Best referees of the 2012-2013 season: an overview per country

Posted on 26 May, 2013 by Jan ter Harmsel

Who are the best referees of the 2012-2013 season in your country? An overview of the best football match officials.

I’ll update the blog post if other referees are names by their association or in a newspaper or football magazine as referee of the season. Let me know who was elected in your country and I’ll add it below.

The Netherlands
Referee Bas Nijhuis has won the trophy as best referee in Dutch Eredivisie. The Uefa Elite Development referee scored just enough points to keep in front of Björn Kuipers. Kuipers had also a top season because he refereed the Europa League final last week. Both refs were also amongst the best referees of the 2012-2013 season in another “referee table”. Former international referee Mario van der Ende scores the Dutch referees each weekend and Nijhuis was also here the number one, followed again by Kuipers.

Belgium
Jérôme Efong Nzolo has been chosen by Belgian professional football players (288 of them voted) as referee of the season. It is the fourth time he wins this trophy. The previous wins were in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Germany
Felix Brych was named referee of the year in Germany. He could celebrate this title with an appointment at the Confederations Cup this summer. Herbert Fandel, German referee boss, about Brych: “He is one of the European top referees.”

Female referee of the year in Germany is Riem Hussein. Fandel about the female winner: “Riem Hussien belongs to the best referees in Women’s Bundesliga to the best referees. That’s what she has confirmed last season. She also impresses with constanly high level performances in international women’s matches.”

Dutch fan four months in prison for attacking goalie

Posted on 29 December, 2011 by Jan ter Harmsel

The Ajax fan who entered the pitch and attacked AZ goalie Esteban will spend four months in prison. Dutch court punished him with six months jailtime, with two months of conditional release.

The 19-year-old ignored his stadium ban of three years and went to the cup match, where he invaded the pitch in 36th minute. The goalie defended himself and then kicked the attacker twice, while lying on the ground. Dutch FA’s prosecutor has rescinded the red card and will not punish the AZ goalie.

The judge punished Wesley van W. for grievous bodily harm with premeditation, because he made bets about attacking the goalie. He also took into account that the boy has been sentenced before. The court holds Wesley responsible for the fact that people in stadiums will feel unsafe.

The fan also got a two-year stadium ban for AZ, Ajax and the national team matches plus he will get treatment for his alcohol problem. Ajax already had given the attacker a stadium ban for 30 years.

Dutch FA decided yesterday that the cup match will be replayed from the start on the 19th of January without fans. Last week’s match was abandoned by referee Bas Nijhuis in the 36th minute after AZ players didn’t want to play anymore. Ajax also has to pay a fine of 10.000 euro’s.

For a video’of the supporters actions, see previous post on this blog.

Buy a referee shirt from Bas Nijhuis for Red Cross

Posted on 27 December, 2011 by Jan ter Harmsel

Dutch public radio station 3fm had collected 8.621.004 euro’s for mothers all over the world who are victims of war. The money goes to the project ‘This one’s for mama’ from the Red Cross to provide these women a shelter, food and medication.

Three dj’s moved into a house of glass for a week without eating, just drinking some shakes with necessary ingredients. This year was the seventh edition. But the final amount of money is not reached yet.

There’s an ongoing online auction with items from famous people. One of the items is a set of cards, referee clothing and a match ball from referee Bas Nijhuis. You can buy it via eBay. Highest bid so far: 157 euro’s. Your bid should be at least 160 euro’s. The auction stops at 5pm (CET) next Friday.

Team leaves pitch after goalie gets red for kicking fan

Posted on 21 December, 2011 by Jan ter Harmsel

Goalie Esteban from AZ Alkmaar got karate kicked in the back by an Ajax supporter. He recognized it just before the fan was close behind him.

The man fell down and the goalie kicks him while lying on the ground. Referee Bas Nijhuis gave the goalie a red card. AZ coach Verbeek took his team off the pitch because he doesn’t feel safe anymore. The match is abandoned.

Referee Nijhuis, who got promoted to Elite Development this week, after the match: “I couldn’t do anything else then apply the rules and give a red card.”

What do you think the Dutch FA will do: punish Ajax for fan doing karate kick on goalie or AZ for leaving the pitch? Rematch? Let me know what you would decide.

Embedding the video was impossible, so watch the highlights on the Dutch Eredivisie website. (think you can watch them abroad too)

This is a second video, made from behind the goal. Due to many viewers, the vids are not always available.

Khalid Sinouh, second goalie of PSV Eindhoven, tweeted shortly after the incident: “Net debeelden gezien van AjaxAz. Esteban broeder je hebt helemaal gelijk, zou precies hetzelfde hebben gedaan!!!” Translation: Just seen the video of Ajax-AZ. Esteban, brother, you are totally right, I’d have done exactly the same.

Ajax financial director Jeroen Slop, also responsible for safety at the club: “We will never again sell a ticket for an Ajax match to the 19-year-old fan who went on the pitch. This is very sad. We apologize to AZ.”

UPDATE ON THURSDAY:
– The attacker of the goalie was held in custody overnight by the police. It’s not sure wether he’ll be kept in prison for another day.
– AZ goalie Esteban took a flight to his home country Costa Rica today. That’s what a spokesman of the club confirmed to Dutch media. “The players got ten days off now and most of them catch a plane immediately. Esteban too.”
– The 19-year-old attacker recently still had a stadium ban for three years, says Ajax in a statement on their website.
– Dutch FA confirmed that clubs have untill 27th of December 10am to send their reports about abandoning the match. The FA will probably make a decision on 28th of December.
– Dutch FA’s prosecutor announced that the red card for the goalie will be withdrawn. No suspension for Esteban.
UPDATE TUESDAY: Dutch FA announces that a press conference will be held on Wednesday 10am to explain what will happen.
– Last weekend Ajax says the ‘fan’ gets a stadium ban of thirty years. Court ruled that the boy will be held in prison until Thursday.

Referees in the media (week 42 and 43)

Posted on 24 October, 2011 by Jan ter Harmsel

‘Referees in the media’ will be published each Monday on the Dutch Referee Blog and provides remarkable or interesting quotes and links to articles worth reading.

It’s unbelievable here.

Said Bas Nijhuis in preparation of his first Champions League match Olympiakos – Dortmund on Voetbal International Radio. Last weekend he also got his first Ajax – Feyenoord classic, which he handled pretty well.

“You’ve to give the red card, but you feel that yellow and a penalty kick is severe enough.”

Again Bas Nijnhuis about tackling a player in a goal scoring position.

To give a penalty kick and possibly a yellow card is quite sufficient.

A plea for change of the Laws of the Game from German referees in the same week.

“The correct taxation of the referee’s revenues rests with the referees themselves.”

States the German FA (DFB) General Secretary Wolfgang Niersbach after tax officers swept into DFB headquarters.

“Consistency is not just for referees but also for their critics.”

Good read by Paul Wilson from The Guardian, who compares two decisions by referees. One sticks to the book, other uses game management. Both were supposed doing the wrong thing.

“If there was no stress, it would not be normal.”
Says Romuald Bourgois, regional director of a French post office, and now followed on a matchday by French newspaper Le Parisien (link is to the in English translated article).