mhnessie
Full On Cheesehead
German refs are fussy too.Is there a fundamental difference in how the referees from the varying nations view the game? That English ref allowed play to go on, but he didn't put up with much diving, which Porto did a lot in the first leg. He even carded the one Porto player for "simulation". It seems most of the German refs let a lot of contact go on, while the Spanish dude basically ran with a whistle ready.
The Brits have the best refs in football imho. If I watch the EPL and compare it with German Bundesliga its a huge difference. Nearly every contact ends with a freekick call, completely different in the EPL.
And yes, the refs from Spain and Italy are among the worst, but this might have something to do with the fact that they are used to players that are more lying on the pitch than standing upright.