Your weekly source of information and entertainment, Sports Journal #36 brought to you by our journalists, is here! 📖⚽

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1/ FOOTBALL QUIZ

2/ TOP MATCH - JOKERS GAMBIT vs PUBLIC ENEMIES

3/ TEAM REPLACEMENT IN THE SUPER LEAGUE?

4/ THE PERFECT 10S OF THE WEEK: THE BIGGEST POST-MERGER MASSACRES!

5/ BORAT ON THE NEW STUFF! PART 2

6/ THE CLEATED FAUNA

7/ TWO MATCHES IN ONE DAY. REFEREE FATIGUE IS A REAL RISK OF MISTAKES

8/ REFEREE CONTROVERSIES THROUGH THE EYES OF THE MANAGER #7

FOOTBALL QUIZ

👑 The winners of the last edition are: (Legacy)

100 Keys 🔑 Premium - Brtek

10,000 ⚡ Energy - Rob727 1208 & VIKTOR84

Hello! I'm here with another part of the football quiz series. Of course, there are prizes in the form of 100 Keys 🔑 Premium for the first person to answer correctly and 10,000 ⚡ Energy for two random people with the correct answer. 

I'll select the winners on Thursday at 8 p.m. Let's start!

 1/ Player Name and Surname:

Born in 1990 in Ruda Śląska, he is a player who gained recognition in Polish clubs, but failed to achieve great success on the international stage. He began his career in Ruch Chorzów, where his talent was quickly noticed by scouts. After moving to Polonia Warsaw, he gained recognition thanks to his solid play, which allowed him to move to German Hannover 96.

Although he did not win any major trophies, his regular presence in teams, both at club and national team level, emphasized his value. In Poland, he won, among others, the Polish Cup with Polonia Warsaw and the Polish Champion with Lech Poznań. His career was stable, but he never reached the top of European strikers.

2/ Full name of the Football Club:

A Belgian football club with a long and rich history. It was founded in 1897 and has since won many trophies, including the Belgian Cup three times. It quickly became one of the strongest clubs in the country. In 1898 it joined the Belgian Football Association.

The club experienced its golden age between 1900 and 1930. It won 8 Belgian championship titles and the Belgian Cup twice. During this time it was known for its strong team and beautiful play. 

After World War II it lost some of its importance. The club continued to be successful, but was no longer as dominant as in the pre-war years. In recent years it has been reborn. It has returned to the highest Belgian league and has been successful on the domestic stage. In 2024 it won the Belgian Cup, first place in the league in the regular season and second in the final round.

3/ Player Name and Surname:

Born on May 11, 1984 in Fuentealbilla, he is one of the most talented and decorated players in history. His career is a true story of success, passion and dedication to football.

He began his footballing adventure in 1996, joining the FC Barcelona academy - La Masia. It was there that he developed his extraordinary talent, learning from the best. In 2002, he made his debut in the first team of Barcelona, ​​starting an era of dominance of the club on the international stage.

Together with teammates such as Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Samuel Eto'o, he created one of the most dominant teams in the history of football. With Barcelona, ​​he won 9 Spanish league titles, 6 Copa del Rey, 4 Champions League, 3 FIFA Club World Cups and 3 European Super Cups.

He was also a key player for the Spanish national team. With the team, he won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2008 and 2012. His goal in the World Cup final against the Netherlands in 2010 went down in history as one of the most important moments in the history of Spanish football. After 16 years at Barcelona, ​​he decided to leave the club in 2018. He moved to Japanese Vissel Kobe, where he continued his career. He is a true football legend. His skills, intelligence on the pitch and style of play have made him one of the most valued footballers in the world. His career is an example of hard work, dedication and passion that have led him to the top.

4/ Full Name of Football Team:

A Spanish football club from Seville, founded in 1907. Its history is full of ups and downs, and the club can boast many successes, including the Spanish championship (1935) and three Copa del Rey (1977, 2005 and 2022). The club was founded by a group of medical students and military school students. It was initially called Betis Football Club, and its colors are green and white. The name Betis comes from the ancient name of Seville, Hispalis, and Balompié is the Spanish word for "football". The 1930s were the period of the club's greatest successes. In 1935, the club won its first Spanish championship. It is now one of the most popular clubs in Spain. The club has a strong fan base and regularly competes for the highest goals. In recent years, it won the Copa del Rey in 2022, defeating Valencia in the final.

