If I were a Catalan, I would dare not write this. If I were a UEFA representative, I would dare not write this.
Football has gone from strengths to strengths. It has certainly reached such a stage that competitions are being won in the vicinity of a single point! Bucketloads of goals are being scored in injury time which have changed the whole scenario over the years. It has become so competitive that along with tactics and footballing talent and inspiration, refereeing has become an integral part of the game. Even a wrong decision can seal the fate of teams causing mass upsets at times.
Being a Blues fan, I would take the liberty to say that Chelsea have been on the wrong end of these decisions quite a few times. Be it the ghost goal or the disallowed penalties, it inflicts a deep wound into thousands of hearts watching the game. Fairplay is what each team desires.
There's actually no point apologizing after the match because the damage has already been done. You might regret it till your death but I doubt if teams will ever forgive them after ruining the season in massive proportions. These referees should be made to realise the gravity of the situation they have created. The FA did a wonderful job asking Graham Poll to retire after a string of such incidents. On the contrary you have UEFA who are over-protective of their referees, even smuggling them out of a country to avoid excessive media exposure or fan fury.
What I propose here is to have the 3rd umpire in football. And its not an impossible task. It would rather make the game fair for both sides. The 3rd umpire views the match and can take various important decisions based on TV replays through different angles. The referees and the linesmen and the assistant referee are always using wireless communications. This I believe is the best feasible option to reduce the wrong refereeing decisions. Sensors placed on goal-line to make sure that the ball crosses the line.
Yes I agree that the 3rd umpire will have to take decisions immidiately but they will reduce the effect of a bad decision. Its a wonderful option. Cricket has it, Tennis has it, even American Football has it, then why not football?
Someone once told me, "These wrong decisions always affect the game. But it all evens out at the end of the season. Sometimes you are at the wrong end, sometimes you are on the lucky side." My question to him/her is, "Wonder if a team got really lucky with the referee against Stoke City and then lost a prestigious cup final due to erratic ridiculous decisions of the referee, would you still call it even?"
