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Björn Kuipers’ 2013 in 3 important matches

Björn Kuipers’2013 was very special. He had some very good matches and officiated the 2013 Confederations Cup final, a Champions League semi-final and the Europa League final. He also made a very brave call in the World Cup Qualifying match between Poland and Montenegro. He talks about his 2013 in an interview with Dutch newspaper Volkskrant.

Björn Kuipers: 3 video’s of 3 important decisions from Kuipers in 2013

24-4-2013: Dortmund – Real Madrid

A Champions League semi-final. Dortmund won this first round match with 4-1. Kuipers talks about a penalty incident in the 41st minute: “Borussia leads with 1-0. Attacker Marco Reus runs witht he ball into the penalty area and falls. Penalty or not?”

“Look good. Reus makes himself fall. He touches the opponent’s leg. And watch how play continues. A throw-in. A counter-attack. Real scores the equaliser, just before half-time. Everyone’s crazy. Reus shouts that it was a 100% penalty kick. Jürgen Klopp, the trainer of Dortmund, is raging. With 82.000 fans whistling I went into the tunnel. The feeling you have at that moment. Was it a penalty kick then? Back in the dressing room i found about eighty messages on my phone. How fantastic the call was. That’s something I could use.”
The reporter of the Volkskrant asks Kuipers if he got lucky by making the call. “No, I was for 80% sure that I was right, because I saw the defender made no offence.”

30-6-2013: Brazil – Spain

Brazil and Spain played the 2013 Confederations Cup final. “It was not an easy match. Two yellow cards, one red, a penalty kick for Spain. Crucial moments, all well assessed. The release afterwards was huges. We ended up in a jacuzzi, with a glass.”
Kuipers still has the ball used at the Confed Cup final. “I whistled for the end of the match when the ball was nearby. I couldn’t deny myself such an opportunity.”

7-9-2013: Poland – Montenegro

World Cup Qualification: “A super important match. In the 93rd minuted Poland scores the 2-1. The whole stadium went crazy. Players lying on top of each other. The winning goal! Ecstatic joy. My assistant was holding up his flag in that madness. He calls: “Björn, offside! Offside! I have no choice and follow him. 30 seconds later I whistle for the end of the game.”
The refereeing team made the right decision. “If someone of my team makes a crucial mistake, i twill influence me. I’m responsible.” And: “If this call (against Poland) was wrong, it could have cost me my international career.”
Video that shows the emotion of the Polish players. After 30 seconds of celebrating some didn’t even realise that the goal was cancelled:

Björn Kuipers says he hopes to receive good news from Fifa about going to the World Cup in Brazil. “That would be a dream for me.”

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