Referees' Performances | 2025/26

I had no problem with Foden’s yellow but having given that card, as a ref you have set the bar for the rest of the game. Problem was he decided not to use the same bar for Madrid. As for not showing Rudiger a second yellow the club should raise that with UEFA and the match assessor. There can be no justification for not sending him off, all criteria for showing a card were met. The only explanation is the ref is a cheat.
 
I had no problem with Foden’s yellow but having given that card, as a ref you have set the bar for the rest of the game. Problem was he decided not to use the same bar for Madrid. As for not showing Rudiger a second yellow the club should raise that with UEFA and the match assessor. There can be no justification for not sending him off, all criteria for showing a card were met. The only explanation is the ref is a cheat.
And a Pep challenge gets a yellow too !
 
I praised him before the game, but he was really bad tonight. Let them get away with multiple fouls, but couldn’t wait to book our players. Not sending Rudiger off was a joke.
Do you think it was about 'not ruining a product' ?
If he had been sent off the match was over and neutrals turn off. It was the same with the fa cup final, can't send the keeper off as it spoils the so called entertainment.
I ask because that's where I say it's corrupt. They do not referee to the rules but to the broadcaster.
 
Would have been a completely different game if the Real defenders were trying to defend him while on a yellow card too. They’d have had to choose between letting him go or getting sent off.

That and the fact the ref is usually decent was my main frustration.

Valverde and Asencio both made fouls that were blatant yellows, you can't really defend Doku when you're yellow, you end up giving him too much space.

The early yellow is so important, it basically nullified Foden today, not saying that was the sole reason but pretty hard to get involved against Madrid when you get booked inside 10mins.
 
I was in the ground and not seen any of it back so not really in a position to comment on individual decisions.

But I thought he was bloody awful at letting the game flow. Seemed like any time someone went down he blew his whistle regardless
 
Clement “Dick” Turpin is giving Mateu Lahoz a run for his money. Abysmal performance
I quite like him as a referee. I do admit he was a little inconsistent with his cards tonight, but I have never thought he was horribly biased against us, like with Lahoz.

He seemed to be trying to avoid sending off a player, from either side if he could help it?

City did pretty well with the key decisions tonight, albeit with some VAR assistance.
 
He is generally one of the better refs but he clearly had a white shirt on tonight.

I can always look past getting big decisions wrong but never unequal treatment.

Let obvious fouls on our players go whilst giving them fouls for fair tackles and sometimes giving them a freekick for committing a foul. That time one of their players had the ball between his legs whilst on the floor was obstruction and a freekick to us and he inexplicably gives it them.

The hack on doku in the corner was borderline criminal, you'll never see a more obvious yellow card, he gets nothing, rudiger on savinho is another blatant undeniable yellow card offence, if he is booking Bernardo and foden and O'reilly for their tackles which i agree were all yellow card fouls then there is zero excuse for not giving a second one to rudiger. The inconsistency was on full display tonight. And they have the barefaced cheek to outright claim in public that some refs treat them unfairly.
 
Would have been a completely different game if the Real defenders were trying to defend him while on a yellow card too. They’d have had to choose between letting him go or getting sent off.

Reminds me of our early years in the champs league, always down to 10 men for accumulating yellows. I’ve said it about the premier league, no teams accumulate yellows against us. Imagine the results if Doku wasn’t getting fouled every attack.
 
I quite like him as a referee. I do admit he was a little inconsistent with his cards tonight, but I have never thought he was horribly biased against us, like with Lahoz.

He seemed to be trying to avoid sending off a player, from either side if he could help it?

City did pretty well with the key decisions tonight, albeit with some VAR assistance.
Mate, he was shameless last night. One of the most one sided and incompetent refereeing displays of my lifetime watching City. Up there with Lahoz, Wilkie and Alf Grey.

1. Booking O’Reilly for touching Diaz, who promptly dived, on the shoulder, as he ran into the box.
2. Not then giving Rudiger a second yellow for the exact same challenge on Savinho.
3. Not giving Rudiger a second yellow for a deliberate off the ball body check on Cherki.
4. Not going back and sending off, or even booking, Valverde for a wild two footer on Doku.
5. Not awarding City a penalty for a rugby tackle by Rudiger on Haaland that was visible from outer space (a decision that had to be corrected by VAR).
6. Awarding Madrid a penalty for a challenge on Vinicius that was outside the box (a decision that had to be corrected by VAR).
7. Not booking any Madrid players for relentless, rotational fouling on Doku.
 

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top