Author: Wylewinho

TOP MATCH - JOKERS GAMBIT vs PUBLIC ENEMIES

Hey! Kyrunio here ,  today I'm going to talk about the most interesting match of the season, which can be said despite the fact that we're only in the ⅓ of it!

The match I'm going to focus on today is the meeting of the two best teams on the server, 

Jokers Gambit and Public Enemies in the Super League on Tuesday, April 8 at 8:00 PM. The match promised to be very interesting from the very beginning, and judging by the skills of the players, the guests were the favorites.

The scoring in this match started very quickly, just after the first whistle. In the 3rd minute of the match, Belisimmo played a through ball towards Kindredo, who beat the visiting goalkeeper from a sharp angle!

Less than 10 minutes later, Belisimmo again produced an accurate pass, this time crossing from a corner kick straight to Kindredo, who increased the lead with a header.

In the 22nd minute of the match, MatiACM stepped up to take a corner kick, crossed it, the goalkeeper made a mistake, the ball went over him, and Kindredo completed his hat-trick by shooting into an empty goal.

Just 6 minutes later, PaweleQ and EL Bandito played a two-on-one action near the opponents' penalty area, which resulted in EL Bandito scoring the fourth goal for the hosts!

In the 31st minute of the match, the guests finally woke up,  Krystian Salach passed to Chazz Palminteri, who scored the first goal for his team!

The guests did not enjoy it long, because 4 minutes later Devast  made a very good cross into the penalty area, there was Kindredo, who scored his fourth goal in this match with a header!

The scoreboard already showed 5:1 for the hosts, nobody knew what was happening, and the guests were pressing to make up for the losses and emerge victorious from this match. In the 38th minute of the match, Turor exchanged a few passes with Chazz Palminteri, który who precisely hit the opponents' goal!

Just 5 minutes later we saw another hat-trick in this match. This time it was scored by Chazz Palminteri, who, due to a mistake in the opponent's defense, scored a goal after an assist from Ethereal.

The first half ended with a score of 5:3. There was a lot going on in it, but the result was not one-sided, everyone was waiting for the start of the second half.

In the 53rd minute of the match, the guests received a penalty after an ugly foul by Belisimmo, for which he was punished with a yellow card. Chazz Palminteri onfidently approached the penalty and converted it, giving his team a goal!

Less than 10 minutes later, the hosts felt threatened and attacked the opponents' defense, as Devast played a precise ball into the penalty area to EL Bandito, who scored with a well-placed shot to beat the visiting goalkeeper!

In the 68th minute, the hosts were awarded a corner kick, which Kindredo stepped up to take. He crossed the ball, hit it perfectly on the head of  EL Bandito and GOOOOOAAAAAL! The score was already 7:4!

The excitement was not over yet, because in the 72nd minute Ethereal crossed from a corner kick, and Chazz Palminteri took advantage of his fifth chance to score a goal!

In the 80th minute of the match, EL Bandito finished off their rivals fighting for the result by successfully taking a penalty kick after Ethereal’s foul.

Ethereal quickly made up for his mistake, Chazz Palminteri found him in the penalty area, played a high ball, and he won an aerial duel with the opponents' defender and headed the ball into the net!

The visitors needed two more goals to tie, but there was really not much time! In the 90th minute the visitors gave their fans a little hope, Ethereal passed to Chazz Palminteri, who scored his second hat-trick of the match with a well-placed shot!

The visitors tried to equalize, but they failed despite OVR's significant advantage on the pitch. There was euphoria at the home stadium! They had defeated the best team in FootballTeam! They did it! What a crazy match that ended with a score of 8:7!

That's all from me for today, I encourage you to read the articles sent by other journalists. See you next time!

Author: Kyrunio

TEAM REPLACEMENT IN THE SUPER LEAGUE?

