Almost from the very start of the Ukrainian championship, head coaches, players, and then club managers began to speak out on the topic of arbitration one after another. Moreover, the latter gathered for special meetings to discuss how to eradicate this problem once and for all.
Andriy KovalenkoHowever, it turned out to be not so easy to cut this Gordian knot. The refereeing issue continues to stir the minds of people fighting for the integrity of football. A series of scandals about the bias or prejudice of some Ukrainian referees has reached the frontline, where not only fans of different clubs but also players, coaches and referees stand shoulder to shoulder against the enemy. Both current and former.
Another wave of indignation arose after the high-profile refereeing in the 14th round of the UPL match between Chornomorets (Odesa) and Rukh (Lviv), in which referee Andriy Kovalenko "distinguished himself". With the score 2-1 in favour of the hosts, the ball, after a shot by a Lviv player on the Chornomorets goal, first hit the head of the Seafarers defender Luka Huchek and then ricocheted into his hand. The referee saw this as a violation of the rules and awarded a penalty, and in addition to it, he punished Odesa twice, showing the Slovenian a red card.
Former referee Andrii Lisakovskyi, who has been defending the country from the aggressor in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces since last year, did not stay away from the events of Sunday's match in Odesa.
"Despite the fact that I am far away from football events, I would like to address the refereeing experts ," Lisakovsky began his commentary, "Don't you know what is happening? We are here (on the front line - ed.) putting our heads down and want to watch quality football, but we are being deprived of it. And I'm not talking about this now because it's my home team. Yes, I am a pupil of Chornomorets' football school, although I have not played a single match in its main squad. I think it's enough to defend these greedy cunts (referees). And to you, the guys who are in their right minds and OFFiciate Premier League matches, I want to say: stop! Otherwise, it will hurt, guys, it will hurt a lot. Come on, take your guns in your hands and come to the front line.Glory to Ukraine!"
We would like to remind you that the match between Chornomorets and Rukh was refereed by Andrii Kovalenko.
