Anders Frisk retires with immediate effect

[Sheridan]

According to a Swedish contact of mine, not seen a link in English yet. Apparently due to unspecified threats towards himself and his family. Wonder how Mourinho feels...

I bet Alan Kelly is gutted.

[Green Tribe]

no more hilarious games with 'schoolteacher' frisk and no more penalties for ireland :D :D :D :rolleyes:

[Closed Account 2]

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http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=URI:urn:newsml:reuters.com:20050312:MTFH00 532_2005-03-12_00-36-20_L12001745:1

Swede Frisk quits refereeing
Sat Mar 12, 2005 12:36 AM GMT
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STOCKHOLM, March 11 (Reuters) - Anders Frisk has decided to retire immediately from refereeing following a number of threats aimed at him and his family, the Swedish news agency TT reported on Friday.

"I don't want to go into the details, Anders will have to talk about that. But the threats have been serious enough," said Bo Karlsson, chairman of Sweden's football referees' association.

"We have spoken and I can confirm that he is quitting."

Swede Frisk, who was unavailable for comment on Friday, was in charge for Barcelona's controversial 2-1 first-leg victory over Chelsea in the Champions League first knockout round in Spain last month.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said his Barcelona counterpart Frank Rijkaard talked with Frisk in the referee's changing room at halftime.

The London club were also unhappy when Frisk sent off striker Didier Drogba in the second half.

"None of the decisions Anders made during that match were wrong," Karlsson said.

Chelsea won the second leg 4-2 last Tuesday to claim a place in the quarter-finals following a 5-4 aggregate victory.

Frisk was also involved in an ugly incident in September when he was struck on the head by an object thrown from the crowd at AS Roma's Olympic Stadium during a Champions League match against Dynamo Kiev.

The Swedish referee abandoned the game, saying Roma could not guarantee the safety of the officials.

Frisk had been scheduled to referee the World Cup qualifying match between Estonia and Slovakia in Tallinn on March 26.


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Well, well, well... I remember reading David Ellery (or however its spelt) once got some death threats after a Premier League game (cant remember which one, must have been in the early 1990s).

I find the timing curious, his last major controversy was the Barca - Chelsea game (1st leg) where his sending off of Drogba and failure to spot diving were pretty shocking. Yet that game and those mistakes dont really matter now, Chelsea went thru and Drogba's served his ban. His other matches which caused major contention were Roma - Kyiv, and Valencia - Bremen but both of these were months ago (September and December) so you have to say who would the threat have come from ?

Personally I find it highly suspect that he's quitting days before UEFA release their findings into the Tunnel/Dressing Room incident...

[shedite]

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=262202&CPID=5&CLID=&lid=2&title=Frisk's+final+whistle&channel=Football_Home

He may have had a dodgy end to his career but he was the guy who gave Ireland two dodgy penalties gainst Spain in Japan. Nice one Ian Harte :rolleyes:

[Green Tribe]

already a thread somewhere about this

[Poor Student]

Is it possible that these threats if true came from a Russian mafia nature as opposed to a scumbag hooligan one?

[Junior]

He may have had a dodgy end to his career but he was the guy who gave Ireland two dodgy penalties gainst Spain in Japan. Nice one Ian Harte :rolleyes:

Nothing dodgy about the 2nd pen. Stonewaller that many referees would not have had the guts to award at that time (or any other for that matter) in the game.

Sad that he has had to retire if it is on the basis of threats to himself & his family.

[Stuttgart88]

Nothing dodgy about the 2nd pen. Stonewaller that many referees would not have had the guts to award at that time (or any other for that matter) in the game.

Sad that he has had to retire if it is on the basis of threats to himself & his family.

Nothing dodgy about either penalty IMO, even if Duffer did manufacture the contact for the first one. If a defender commits to a sliding challenge across the path of the forward player, interrupting his run or impeding his ability to continue being in full control of the ball, it must be a foul if he fails to make contact with the ball. No?

As for the second penno I agree it was absolutely stonewall and it was utterly stupid on behalf of the Spanish defender. A marvellous decision, the type of which should be given far more often.

