- Dec 22, 2005
- 2,553
- 2,569
How can you not get it? He was rolling the ball around in his hand and a free kick wasn't given. Yes, play to the whistle - but the fact that the whistle didn't go is my issue. Obviously Gomes was a fucking idiot, but Clattenburg should have given the free kick, obviously.
Why would the whistle go? Gomes had the ball. The referee shouldn't retroactively award the free kick because Gomes made a mistake. As infuriating as that goal was, Clattenburg was just about the only person that did nothing wrong - Gomes was stupid, Nani was unsporting, Clattenburg simply let the game continue as he should have done, given that Gomes had the ball safely in his grasp.
Clattenburg isn't particularly likeable, but he's been a fantastic referee.