Throughout the history of the game, complaining about referees is the one constant that supporters of every team can agree on.
As the game has progressed, the officials in charge of matches have come under more and more scrutiny, as managers, players and even pundits blame the referee for something they missed during a game or a call that was wrong.
Referees are human and mistakes happen. With this in mind, we have taken a look at some of the worst refereeing mistakes.
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1 ByStephan GeorgiouOct 2, 2024 10 Germany v England, 2010 Referee: Jorge Larrionda
England supporters, look away now. Referee Jorge Larrionda made a dreadful decision to not allow Frank Lampard’s goal to stand against Germany at the 2010 World Cup.
The clash between England and Germany was a last-16 affair in South Africa, with the winners hoping to progress to the quarter-finals. With the Three Lions trailing 2-1, Lampard struck a shot which caught Manuel Neuer off guard, hitting the crossbar before dipping over the line.
The players protested before Germany scored another two goals to send the English packing. It will go down as one of the worst decisions in World Cup history.
9 Werder Bremen v Hannover, 1975 Referee: Wolf-Dieter Ahlenfelder
Perhaps not as big a mistake as others on this list, but Wolf-Dieter Ahlenfelder made a baffling decision during his third Bundesliga game.
In a match between Werder Bremen and Hannover in 1975, the referee blew for half-time after just 32 minutes, before the linesman intervened. He only made it to 43 minutes before heading for the interval.
The reason? He said he drank schnapps and beer before the game, claiming “We are men, we don’t drink Fanta.”
8 Luis Diaz v Tottenham, 2023 VAR official: Darren England
During a Premier League clash between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in October 2023, VAR assistant referee Darren England made a major error when he did rule out Luis Diaz’s goal, despite it being onside.
PGMOL released the audio following the game, going on to say that the error was a “lapse of concentration and loss of focus”.
The Anfield side ended up losing the match 2-1, ending it with just nine men on the field too, and the decision drew the wrath of Jürgen Klopp, not one for shying away from calling out dreadful decisions in matches.
7 Chelsea v Barcelona, 2009 Referee: Tom Henning Ovrebo
The second leg of the 2009 Champions League semi-final between Chelsea and Barcelona will go down as a game referee Tom Henning Ovrebo won’t forget.
He rejected four penalty calls against the Spanish side, then managed by Pep Guardiola, before Andrés Iniesta scored a late goal to seal their place in the final at the Blues’ expense.
“Some days you are not at the level you should be. I can’t be proud of that performance,” he later added after the game. Tell that to the Chelsea fans.
6 South Korea v Italy, 2002 Referee: Byron Moreno
A series of dismal decisions by Byron Moreno saw Italy knocked out by South Korea in the last 16 of the 2002 World Cup, making him one of the most hated men in Italy.
The list of errors included sending off Francesco Totti for diving when a penalty should have been awarded, chalking off Damiano Tommasi’s goal for offside in extra time and giving Hwang Sun-hong a yellow rather than a red for a crunching challenge, which he later admitted was the wrong decision.
Ahn Jung-Hwan netted the winner with four minutes left and was subsequently sacked by his club side, Perugia. it’s fair to say they didn’t take the goal too well.
5 Mali v Tunisia, 2021 Referee: Janny Sikazwe
The Africa Cup of Nations always tends to provide entertaining moments, but during the 2021 edition, referee Janny Sikazwe made a name for himself.
In the game between Mali and Tunisia, Sikazwe blew the full-time whistle in the 85th and 89th minutes, much to the confusion among the players, as they went to the dressing room prematurely for a second time.
They were ordered to finish the game, but Tunisia refused to return to the field, with the result standing in one of the most bizarre moments in the history of the competition.
4 Argentina v England, 1986 Referee: Ali Bin Nasser
Again, more anguish for England. During the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between England and Argentina, Ali Bin Nasser failed to notice Diego Maradona scoring with his hand.
He subsequently blamed his assistant for failing to spot Maradona sending the ball into the net with his hand in what is commonly referred to as the ‘Hand of God’ goal.
3 Chelsea v Arsenal, 2014 Referee: Andre Marriner
Towards the end of the 2013/14 season, Chelsea inflicted a damaging 6-0 defeat to Arsenal, but this wasn’t what will be remembered from the clash at Stamford Bridge.
A penalty was awarded after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain tipped Eden Hazard’s shot around the post with his hand, but instead of him being sent off, the referee sent off teammate Kieran Gibbs. Marriner later claimed he was “disappointed” to make such an error.
2 West Germany v France, 1982 Referee: Charles Corver
Patrick Battiston races onto a through-ball against West Germany during the World Cup semi-final in 1982, seemingly ready to score.
Seconds later, he is lying on the floor having suffered three broken teeth, cracked ribs and damaged vertebrae after goalkeeper Toni Schumacher raced out to stop the Frenchman by any means possible, smashing into him with brute force.
A sending-off, surely? No, referee Charles Corver missed the entire incident, thus allowing the goalkeeper to play on. It remains one of the World Cup’s most scandalous moments.
1 Croatia v Australia, 2006 Referee: Graham Poll
During a game between Croatia and Australia at the 2006 World Cup, English referee Graham Poll somehow issued defender Josip Simunic three yellow cards, which ended any chance he had of refereeing the final.
This glaring error meant the Englishman had to pack his bags as he was sent home from the tournament, ruining his reputation in the process.
What a mistake to make when the eyes of the world are on you.
