Jun 17, 2008, 12:34 GMT
Vienna - Austrian assistant coach Andreas Herzog was very outspoken in his criticism of referee Mejuto Gonzalez on Monday night after the Euro 2008 game between Germany and co-hosts Austria.
The Spaniard had earlier sent off the coaches of both teams shortly before the break, prompting an angry Herzog to say that there was no reason why the coaches should have been banished from the pitch.
'It seems to me that the referee was only interested in putting himself in the spotlight. He did not even have a bad game, apart from that, but it is really terrible if they feel such a need to make themselves the star of the show.'
Loew directed his anger at the fourth official Damir Skomina of Slovenia.
'I told him that my colleague (Hickersberger) and I wanted to work in peace in the coaching zone. From the start the fourth man almost every minute told me to sit down. He disturbed my concentration. The zone is there for the coach.
'I did not insult the fourth official. I tried in several languages to tell him not to interfere. In the end I was a little more blunt.'
Loew added that the fourth officials have become a growing pain for him over the past years.
'There have been growing problems with the fourth official in the last year or two. I want my freedom in the coaching zone,' Loew insisted.
Hickersberger, who like Loew went to sit in the VIP stands, said that he had often been sent off, both as a player and a coach, but 'I have never been upset about it.
'This time though I was upset. I was upset because the sending-off was just unfair and unjust. Both Loew and myself were just doing our job and the fourth officials then decided to speak to the referee.'
He did, however, manage to find a positive side to the expulsion.
'It was nice to sit in the VIP section. That way I got to shake German chancellor Angela Merkel's hand. I would not have had a chance to do that otherwise,' he said.
Gonzalez is not the first referee to have been criticized by coaches at this tournament.
Polish coach Leo Beenhakker slammed English referee Howard Webb, who awarded a penalty against his side in the last minute of their game against Austria, which Ivica Vastic converted to make the final score 1-1.
Beenhakker asked journalists in the post-match press conference: 'Did you see a penalty? I certainly did not.
'Maybe he wanted to show that he is a big boy and has the guts to do it. I have been in this game for 43 years and never complain about referees, but if you look at what happened in this game and compare it with other matches, I really don't know how he can award a penalty.'
Hickersberger had earlier also questioned referee Pieter Vink, who gave a penalty against his side in the fourth minute of their opening 1-0 defeat against Croatia.
'If the referee gives a penalty after four minutes against the host country then he must be certain it was one. I hope for his sake that it was,' he said.
The French complained that they did not get a penalty against the Dutch, the Italians complained that a goal was not awarded against Romania, while the Russians had a gripe with Spain's fourth goal against them.
Europe's governing body UEFA has, however, come out in support of the referees.
The organization's director of communication William Gaillard said after Beenhakker's criticism that: 'We don't believe there can be any discussion when a players is pulled by the shirt to the ground with both hands.'
He said that the referees had their own body, which critically assessed the performances of the referees. 'I am not aware that any sanctions have been taken against any referees.
'However, when the referees are allocated matches, criteria such as the nationalities of referees and their performance in previous matches is taken into consideration.
'But we are certainly not unhappy with the performance of referees at this tournament.'
Herzog, Beenhakker, Hickersberger and Loew are just a few of those who would probably disagree.
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