Dear readers,

I am Andrzejek and from this place I would like to welcome you very warmly to the next edition of Sports Journal. The series of Classic players was fruitful in positive opinions and even one or two controversies, nevertheless I believe that it is to some extent the unwritten task of the editors to evoke the greatest emotions among the readers.

We may return to the series of articles of this type, but it is time for a gentle break to catch some freshness. I will also add that I am grateful for all the private messages I received from you, because they are the main driving force for writing articles for you in Sports Journal.

On the day of writing this article, the season on the Classic server is slowly coming to an end, so it is the perfect time to take a look at the situation that we can observe in the league tables. The one we will focus on today will be about the Super League. I invite you to read!

The normal course of events is that teams win or lose, advance or relegate, win trophies or have to swallow bitterness. The Super League is the highest possible level of the competition, which in my opinion arouses mixed feelings, due to the fact that the rewards after the changes for places lower than those for winning SL are simply mediocre. Previously, the Challenger packages were also given out after the end for places 4 and 5. Unfortunately, these teams do not receive them at the moment. As you can easily deduce, apart from the podium it doesn't look too good, considering the competition with top-shelf teams, but still these awards are better than, for example, winning the first league.

Let's start with the less pleasant aspect of the game, which teams are likely to be eliminated from the Super League? The first of them will be the Unicorn Team, who ATTENTION! did not have a single win in 28 matches, conceding 173 goals and scoring only 4. This is certainly one of the worst records in the history of the Super League so far. Another team that we will probably not see in the next season will be Respect. This season they did much better than their predecessors, recording a record of 6-1-21 (W/D/P). Surprisingly, the fate of the popular team of the amazing person of Byk z Pampeluny, the Izba Wytrzeźwień team is hanging in the balance until the very last moments. The penultimate place in the league table has deliberately caused a lot of frustration among the players and board members, but I hope that next season they will manage to fix the problems of the previous season.

 Now it's time for a more pleasant point of today's article, and it's the teams that are the complete opposite of the "relegated". First up is Broski Wolfpack FC – a team that will fight with Byk’s Izba for the last place awarded with a place in the Super League. The leader of the Italian league was going like a storm on the day of writing the newspaper, recording a balance of 29-0-0, and there is no indication that they will add a defeat to this balance. Harmandalı 35 can definitely count the current season as one of the most successful, as evidenced by really specific training, commitment and a professional approach to leading the team towards what is best for each player. I wonder how this will finally be resolved. Like Broski, they recorded the same balance and in their case it also does not look like their first defeat of the season in the last match of the sixth season for them.

 Drużyna Bez Dopingu will play their matches in the Super League next season for 99.99%. They are no different from the two previous teams I described, and the number of goals they have scored (205) is very impressive. I can't wait to test them as the defender of the current Super League champion (laughs).

That's all for today's article. I hope you liked this format :) If so, let me know about yourself in a comment or private message. See you soon!

Author:  Andrzejek

THE PERFECT 10S OF THE WEEK: THE BIGGEST POST-MERGER MASSACRES!

Hello, presidents, coaches, and keyboard warriors of Football Team Game Online! How are your nerves—and tactics—holding up?

If the answer is "not great," maybe it's because your squad was on the wrong end of one of this week’s most brutal thrashings. Or, perhaps you were the one swinging the hammer. Either way, today, we bring you big numbers, bloated scoreboards, and merciless attacks! As the newly merged servers kick off their first phase, the eight national divisions are already ablaze with drama—and blood has been spilled on the virtual pitch.

We've selected three truly terrifying thrashings. Matches so one-sided that, had they happened in real life, they’d spark protests in the stands, sarcastic banners, and maybe even a nationwide public apology. Buckle up your seatbelt—or at least, brace your nervous laughter.

Germany — Sauer-krautpocalypse

Let’s begin in the virtual Bundesliga, where Кремень steamrolled Niebieskie Chachary II with a ruthless 10-0 victory on April 5, at 11:30 a.m. Brasília time—a bunch of goals.

The goal bonanza was a group effort:

• DarkHunter69 struck four times (almost enough to request a song on Brazilian TV).
  
  

• Ян Сатин completed a classy hat-trick.
  
