If you heard a giant screeching sound coming from Switzerland last week it was probably Uefa opening a whole new and terrifyingly large can of worms. In their infinite wisdom, European football’s governing body decided that the last 18 seconds of the European Women’s Under-19 Championship qualifier between England and Norway should be replayed after a refereeing error.

In the original game, German official Marija Kurtes rightly disallowed an injury-time penalty from England after she spotted encroachment in the box. But instead of ordering the penalty to be retaken, as she should have, she gave a free kick to Norway.

With the outcome crucial to qualifying, England appealed, and Uefa ruled that the last few seconds of the game should be replayed because of the error. As an isolated case, I can see the logic in trying to right a wrong like this, primarily as it happened at the very end of a game and had a dramatic effect on qualifying. Plus both teams were taking part in a tournament, so organisationally it was simple.

But hasn’t Uefa now set an incredibly dangerous precedent for football? What is to stop any team that is on the receiving end of an incorrect interpretation of the law to expect the game to be replayed from the point at which the mistake was made?

Picture the scene during next summer’s European Cup finals. Two teams are facing off in a crucial game when, in the tenth minute the referee commits a howler, maybe making a mistake similar to Kurtes’s. If the team on the wrong end of that error gets the result it needs, then all will probably be well and good. But if it costs them a place in the next round, for example, then they will be demanding a replay, based on Uefa’s earlier decision.

I appreciate the situation is unlikely to reach that level of anarchy. After all, while referees do make mistakes, they are normally ones of personal judgement or observation rather than a complete failure to apply the laws correctly. Sending off the wrong player is the current error of choice, for example.

But with the precedent now set that ‘failing to interpret the law properly’ is worthy of a replay, how long will it be before we reach a stage where ‘game-changing mistakes’ are deemed equally worthy of a rematch?

If that happens, tournaments could descend into chaos, with match schedules all over the place as the organisers try to squeeze in these extra ‘partial replays’. Lawyers will be sitting on the bench, looking for errors that could save their team’s skins.

And why should these ‘mini-replays’ only apply to international matches. Why not the Champions League, Premiership and Sunday League football? I can’t shake off the feeling that by allowing this ‘replay’ to go ahead Uefa have essentially said the final whistle is not as final as we once thought and that there is potentially room for negotiation.

As decisions go, this is one that could really end up coming back to haunt Uefa.

No laughing matter

For the second week running Raheem Sterling has been all over the newspapers.

Following on from the controversy of him turning down a £100,000-a-week deal at Liverpool, the young England player was last week splashed across the tabloids for what can only be described as ‘recreational substance use’.

First it was a picture of him ‘smoking’ a shisha pipe, apparently taken earlier this season. Then it was a photo of him at a recent party inhaling nitrous oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas.

Now I am the first to agree that neither of those things is a crime. Shisha pipes are smoked around the world every day, and nitrous oxide is a trendy ‘legal high’.

However, I don’t entirely agree with people like Gary Lineker who said what happens in Sterling’s private life is his business and everyone should stay out it.

If Sterling were a plumber, accountant, journalist or even television host, then yes, it would be his business what he gets up to at home. But he isn’t. He is a professional sportsman whose immense wealth is paid for by the fans and, as such, he has an obligation to them to take care of himself.

Let’s forget the role model argument for a moment as I don’t believe anyone with two brain cells to rub together would go out and do something just because a footballer does it. But as someone whose career is based on being fit and healthy, you can certainly argue that the sight of him using questionable substances is of interest to fans who, directly and indirectly, pay his salary.

If my hard earned money is going into a player’s wage then I want to know that he is doing everything he can to make sure he is fit, healthy and able to perform at the peak of his powers on the football pitch.

Seeing a player inhaling laughing gas just before a big game hardly fills you with confidence that he is taking this football lark particularly seriously. On the other hand it does explain that open goal he missed against Newcastle.

Football’s softer side

Funny old game football, isn’t it?

Last week I was disgusted by the way Newcastle United goalkeeper Tim Krul was treated for showing sportsmanship towards an opponent – he was verbally crucified by pundits and fans. But no sooner have we seen a shining example of football’s failings than we get a couple of examples that highlight football’s considerably more beautiful side. And both of them were at Anfield during Liverpool’s game with Newcastle.

First the home fans respectfully joined in with a minute’s applause in the 17th minute to pay tribute to the two Newcastle fans who were killed in the MH17 plane crash in Ukraine last year. Then, in the second half, Liverpool supporters gave Jonas Gutierrez a brilliant reception when the Argentinean came on as a substitute for the away team.

Gutierrez has spent 17 months battling testicular cancer and only returned to first team action late last month. It was truly touching to see Anfield rise to its feet to applaud an opponent and show their admiration and respect for a man who successfully fought off the potentially deadly illness.

The Krul incident made you wonder if football still has a soul. The Anfield crowd showed it most definitely does.

Final call for Pelligrini

I was going to write a piece about how Manuel Pelligrini is all but doomed based on the way his team has crumbled in recent weeks, are now destined to end the season without a trophy and are seriously struggling to stay in the top four.

It’s going to be a miracle, I thought, if he survives beyond May.

Then I heard that Jurgen Klopp was leaving Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season and now I don’t think even a miracle can save him.

Even if Klopp doesn’t end up in Manchester himself, his availability is certain to spark a managerial reshuffle in Europe that leaves City with too many tasty options not to be tempted.

If Pelligrini was only lolling about in the Etihad departure lounge before Klopp’s announcement, I think it’s fair to say he has now picked up his boarding pass and is just waiting for his gate number to be called.

sportscolumnist@timesofmalta.com
Twitter: @maltablade