In the first Chelsea game in Barcelona Andy Gray went apopleptic after Drogba's red card saying "he'sa big team referee, I told you he's a big team referee".

Well, this poses two questions in my mind:

(1) aren't Chelsea, the richest and most highly publicised team in Europe, not a big team?, and
(2) Anders Frisk awarded two penalties in favour of little Ireland against big Spain. How was this a big team decision?

The death threats, assuming they came from English thugs, just typify the Brits' reaction to not getting things their way. Urs Meier and Anders Frisk have my full sympathy even if Frisk was a vain individual. The British TV media should take a good look at their response to refereeing standards on the continent.

Don't be fooled by the "breath of fresh air" bullsh1t: Mourinho is a thug. Things have gone against him only a handful of times this season and each time his response has been appalling. An astute coach undoubtedly, but a spoilt brat in his general outlook. He & Chelsea should be ashamed of themselves. Some chance though. :mad:

[Troy.McClure]

Is it possible that these threats if true came from a Russian mafia nature as opposed to a scumbag hooligan one?

Hmm, interesting conspirisy theory! :ball:

[Poor Student]

Hmm, interesting conspirisy theory! :ball:

Honestly it may not be too off the mark. Those Russian oligarchs are pretty crooked. Imagine the power and influence Mr. Abramovich wields with such immense wealth. There's plenty of ex-KGB and the likes floating around looking to make some money. Frisk wasn't specific about the threats. I could imagine hooligans making threats to domestic refs but would they go to the trouble of threatning foreign ones?

[Troy.McClure]

I could imagine hooligans making threats to domestic refs but would they go to the trouble of threatning foreign ones?

Ya, and would they actually organise a complex international crime? Id be thinking that it would need a bit more thought and equipment than what you're average casual could muster.

[Junior]

Nothing dodgy about either penalty IMO, even if Duffer did manufacture the contact for the first one. If a defender commits to a sliding challenge across the path of the forward player, interrupting his run or impeding his ability to continue being in full control of the ball, it must be a foul if he fails to make contact with the ball. No?

As for the second penno I agree it was absolutely stonewall and it was utterly stupid on behalf of the Spanish defender. A marvellous decision, the type of which should be given far more often.

Only commented on the 2nd peno as it was an excellent decission by Frisk.

The first peno was as you say 'manufactured' by Duff, sometimes they are given, sometimes they aren't. If it had been Raul or Morientes who had gone down under a similar challenge from Breen then I would have been giving out about 'simulation' by the Spaniards :D as it was I was happy to accept the award of an extremely 'soft' penalty. :D :D



Don't be fooled by the "breath of fresh air" bullsh1t: Mourinho is a thug. Things have gone against him only a handful of times this season and each time his response has been appalling. An astute coach undoubtedly, but a spoilt brat in his general outlook. He & Chelsea should be ashamed of themselves. Some chance though. :mad:

Its a good point, for a supposed cool, confident chappy - he can't half lose the plot when things are not going his way.

[Closed Account 2]

Honestly it may not be too off the mark. Those Russian oligarchs are pretty crooked. Imagine the power and influence Mr. Abramovich wields with such immense wealth. There's plenty of ex-KGB and the likes floating around looking to make some money. Frisk wasn't specific about the threats. I could imagine hooligans making threats to domestic refs but would they go to the trouble of threatning foreign ones?

And more crucially why would anyone associated with Chelsea make a credible threat when (given the 2nd leg and Drogba's ban is now complete) Frisk's decisions had no impact in the long run ? And if someone threatend him before the 2nd leg on the basis of what happened in the Nou Camp, is that threat still credible given Chelsea are now through.

As you say I cant imagine an inraged fan flying all the way to Sweden and then killing Frisk, and futhermore I cant imagine them (or any mobster) doing it now given Chelsea are thru. I could imagine that after Euro2004 some nutter might have tried to harm Meier (as "he cost England the game"* etc etc), and a huge level of stick was put against him by most of the papers and also a lot of the TV channels for days/weeks. But I cant see a credible threat to Frisk, as his decisions were inconsequential, and the press didnt induce such a level of perceived injustice.