  

•  Удар в девятку chipped in with two stunners.
  
  

• And Лоу-Кик в Голову slammed the door shut with one more.
  
  

In a post-match press conference, the Chachary II manager summed it up best:
"It was a bad day. Everyone forgot we had a match."
VAR review confirms: yep, they really did.

Russia — Needs More Vodka

In the frosty Russian first division, things also heated up. The RedBull Fighters lived up to their name and obliterated the Belarus team with another 10-0 demolition on April 4 at 1:30 p.m.

Star of the show? None other than:

• Parmigiano Reggiano, who scored all ten goals. Yes, ALL TEN.
  This Italian cheese absolutely shredded the opposing defense with culinary precision and ruthless flair.

Currently the league’s second-highest scorer, Parmigiano might need a security escort soon. Unofficial reports say Belarus defenders have sworn off cheese entirely. Even mozzarella.

England — A Tea Party to Forget

With a name like Dream Snake II, you'd expect something elusive and deadly. Instead, we got a total shipwreck. The Perełka FC ran riot with a brutal 10-0 win, sinking those slithery dreams deep into the abyss.

Shining bright:

• Per Priczi went full beast mode and bagged eight goals (yes, EIGHT).
  
  

• Piotr Burczymucha and Zouma RR added one each to seal the nightmare.
  
  

Meanwhile, in the Dream Snake fanbase, whispers are growing: "Bring back Dream Snake I!"
Some are even calling for the return of the original Dream Snake—you know, the one from the Nokia phones.

Have you survived a goalfest like this?

Dear coach of tactics and tap-tap glory:

Have you ever been part of a result so absurd it belongs in a football horror movie? Did your team dish out—or suffer—a historical humiliation?

Tell us in the comments: were you the butcher or the barbecue this week?

And remember, when the dust settles, all that really counts is... goal difference.

See you next week with more tales of glory, despair, and chaotic joy from the wild world of Football Team Game Online.

Author: Fábio Muri

BORAT ON THE NEW STUFF! PART 2

Good day, dear readers of the sports magazine!

Last week, we quickly ran through the new features related to tasks and briefly touched on leagues. Today, I’d like to continue exploring the updates with you and discuss their importance for players.

League Distribution

First, I’d like to add a bit more about leagues and how teams are distributed – something that didn’t make it into the previous article. It's worth thanking the administration for their approach to league placement. For those who missed it or didn’t pay attention – teams were distributed into leagues based on their OVR ranking at the time of the placement. For example, the Polish league ended up with the 1st, 9th, 17th ranked teams, and so on. This prevented situations where 3–4 teams from the top 10 would end up in the same league and clash, while also making it harder for weaker teams to sneak into the Superleague.

Imagine if the top 10 teams were randomly assigned – you could end up with several top-tier clubs in one league and none in another. As a result, some strong teams might miss the Superleague while a team like "Spartak" slips in. And we all want to see only the strongest clubs in the Superleague, right? It’s way more fun to watch the best go head-to-head!

Base Collections

Another great change is the removal of the ability to add locked Success Crystals to base collections to increase the reward multiplier. After all, Success Crystals are meant to be used for augmenting equipment – yet some clever players managed to waste them on collections instead. As the saying goes – "that’s not what mom raised you for!"  So now we’ll all be using them properly, as intended. No more smart tricks using team game rewards to waste crystals on collections! We’re looking forward to a wave of system messages announcing improved augmentation levels!

This change also applies to other locked items that used to work in base collections. And that’s definitely a good move – now these items will be used for their actual purpose, giving the game more meaningful depth and clarity.

Special Collections

Special Collections deserve a special shout-out – they’ve been significantly expanded, and now we finally have the long-awaited chance to put our historical gear, including underwear, to good use! The rewards are quite attractive, so go ahead and turn in all your Historical items!

Team Hero Stars

In addition to all that, a new feature has been added – Team Hero Stars. This is a super positive change that affects absolutely everyone, since these stars can be earned by completing club tasks like upgrades and club development contributions. These are season-based tasks, meaning now every team member has a chance to actively contribute to this exciting new system. It brings more benefits and makes everyone feel more involved in the club’s life.

