Longoria’s big charge against arbitration

Questioned on numerous subjects this Wednesday at a press conference, Pablo Longoria mentioned arbitration. Although he recognized that the job of referee is probably the most difficult in the world of football, he still regrets a big lack of consistency in decisions: “Refereeing is one of the most difficult jobs in football, it must be respected. We must also respect the opinion of the club. We saw a lot of surprising situations for us. The problem of arbitration in France must be put on the table. We feel disadvantaged this season with the decisions made this season, but also in the other matches. There is a lot of confusion about arbitration. When you play in the European Cups, you perfectly understand the type of refereeing you are going to have. Here, I don’t understand the way in which we are going to be refereed. We don’t understand the trend during a match, you end up with completely different refereeing from one match to another. I’m not talking about errors or not, but about the overall trend. Even during a match, for example against Lille. During the match, contacts are accepted, then finally not accepted… The use of VAR changes from one weekend to the next too. We need to have more consistency in refereeing” he said in comments reported by La Provence.

Longoria asks for more consistency!

He then attacked the disciplinary committee: “At the same time, I am not happy with the decisions of the disciplinary committee. All our leaders are sanctioned, me first. Against Angers, I said “you don’t have the level, you’re under too much pressure my friend”, calmly. We are the only ones to be sanctioned, while I hear other leaders… Why? I don’t accept it. Everyone must know exactly how you are going to be refereed, how you are going to be sanctioned. We are the 14th team that made the fewest mistakes in Europe, but the one that received the most red cards… We need to think more broadly. A year and a half ago, there was consistency every weekend. Right now, I don’t understand anything! This is a subject that we must raise. That’s why we took on Franck Schneider as a consultant. We know that in the minds of all football lovers, refereeing is always subjective. Now, it’s complicated to be a referee, and I take this opportunity to say that threats should never happen. It’s important.”

Finally, he concluded: “If I thought OM was disturbing, the only solution would be to leave. I don’t consider it disturbing. But we provoke a lot of feelings, and we are proud of that! We’re proud to be this rebel team, it’s part of the city too. But if I considered that we were being treated in a negative way, I would not be here because that is not part of the principle of equality that sport must give you. We firmly condemn the moments when things are not coherent and not fair, even if that does not mean that we do not accept errors. Players, presidents, coaches make mistakes, referees too! What I condemn is the lack of consistency, the lack of uniformity in sanctions, the lack of humanity in dialogue. I also say when it’s good, in Nantes the referee went to speak normally with Fabrizio, I said it. Arrogance, on the other hand, the way of speaking without listening, of being authoritarian, I don’t agree… We all play the same sport!“

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