EM as a model for DFB
Will the anti-complaining rule also be introduced in the Bundesliga?
26.06.2024, 11:02 a.m.
Anyone who argues gets a yellow card. At the European Football Championship, the referees punish players for interference. This leads to fewer discussions and less gang-fighting. The DFB is examining whether this is also a model for the Bundesliga.
In the future, only the captains of the Bundesliga may be allowed to discuss things with the referees. The management of the top referees at the German Football Association will evaluate this new instruction from UEFA during the European Championship and will comment on it after the tournament.
Bundesliga referee Patrick Ittrich, who worked as an expert for MagentaTV during the European Championships, supported the introduction of the rule in the Bundesliga during a press conference: “I think it’s a good thing.” But of course he doesn’t want to warn everyone without good reason.
“The question of whether and to what extent the UEFA directive should and will also apply to German professional football in the future is something we are discussing intensively with the DFL and those responsible in the DFB for match operations in the 3rd division and the DFB Cup,” said the DFB. “We are following the appearances and performances of the referees at the European Championship very closely and are thoroughly evaluating the findings from the entire tournament. This also includes the implementation of the directive that only the captain of the team that wants to discuss a decision may speak to the referee,” said the referees’ sports management. After the end of the European Championship and the conclusion of the tournament evaluation, there will be a statement on this.
UEFA is applying a new rule at the European Championships, according to which only the captains of both teams are allowed to complain to the referees about their decisions. Comments or reactions from other players can quickly result in yellow cards. Times when a group of players talk to the referee should be a thing of the past. If the captain is the goalkeeper, a representative should be appointed for him on the field for the referee dialogue. Italy’s captain Gianluigi Donnarumma received a yellow card in the match against Spain because he interfered as goalkeeper and did not let his deputy Jorginho speak.
In the games so far, there have been noticeably fewer discussions on the pitch than usual. UEFA referee chief Roberto Rosetti said before the tournament began: “These are top referees. They don’t change their minds, they don’t feel any pressure – why go?” He himself has never reversed a decision in his three decades as a referee.