The tasks are pretty straightforward – if the team works together, they can be completed easily. We’re already seeing players dive into these tasks in a race for those Team Hero Stars – ready, set, go!

Well, that’s probably enough for today. We’ve looked at some of the best and most well-thought-out changes that many smart and fair players have been waiting for. In my opinion, this article turned out quite positive – and if you liked it, I’d be happy to keep writing similar pieces in the future, as long as there’s a reason to! Fortunately, the FootballTeam developers are constantly giving us news worth talking about.

Author: Борат 

THE CLEATED FAUNA

Hello, players! Ready for another wild ride across the virtual fields of Football Team Game?

This week, we’re swinging open the gates of the jungle, the skies, and the depths of imagination to bring you a special feature on teams inspired by the animal kingdom. It’s a true cleated fauna, where species diversity comes alive in the form of fierce, competitive, and sometimes hilariously feral football clubs.

Felines on the Pitch: The Predators of Football

We kick off our expedition with the majestic felines. In nature, they’re agile, silent, and deadly—and in the game, it’s no different. Tigers, for example, aren’t just charismatic characters from The Jungle Book; they roar across the stadiums of Spain’s League 1 with Tigers City, a team that demands respect with the claw and muscle of a true apex predator.

Following in the pawsteps of great hunters, we meet the mysterious panthers. Painted, black, or simply stylish, these creatures don’t shy away from dense forests—or, in our case, the dense competition of France’s League 2B, where the Black Panthers glide across the pitch with feline grace and aggression. And of course, we can’t forget the king of the jungle: the lion. Or better yet, LIONHEART, who reigns supreme (alongside his lionesses) in England’s League 1 savannah, proving that courage and teamwork are the mark of a true champion.

Canines and Other Goal-Hungry Beasts

Crossing over to another species, we meet the howling wolves. Social, strategic, and loyal to the pack, they leave their mark on Football Team Game with the fierce Latam Wolfs, hunting for victory in Russia’s League 2B—always on the prowl for their next prey... or three points.

Then come the bears, massive and mighty, crashing into the action. From the Ursidae family, KING BEAR brings raw strength and a ferocious appetite to England’s League 2B, ready to maul anyone who dares step in its path.

And when it comes to underestimated animals, hyenas might get a bad rap as opportunists—but in-game, they’re ruthless tacticians. FC HIENAS, competing in Turkey’s League 1, knows exactly when to strike as a pack and turn the game around—complete with that mocking laugh few opponents forget.

Bovines, Reptiles, and Other Jungle Sport Surprises

 You might not expect to see a bull whipping in a cross or a cow showing off its footwork, but the Football Team Game is home to all species. RedBull Fighters, battling across every inch of Russia’s League 1, chew over tactics and unleash metaphorical hoof-kicks on their rivals—all within the rules, of course!

Slithering into the scene, we meet the clever Dream Snake, representing serpents with cold-blooded control and venomous strikes in Poland’s League 1. These reptiles, who adapt their temperature to the environment, know how to switch up their style—especially when ambushing you in the second half.

From the Skies to the Shore: Birds on the Field

Soaring high above, the falcons watch the pitch with a hunter’s eye. CF Falcões, of Turkey’s League 1, are known for lightning-fast counterattacks, striking like true predators of the air. And if falcons are feared, ducks… Well, ducks are beloved.

But don’t be fooled: Duck Army, from England’s League 1, is a feathered force unafraid of tough tackles. With strong team spirit and a touch of irreverence, these aquatic athletes know how to swim upstream—and flip the score while they’re at it.

Who Takes the Jungle Trophy?

So, did you already know about this wild biodiversity in the world of Football Team Game? Have you faced—or maybe even played for—one of these animal-inspired squads? Could the next champion rise from a panther’s paw or a falcon’s beak?

Drop your thoughts in the comments! And tell us: which animal would you draft into your squad? A rhino as center-back? A kangaroo striker? Who knows…

See you next week with more curiosity, science, chaos, and of course, pixelated football action!