*Although most sane people know it was poor tactics and a lack of quality

[OwlsFan]

Nothing dodgy about either penalty IMO, even if Duffer did manufacture the contact for the first one. If a defender commits to a sliding challenge across the path of the forward player, interrupting his run or impeding his ability to continue being in full control of the ball, it must be a foul if he fails to make contact with the ball. No?

As for the second penno I agree it was absolutely stonewall and it was utterly stupid on behalf of the Spanish defender. A marvellous decision, the type of which should be given far more often.

In the first Chelsea game in Barcelona Andy Gray went apopleptic after Drogba's red card saying "he'sa big team referee, I told you he's a big team referee". :

Andy Gray does apopleptic over most refereeing decisions.

The first peno looked a stone waller until after careful analysis of the video footage and even then I'm not sure. Quinn's was a peno but few refs would give them.

The point is, whether it's likely to happen or not, is that death threats were made. If I was a ref I'd give it up as well - an impossible job made even more difficult by the likes of ex-players like bull head Gray going on about their decisions.

[ACdub]

The decision of Anders Frisk to quit refereeing as a result of death threats is a very sad day for football. Mr Frisk, in my opinion, is an excellent referee and the game needs more like him. I would like to use this thread to send my thanks to Mr Frisk for his contribution to the game and call on FIFA to root out the yobs who hounded a perfect gentleman out of the game. If this is allowed continue and more refs are forced out of the game, we are going to see corrupt elements take control of our sport. Anyone who agrees with this please add your name to this thread and hopefully it can be forwarded on to Mr Frisk and his family as well as FIFA. In the meantime I wish Mr Frisk and his family all the best for the future.

Alan Clarke, Dublin.

[Green Tribe]

The decision of Anders Frisk to quit refereeing as a result of death threats is a very sad day for football. Mr Frisk, in my opinion, is an excellent referee and the game needs more like him. I would like to use this thread to send my thanks to Mr Frisk for his contribution to the game and call on FIFA to root out the yobs who hounded a perfect gentleman out of the game. If this is allowed continue and more refs are forced out of the game, we are going to see corrupt elements take control of our sport. Anyone who agrees with this please add your name to this thread and hopefully it can be forwarded on to Mr Frisk and his family as well as FIFA. In the meantime I wish Mr Frisk and his family all the best for the future.

Alan Clarke, Dublin.


Julie M, Co.Tyrone, Northern Ireland

[SÓC]

I dont see why people went so mad about Meier. Thought that was as clear a foul on the keeper as you can have.

Funny how Carvalleos(sp?) foul on Valdes was airbrushed over by the Brit me-ja

[jaykay]

The decision of Anders Frisk to quit refereeing as a result of death threats is a very sad day for football. Mr Frisk, in my opinion, is an excellent referee and the game needs more like him. I would like to use this thread to send my thanks to Mr Frisk for his contribution to the game and call on FIFA to root out the yobs who hounded a perfect gentleman out of the game. If this is allowed continue and more refs are forced out of the game, we are going to see corrupt elements take control of our sport. Anyone who agrees with this please add your name to this thread and hopefully it can be forwarded on to Mr Frisk and his family as well as FIFA. In the meantime I wish Mr Frisk and his family all the best for the future.

Alan Clarke, Dublin.

Well, said Alan, Anders was an excellent referee and its a huge pity a mindless few are getting there way. Anyone know of any other online petitions to get him back refereeing or just to show support?

[Kerry Blue]

The decision of Anders Frisk to quit refereeing as a result of death threats is a very sad day for football. Mr Frisk, in my opinion, is an excellent referee and the game needs more like him. I would like to use this thread to send my thanks to Mr Frisk for his contribution to the game and call on FIFA to root out the yobs who hounded a perfect gentleman out of the game. If this is allowed continue and more refs are forced out of the game, we are going to see corrupt elements take control of our sport. Anyone who agrees with this please add your name to this thread and hopefully it can be forwarded on to Mr Frisk and his family as well as FIFA. In the meantime I wish Mr Frisk and his family all the best for the future.

Alan Clarke, Dublin.
Well said! Agree with you 100%.