Ex-FIFA referee - on Ceferin's words: "The image of the Italian and Bosnian national teams is different. We should not think abo

TheUkraine national team, led by Serhiy Rebrov , willplay against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the semi-final of the play-off for Euro 2024 .This match will be judged by aGerman team of referees headed by Felix Zweier. This specialist has already worked at the match of our national team against the Bosnians. It happened at the group stage of the World Cup-2022 qualification. Then in Lviv, the national teams parted in peace - 1:1. Referee expert and former FIFA referee Miroslav Stupar shared his thoughts on the appointment of Zwajer for this meeting.

- The day before it became known that the match between Ukraine and Bosnia will be refereed by a German team headed by Felix Zweier. How do you comment on this appointment?

- Yes, a team that has already refereed us before. There is nothing surprising or extravagant here. That he (note - Zweier) has refereed before, and will referee now. By the way, we did not win that game in Lviv - we played 1-1. It is a normal phenomenon that the referee, who has been refereeing for several years, can meet with the team several times. I think that there should not be any questions about refereeing, as well as about the choice of referees. Or any assumptions. This is an experienced referee, along with VAR. It's easier today, if a referee makes a mistake, there's a VAR to correct it.

I think the question is the readiness of the teams. Who is in what condition, who will play or is injured, and so on. It's the coach's choice here, and I think Rebrov is capable of setting up the team in such a way that it will win this semi-final.

- Following on from this. After the match against Italy in the group stage of selection, many Ukrainian fans have certain concerns about the objectivity of refereeing in our side. In particular, we are talking about the unassigned penalty on Mudrika, which was not put by Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano at the end of that meeting. Are these concerns justified?

- Bosnia and Herzegovina are not Italy. Not the same image, and in general the level. Yes, of course, Bosnians also have players who play in foreign championships. But the level of Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina should be objectively assessed. Especially, fuelling such theses as distrust of the referee does not add to our benefit. We should just go out and beat the Bosnians. And not to look at how the refereeing will go. I am not saying that someone will promise - give another referee and he will promise that there will be clean and objective refereeing. Refereeing and football are such things that unpredictable things happen. Due to some objective or subjective reasons, the referee could make a mistake. There is a human factor, but it can be corrected today by the VAR system, which should fulfil its contribution objectively, honestly and fairly. Well, not like in the match between Ukraine and Italy.

- Can the words of UEFA President Ceferin that Bosnia should be at the Euros somehow affect the refereeing in the match against our national team? Because before the match with the Italians, the UEFA head said the same thing. And we know how it turned out.

- You see, the image of the Italian and Bosnian national teams is different. And what Ceferin said ... Well, he said. Perhaps, someone interpreted it differently. But this is not a signal to the referee that you look because Ceferin said so. We've been through this more than once, and it's not the kind of thing people say. Normal referees do not pay attention to it, they judge on the pitch what is there. And they come out of any situation with honour. Moreover, today there are not three or four referees on the pitch, but a whole system with video assistants, who are also responsible for the actions of the head referee and can correct them. I don't think it should be any problem for us and we should think about the referee. The most important thing for us is the game. That our guys, especially those who play in foreign clubs, show themselves. And I think they do not need to say much, they understand everything. This is one match, we need to win it. Then the second match - Israel or Iceland. And then we will be there.

Vladislav Lichik