Euro refs frustrate Hodgson

Fulham boss criticises standard of match officials

Last updated: 9th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Euro refs frustrate Hodgson

Hodgson: Disappointed by refs

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Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has hit out at the standard of refereeing in this season's Europa League.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson recently claimed Premier League match officials are not as fit as their European counterparts, but Hodgson has not been impressed with key decisions against the Cottagers this season.

He is a long-standing member of UEFA's technical committee but has joined Everton boss David Moyes in questioning the value of playing in the Europa League.

"At the moment, I would agree with David Moyes entirely," he said. "I don't believe Fulham have been able to play on a level playing field.

"The only reason I am at that point is because of the way we have been treated in the Europa League.

"We play at home against Amkar Perm, and I witness one of the worst challenges I have ever seen in football - and the referee decides to punish it with a yellow card.

Penalty claim

"In the next match against Basle, [Andy] Johnson is pulled down from behind in the penalty box - and the referee decides to give neither a penalty nor a card to the player.

"Then we play against Rome at home and have a player sent off when he is clearly not the last man and actually doesn't foul him anyway.

"Finally we go to Rome and have two players sent off - one of which is the most laughable decision I have come across in many, many years of football.

"When I weigh all those things up I'm very, very disappointed because we have taken the Europa League very seriously and wanted to play well."

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