FIFA certified Referee Goretti Nain Diangha Maria says Kevin De Bryune’s equalizer against Real Madrid in Tuesday’s 2022/23 UEFA Champions League semi-final was a genuine goal, though it has divided public opinion in the past 12 hours.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti, was booked for his remonstration in an attempt to convince Portuguese Referee Artur Soares Dias, and his team chalk off the goal, but Goretti, nominee for the 2021 Female Referee of the year has other ideas.
According to the Cameroon-based FIFA certified Referee, the point of reference is not whether the ball went over the line or not, because the guidelines on the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) condemns the goal to stand if the Referees were undicided about the position of the ball when Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva kept it alive before De Bryune was picked.
“The IFAB rule is very clear in situations like this. I will not like to debate on whether the ball crossed the line or not. I have seen varied images and it’s inconclusive for someone who wasn’t in the VAR room. However, the fact that Real Madrid recovered possession before surrendering it in the build up to the goal and it’s not one of the prescribed scenario for VAR intervention settles it all per IFAB law 10,” Goretti, FIFA Referee since 2018 told kick442.com in an exclusive conversation.
Goretti Nain Diangha Maria post for pre-match photo ahead of the 2023 Cameroon Super Cup game between Bamboutos FC and Cotonsport FC of Garoua
What does IFAB law 10 say?
“If play has stopped and been restarted, the Referee may not undertake a review except for the case of mistaken identity or a potential sending-off offence relating to violent conduct, spitting, bitting or extremely offensive, insulting and or abusive action(s).”
Therefore, even if the whole of the ball had crossed the whole of the line, play resumed and restarted the moment Man City lost that ball to Real Madrid’s Edouardo Camavinga before recovering it through a poor clearance to score.
The explanations from the FIFA Referee clears the air and settles all budding controversies around another great game between legendary Real Madrid and Manchester City last night at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Vinicius Junior and Kevin De Bruyne traded magnificent goals as Real Madrid and Manchester City played out a pulsating 1-1 draw, leaving next week’s second-leg game at the Etihad stadium on a knife edge.
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