeal to replay the second leg of their third qualifying tie, which Lokomotiv won 1-0 for an aggregate 4-1 victory to reach the group stage of the Champions League.

"UEFA is above the law," read a front page headline in the Sovietsky Sport newspaper.

"Russia is behind the Iron Curtain," said a front-page headline in the other national sports daily, Sport-Express.

Tirol successfully argued that video replays of the match clearly showed that in the 72nd minute the Dutch referee flashed the yellow card to Lokomotiv's Vladimir Maminov instead of Ruslan Pimenov, who had committed the foul and should have been sent off for what was his second bookable offence.

The Austrians claimed the mistake allowed Lokomotiv to play the final 20 minutes of the match with 11 men instead of 10.

"The cold, metallic look of UEFA secretary general Gerhard Aigner said it all," wrote the columnist in Sport-Express.

"For two straight days Aigner opened the draw for European club competition in Monte Carlo by saying that Lokomotiv's presence in the Champions League bracket was a virtual one.

"I couldn't see the eyes of Tirol officials at that time, but my Austrian colleagues already celebrated because Aigner's eyes said it all: There will be a replay."

"For UEFA, for the French, the Swiss, the Germans, who came to Monte Carlo, we are still worlds apart," the columnist said. "Even (Russian soccer chief Vyacheslav) Koloskov can't help us."

The newspaper published a nationwide poll showing 50 per cent of respondents felt UEFA's decision was based on discrimination against Russia.

Sovietsky Sport wrote: "It looks like in Europe, and in UEFA itself, there is a total lawlessness where high-ranking football officials ignore their own rules."

Tirol were also very much on the minds of Lokomotiv's players and coaches.

"How do you think our players should feel?" asked Lokomotiv coach Yuri Syomin after his team beat Anji Makhachkala 4-0 in a Russian premier division match on Sunday.

"They beat (Tirol) fair and square on the field of play, but the next day they woke up and found out: no win, no bonuses, nothing. Is this what UEFA's motto calls fair play?"

Lokomotiv said they will lodge a counter-appeal with UEFA's appeals committee on Monday.

[Ragnvald]

This is quite a precendant.
I think never before referee mistake was a reason for replay.
What about Maradona's hand? This is probably most famous one, but there are huge number of cases where referees made crucial mistakes for the outcomes of the games.

Clearly discrimination case, to my opinion.

[mastodon]

Paper Offers Revenge Goal Prize for UEFA Replay

Reuters - The government-owned Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper has offered a $5,000 reward to the first Lokomotiv Moscow player to score a "revenge" goal against Austria's FC Tirol in the Champions League replay ordered by UEFA.

European football's ruling body decided to uphold Tirol's appeal to replay the second leg of the third qualifying round tie, which Lokomotiv won 1-0 for a 4-1 aggregate victory to reach the competition's group stage.

Although no firm date has yet been set by UEFA for the replay, Lokomotiv said on Tuesday they expected to play the match on either September 12 or 13.

Tirol successfully argued that video replays of the second leg game clearly showed that, in the 72nd minute, the Dutch referee flashed a yellow card at Lokomotiv's Vladimir Maminov instead of Ruslan Pimenov, who had committed the foul and should have been sent off for what was his second bookable offence.

The Austrians claimed the mistake allowed Lokomotiv to play the final 20 minutes of the match with 11 men instead of 10.

Under a frontpage banner headline "If We Replay Tirol", Rossiiskaya Gazeta said on Tuesday a rematch would allow "our footballers to take revenge for the humiliation of Russian soccer". "Rossiiskaya Gazeta will award a prize of 150,000 roubles ($5,111) for the first goal by a Lokomotiv player."

"We already have an agreement with Lokomotiv about the prize and a press conference will be called, as soon as UEFA makes a decision on a replay, about our decision to offer...a revenge prize," an editor at the paper told Reuters.

"We still hope that UEFA will change its mind, even though there is little chance of that."

Lokomotiv have pledged to contest the replay ruling with UEFA's appeals committee.

[Ragnvald]

Who knows if the replay happened and what was the result?