Author: Fábio Muri

TWO MATCHES IN ONE DAY. REFEREE FATIGUE IS A REAL RISK OF MISTAKES

In the past, I have already discussed the issue of referee fatigue and its impact on the quality of refereeing in football matches. Unfortunately, the situation has not improved - on the contrary, the last rounds of the Ekstraklasa, I league and II league provided further examples of decisions by the PZPN Referees' Board that raised serious doubts about the rationality and care for the condition of referees.

The example of Tomasz Listkiewicz was one of the most striking. As an assistant referee from Warszawa, on Saturday he worked at the match between Lechia Gdańsk and Jagiellonia Białystok, which started at 17:30 and ended around 19:30. After the match - assuming he managed to leave the stadium by 21:00 - he had to face a logistical challenge: making it to Lublin for Sunday's match between Motor and Stal Mielec, where he was an AVAR (video assistant referee). The match started at 2:45 p.m., which meant that Listkiewicz should be ready for work no later than just after noon.

He had to cover at least 514 kilometers – at night or early in the morning – which, given the applicable road traffic regulations, meant a journey lasting about 5.5 hours. This problem was further complicated by the change from winter to summer time – the night from Saturday to Sunday was shorter by one hour. As a result, Listkiewicz had just under 9 hours for sleep, rest, meals, changing and a minimum of relaxation before the next match.

In total, counting 349 kilometers from Warszawa to Gdańsk, 514 kilometers from Gdańsk to Lublin and 181 kilometers from Lublin back to Warszawa – Tomasz Listkiewicz traveled at least 1,044 kilometers in one day, working on two professional matches. Although he is an extremely experienced referee, it is worth remembering that he is still a human being – and fatigue can significantly affect concentration and the ability to quickly assess situations on the pitch.

But Listkiewicz wasn't the only one to find himself in such a situation.

Overloaded referees – not just one case:

In the same round, many other referees also had to work on two matches in a short period of time. Here are just a few examples:

- Tomasz Kwiatkowski: on Friday he was a VAR referee during the Piast Gliwice – Widzew Łódź match, and on Sunday he was the main referee for the GKS Katowice – Górnik Zabrze match.

- Paweł Raczkowski: on Saturday he refereed the Lechia – Jagiellonia match, and the following day he was the VAR for the Zagłębie Lubin – Raków Częstochowa match.

- Kornel Paszkiewicz: on Friday he refereed the GKS Jastrzębie – Skra Częstochowa 2nd league match, and on Saturday he was the VAR for the Cracovia – Puszcza Niepołomice match.

- Piotr Rzucidło: he was the AVAR in Gliwice on Friday, and on Sunday he was the main referee for the Stal Stalowa Wola – Bruk-Bet Termalica 1st league match.

- Jacek Małyszek: Friday's Wisła Kraków - Kotwica Kołobrzeg match as the main referee, and on Sunday AVAR in Korona - Radomiak.

- Łukasz Szczech: VAR in the Lechia - Jagiellonia match on Saturday, and on Monday - the main referee in the GKS Tychy - Wisła Płock match.

Such an organization of the referees' work raises huge doubts. Referees are not machines - they need time to rest, regenerate and fully focus. Working in two professional matches in one day is a burden that can result in mistakes, and these - as we know - distort the results of the matches and affect the entire league competition.

Where does the responsibility lie?

It is impossible to blame the referees themselves. They do not decide on their own casts - this is done by the PZPN Referees' Board, headed by Tomasz Mikulski. Unfortunately, it seems that the current management stubbornly repeats the same organizational mistakes, not drawing conclusions from previous criticisms and analyses. Instead of providing referees with optimal working conditions, it assigns them tasks in a way that threatens fatigue, lack of concentration and a lower level of refereeing.

But in order to be fair and effective, a referee must not only be well-prepared physically, but above all – mentally rested and focused. Fatigue can lead to a delayed reaction, incorrect interpretation of an event, or even to completely missing a key moment of the game.

Summary:

Once again, we have seen that the refereeing system in Poland requires urgent and profound reforms. Until the PZPN Referees' Board starts to take the physical and mental limitations of its referees seriously, we cannot count on improving the level of refereeing. And any mistakes – resulting from fatigue – should not be placed on the shoulders of the referees themselves, but on those who force them to such an effort.

