Referee who was hit with six-match ban this season named as official for Chelsea vs Real Betis Conference League final
Ref made three major mistakes, with two of them unfathomable
REF'S SAKE Referee who was hit with six-match ban this season named as official for Chelsea vs Real Betis Conference League final
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A REFEREE who was hit with a six-match ban this season will take charge of Chelsea's Conference League final against Real Betis.
Irfan Peljto will become the first Bosnian to officiate a major Uefa club competition final on Wednesday.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
1
Conference League final ref Irfan Peljto was banned for six matches earlier this season
Credit: Getty
The clash sees Chelsea looking to become the first-ever club to win all three European titles.
But Betis will prove to be their toughest test yet, with Premier League flops including Antony, Pablo Fornals and Gio Lo Celso shining under ex-Man City title winner Manuel Pellegrini.
Enzo Maresca's men will have to be at their best just days after securing Champions League football with a fourth-place domestic finish.
However, their fate could end up in the hands of Peljto, who oversaw Arsenal's Champions League semi-final first leg win over Real Madrid in April.
READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
CRIS AND TELL Ronaldo makes major announcement amid Club World Cup transfer rumours
The 40-year-old is held in high regard by Uefa, having also taken charge of a further six Champions League matches and four Europa League clashes this term.
However, back in his native Bosnia, Peljto was banned for six matches after overseeing an error-strewn game.
He was found guilty of making three major mistakes, with two errors involving his failure to award clear penalties.
September's 1-1 derby draw between bitter rivals Zrinjski Mostar and Borac Banja caused plenty of controversy, with the Bosnian FA declaring both sides should have been awarded penalties on separate occasions.
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS
A damning statement declared: "In the 25th minute, the referee, although very well positioned and with a clear view of the incident, failed to recognise an obvious foul and award a penalty kick to FK Borac.
"In the 26th minute, the referee, although well positioned, failed to award a direct free kick for the away team after a clear foul which led to a goal for the home team.
Inside Chelsea's dressing room celebrations after Champions League spot secured
"In the 90th+5 minute, the referee failed to award a clear penalty kick for Zrinjski too."
Despite his previous ban, Peljto believes his selection for the Conference League final is a huge boost for Bosnian football.
He told Uefa: 'We are living a dream. To receive the call was very emotional. It's an honour not only for my career, but to bring the flag of my small country under the European spotlight is a very proud moment.
'I hope it is also a moment for the future of referees in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that young referees have this positive perspective on refereeing, and that we have created a path for them.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
16 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Thursday's briefing: Bellingham upsets Tuchel's mother with behaviour
Harry Kane called on England to learn from their chastening 3-1 defeat to Senegal. Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City's squad for the upcoming Club World Cup. Thomas Tuchel said he loves Jude Bellingham's 'fire' but England's head coach revealed his mother finds some of the midfielder's on-field antics 'repulsive'. The 21-year-old was angry with officials on Tuesday after his equaliser against Senegal was ruled out following a contentious VAR intervention for a handball by Levi Colwill. The midfielder kicked a water cooler after the 3-1 loss and the following day Tuchel made some extraordinary remarks about him in an interview with talkSPORT. Put to the head coach that some fans think England would be better off without Bellingham, he said: 'I struggle to see that. 'I think it has to be the other way around – how we can have the best version of him and the best acceptance, that people understand what he is bringing to us and that he is bringing a certain edge. 'But I see that it can create mixed emotions. I see this with my parents, with my mum, that she sometimes cannot see the nice and well-educated and well-behaved guy that I see. 'If he smiles, he wins everyone. But sometimes you see the rage, you see the hunger and the rage and the fire, and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive, for example, for my mother, when she sits in front of the TV.' Harry Kane meanwhile insisted England can use their 3-1 defeat to Senegal on Tuesday to 'learn and appreciate' the level they need to reach. The 31-year-old got England off to a flying start when he turned home from close range in the seventh minute for his 73rd goal for his country. However, Ismaila Sarr's equaliser five minutes before the break shifted the momentum before second-half strikes from Habib Diarra and Cheikh Sabaly earned Senegal victory and handed Thomas Tuchel his first defeat as England boss. England thought that they had equalised to make it 2-2 but Bellingham's effort was ruled out following a lengthy VAR check after the ball seemingly came off Colwill's arm from a set-piece. Kane was upset with some of the officiating at the City Ground, but felt defeat may not be a bad thing for a team that is trying to learn from a new boss. He said: 'It might feel a bit different but sometimes nights like tonight are not a terrible thing… to learn and appreciate how hard it is to win against any team.' Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City's squad for the Club World Cup. The England international was not included in the 27-man travelling party published by the Premier League club on Wednesday. The 29-year-old's omission had been widely anticipated and will raise further doubts over his future at the Etihad Stadium. The midfielder, signed for £100million from Aston Villa four years ago, has fallen down the pecking order at City since playing a starring role in their treble success of 2023. He made just seven Premier League starts in the 2024-25 campaign and was notably not summoned from the bench as City went down to a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final last month. He was then left out of the matchday squad for the final Premier League game of the season at Fulham altogether. With City's overhaul of the squad continuing apace with four new signings this week, there is growing speculation Grealish could leave. He has been linked with a number of clubs in England and in Europe. Good vibes ahead of the #U21EURO! 😁 Final prep for tomorrow's game against Czechia for our #YoungLions 👊 — England (@England) June 11, 2025 England under-21s begin their European Championship defence against the Czech Republic in Slovakia. Lee Carsley's side beat Spain two years ago win the title for a third time. Germany and the Netherlands are also among the teams to get their campaigns underway.
The Herald Scotland
43 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Thursday's briefing: Bellingham upsets Tuchel's mother with behaviour
Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City's squad for the upcoming Club World Cup. Tuchel questions Bellingham's conduct Thomas Tuchel said his mother finds some of Jude Bellingham's on-field behaviour 'repulsive' (John Walton/PA) Thomas Tuchel said he loves Jude Bellingham's 'fire' but England's head coach revealed his mother finds some of the midfielder's on-field antics 'repulsive'. The 21-year-old was angry with officials on Tuesday after his equaliser against Senegal was ruled out following a contentious VAR intervention for a handball by Levi Colwill. The midfielder kicked a water cooler after the 3-1 loss and the following day Tuchel made some extraordinary remarks about him in an interview with talkSPORT. Put to the head coach that some fans think England would be better off without Bellingham, he said: 'I struggle to see that. 'I think it has to be the other way around – how we can have the best version of him and the best acceptance, that people understand what he is bringing to us and that he is bringing a certain edge. 'But I see that it can create mixed emotions. I see this with my parents, with my mum, that she sometimes cannot see the nice and well-educated and well-behaved guy that I see. 'If he smiles, he wins everyone. But sometimes you see the rage, you see the hunger and the rage and the fire, and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive, for example, for my mother, when she sits in front of the TV.' Kane calls for England to learn Harry Kane called for England to learn from their loss to Senegal (Mike Egerton/PA) Harry Kane meanwhile insisted England can use their 3-1 defeat to Senegal on Tuesday to 'learn and appreciate' the level they need to reach. The 31-year-old got England off to a flying start when he turned home from close range in the seventh minute for his 73rd goal for his country. However, Ismaila Sarr's equaliser five minutes before the break shifted the momentum before second-half strikes from Habib Diarra and Cheikh Sabaly earned Senegal victory and handed Thomas Tuchel his first defeat as England boss. England thought that they had equalised to make it 2-2 but Bellingham's effort was ruled out following a lengthy VAR check after the ball seemingly came off Colwill's arm from a set-piece. Kane was upset with some of the officiating at the City Ground, but felt defeat may not be a bad thing for a team that is trying to learn from a new boss. He said: 'It might feel a bit different but sometimes nights like tonight are not a terrible thing… to learn and appreciate how hard it is to win against any team.' Grealish out of City squad Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City's Club World Cup squad (Martin Rickett/PA) Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City's squad for the Club World Cup. The England international was not included in the 27-man travelling party published by the Premier League club on Wednesday. The 29-year-old's omission had been widely anticipated and will raise further doubts over his future at the Etihad Stadium. The midfielder, signed for £100million from Aston Villa four years ago, has fallen down the pecking order at City since playing a starring role in their treble success of 2023. He made just seven Premier League starts in the 2024-25 campaign and was notably not summoned from the bench as City went down to a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final last month. He was then left out of the matchday squad for the final Premier League game of the season at Fulham altogether. With City's overhaul of the squad continuing apace with four new signings this week, there is growing speculation Grealish could leave. He has been linked with a number of clubs in England and in Europe. What's on today? Good vibes ahead of the #U21EURO! 