Are World Football Referees Corrupt or Just Incompetent?

 

I am very new to watching world football (soccer). However, there is a problem with the game that is so obvious that even I can see it. The referees are either incompetent in their decisions or are being seduced about the way they make their decisions.

 

I have watched now about 10 matches between the 2024 Euro Cup and the 2024 Copa America. Because the cameras are all over the field, it is easy to see when one player fouls another, especially since the fouled player will roll on the ground as though he has been hit by a truck. However, the strange thing is that referees are very particular as to whom they will call a foul against. In addition, after a foul has been committed, the referees will sometimes allow the game to proceed before calling the foul and in other instances, they will stop the game.

 

It becomes very obvious that the referees will embarrassingly favour one team over the other. I watched the Canada versus Argentina game just last night (July 9, 2024) The referee ignored many fouls Argentina committed against Canada, but even gave Canada yellow cards when no foul occurred. The Argentine players, who certainly should win Academy Awards, fell and rolled in pain anytime a Canadian player was close to them and the Argentine had lost the ball. The referee would call the fake foul. Canadian players did not bother faking because they knew the ref ignored real fouls against the Canadians, so only Argentina could get Canada charged with a fake foul.

 

I began to feel that all Chilean referee squad was angry at Canada for eliminating Chile from the Copa.

 My beliefs got support when the TV announcers did criticize the calls of the referees and made it quite clear that he believed that Chilean referee was not being fair in calling fouls, giving free kicks, and stopping play. Canada was charged with 15 fouls, a number of which the announcers questioned. Argentina was charged with only 5 fouls, as one of the announcers said these fouls were so obvious that even the Chileans had to call them.

According to https://icdb.tv/match/195176-Argentina-v-Canada

 

These were the announcers on the Canadian networks, CTV2 and TSN

 

Presenter James Duthie         Main Commentator Luke Wileman         Co-commentator Steven Caldwell         Pundit Atiba Hutchinson         Pundit Kevin Kilbane         Reporter Matthew Scianitti	CANADA
	ENGLAND
	SCOTLAND
	CANADA
	IRELAND
	CANADA

 

Of course, some of the announcers would have a bias toward Canada, but I think their observations about the bias of the Chilean Referee team is worth an investigation by CONMEBOL.

 

I noticed similar referreeing in the France versus Spain semi-final match in the Euro Cup. The refereeing seemed to favor Spain. The announcers again were complaining about the referring.

 

One match I watched, a Euro Cup match, the announcers pointed out that the referee made so many errors because he was a new referee. 

OMG, a world event like the Euro Cup should not be a training ground for a novice.

 

I think it is time that the World Football organizations – FIFA, CONMEBOL, etc. – must investigate referees to make certain that they are competent and not biased because of national interests or monetary gain. I know the Winter and Summer Olympics, American and Canadian Football, and Professional Baseball are always taking steps to monitor and remove incompetent or bribed officials. I think it is time that world football stops being so laxed and take stringent steps to eradicate corruption, bias, or incompetence in refereeing.

DUH!