Because how can you concentrate… after a thousand kilometers behind the wheel and two matches in one weekend?

Thank you for reading my article! If you like this type of content or have ideas for more topics I should write about, leave your suggestions in the comments. Best regards!

Author: Kiero DS

REFEREE CONTROVERSIES THROUGH THE EYES OF THE MANAGER #7

Hello, Kiero DS here. Due to the numerous controversial situations involving football referees, I have decided to create a new series, where I will analyze these situations step by step. This series will appear relatively regularly, along with the emerging controversies.

Was a penalty kick justified? Analysis of the situation from the Lech - Korona match:

In the 27th round of the PKO BP Ekstraklasa, during the match between Lech Poznań and Korona Kielce, a controversial situation occurred, which caused a lot of emotions both on the pitch and among fans and experts. It concerns a clash from the 35th minute of the match, in which Lech's goalkeeper - Bartosz Mrozek and Korona player - Marcel Pięczek took part. As a result of the collision, Marcel Pięczek suffered a painful injury (broken rib), and the referee did not award a penalty kick to Korona, which was also confirmed by VAR. Let's look at this situation from the perspective of the rules of the game and the rules of refereeing interpretation.

Situation description:

In the 35th minute, a Korona player sent a long, high pass from the center of the pitch into Lech's penalty area. Two players rushed for the ball - Lech's goalkeeper and Marcel Pięczek. Initially, they were over 20 meters apart, but both were determined to reach the ball. The goalkeeper was slightly faster and - importantly - could use his hands to intervene according to the rules. And indeed: he reached for the ball with his hand, knocking it out just above the opponent's head.

A split second later, both players collide. The collision is so strong that Marcel Pięczek suffers a serious injury and leaves the pitch. The referee indicates the offense of the Korona player, not the goalkeeper. This decision is confirmed by VAR, despite the protests of the Korona coach and players.

Did the referee make the right decision?

In assessing this situation, nuances and proper interpretation of the rules are key. It is not a matter of simple “he fouled or he didn’t foul”, but of a deeper understanding of the essence of the game and the intentions of the players. Let us recall a few basic principles:

1. Opponent safety – players must take into account the way they attack the ball. The game must be played in a safe and prudent manner.

2. Not every collision is a foul – if two players are fighting for the ball with equal commitment and without the intention of fouling, and contact between them results from this fight, it does not always have to mean an offence.

3. Playing the ball does not justify a foul – however, if a player plays the ball and does not show recklessness, imprudence or exposes the opponent to the risk of serious injury, then there is no basis for punishment.

Analysis of the incident:

In the discussed case, both players were fully focused on the ball. The goalkeeper managed to clear it before contact occurred. From my perspective, this was a typical example of a collision resulting from the dynamics of the action – both players ran into each other at full speed, neither made a move aimed at injuring the other. Mrozek – as a goalkeeper – had the right to intervene with his hand in the penalty area. We do not see any movement here that would indicate aggression, negligence or recklessness. There was no extended leg, no shoulder push or knee movement – ​​quite the opposite: it looked like an attempt to minimize the effects of the collision.

According to the current interpretations of the "Laws of the Game" (IFAB), such situations, despite ending with an injury to one of the players, are not automatically treated as an offence. Football is a contact sport, and the risk of collision – especially in dynamic actions – is a natural part of it.

Summary:

I agree with the referee's decision and the confirmation of this decision by VAR. There was no offence on the part of the Lech goalkeeper. The contact between the players was a consequence of an intense fight for the ball and did not bear the signs of a foul. In such situations, the most important thing is to analyze the intentions and the method of intervention, and not the fact of the injury itself – although of course this is a tragic ending to this action for the Korona player.

We can learn one important lesson from this incident: football is a game of details, and refereeing is not mathematics – it is an assessment of the situation taking into account the whole context. And that is why such situations can be assessed so differently – not because of the referees’ mistakes, but because of the variety of nuances that must be taken into account.

Thank you for reading my article! If you like this type of content or have ideas for further topics I should write about, leave your suggestions in the comments. Best regards!

Author: Kiero DS