😁 Final prep for tomorrow's game against Czechia for our #YoungLions 👊 — England (@England) June 11, 2025 England under-21s begin their European Championship defence against the Czech Republic in Slovakia. Lee Carsley's side beat Spain two years ago win the title for a third time. Germany and the Netherlands are also among the teams to get their campaigns underway.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Thursday's briefing: Bellingham upsets Tuchel's mother with behaviour
Harry Kane called on England to learn from their chastening 3-1 defeat to Senegal. Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City's squad for the upcoming Club World Cup. Tuchel questions Bellingham's conduct Thomas Tuchel said his mother finds some of Jude Bellingham's on-field behaviour 'repulsive' (John Walton/PA) Thomas Tuchel said he loves Jude Bellingham's 'fire' but England's head coach revealed his mother finds some of the midfielder's on-field antics 'repulsive'. The 21-year-old was angry with officials on Tuesday after his equaliser against Senegal was ruled out following a contentious VAR intervention for a handball by Levi Colwill. The midfielder kicked a water cooler after the 3-1 loss and the following day Tuchel made some extraordinary remarks about him in an interview with talkSPORT. Put to the head coach that some fans think England would be better off without Bellingham, he said: 'I struggle to see that. 'I think it has to be the other way around – how we can have the best version of him and the best acceptance, that people understand what he is bringing to us and that he is bringing a certain edge. 'But I see that it can create mixed emotions. I see this with my parents, with my mum, that she sometimes cannot see the nice and well-educated and well-behaved guy that I see. 'If he smiles, he wins everyone. But sometimes you see the rage, you see the hunger and the rage and the fire, and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive, for example, for my mother, when she sits in front of the TV.' Kane calls for England to learn Harry Kane called for England to learn from their loss to Senegal (Mike Egerton/PA) Harry Kane meanwhile insisted England can use their 3-1 defeat to Senegal on Tuesday to 'learn and appreciate' the level they need to reach. The 31-year-old got England off to a flying start when he turned home from close range in the seventh minute for his 73rd goal for his country. However, Ismaila Sarr's equaliser five minutes before the break shifted the momentum before second-half strikes from Habib Diarra and Cheikh Sabaly earned Senegal victory and handed Thomas Tuchel his first defeat as England boss. England thought that they had equalised to make it 2-2 but Bellingham's effort was ruled out following a lengthy VAR check after the ball seemingly came off Colwill's arm from a set-piece. Kane was upset with some of the officiating at the City Ground, but felt defeat may not be a bad thing for a team that is trying to learn from a new boss. He said: 'It might feel a bit different but sometimes nights like tonight are not a terrible thing… to learn and appreciate how hard it is to win against any team.' Grealish out of City squad Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City's Club World Cup squad (Martin Rickett/PA) Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City's squad for the Club World Cup. The England international was not included in the 27-man travelling party published by the Premier League club on Wednesday. The 29-year-old's omission had been widely anticipated and will raise further doubts over his future at the Etihad Stadium. The midfielder, signed for £100million from Aston Villa four years ago, has fallen down the pecking order at City since playing a starring role in their treble success of 2023. He made just seven Premier League starts in the 2024-25 campaign and was notably not summoned from the bench as City went down to a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final last month. He was then left out of the matchday squad for the final Premier League game of the season at Fulham altogether. With City's overhaul of the squad continuing apace with four new signings this week, there is growing speculation Grealish could leave. He has been linked with a number of clubs in England and in Europe. What's on today? Good vibes ahead of the #U21EURO! 😁 Final prep for tomorrow's game against Czechia for our #YoungLions 👊 — England (@England) June 11, 2025 England under-21s begin their European Championship defence against the Czech Republic in Slovakia. Lee Carsley's side beat Spain two years ago win the title for a third time. Germany and the Netherlands are also among the teams to get their campaigns underway.
