Refereeing system frustrates Benitez Distribution: world Keywords: world

Refereeing system frustrates Benitez

Mar 14 2006

By David Prior Daily Post Staff

RAFAEL BENITEZ has admitted his frustration at the refereeing system that will keep Xabi Alonso out of tomorrow's crucial clash against Fulham - even though video evidence suggests the midfielder's red card at Highbury on Sunday was a mistake.

Alonso was given a second yellow card minutes before Thierry Henry claimed the deciding goal in Arsenal's 2-1 victory, but TV replays clearly showed that the Span-iard's tackle on Mathieu Flamini had in fact been caused by a slip.

Referee Steve Bennett ordered the player off despite not having been looking in the direction of the incident, but even after viewing replays after the game the Kent official stuck to his decision.

And Benitez, who sent buttistant Alex Miller on a failed mission to reason with Bennett in his dressing room, believes it is unfair that a referee is not made more accountable for his errors by a higher authority - something which would potentially have allowed Alonso's one-match punishment to be lifted post-match.

He said: "He said it was a tackle and he doesn't want to change his mind. You can't do anything else. We talked to the supervisor of the referees (referees' chief Keith Hackett) and he said the referee needs to change his decision.

"What can be done? Maybe it is a question you can put to the supervisor of the referees. Maybe he can explain to you why this happens when things are so clear.

"At the end we lose Xabi Alonso and two points in the race to finish in the top four. That means big money.

"But the referee doesn't want to change his mind. I can accept mistakes because it is not easy. But after you watch the video I can't under-stand why you continue to say the same thing.

"When you are talking about big money, the difference between finishing in the top four or not is so important. If someone can say, okay I made a mistake you can understand. You can't change now that you lost two points against a direct rival.

"It was so clear. It was not a yellow card, but Xabi can't play against Fulham on Wednesday."

Bennett's decision, coming just five weeks after Arjen Robben's play-acting convinced referee Alan Wiley to send goalkeeper Jose Reina off in Liverpool's clash at Stamford Bridge, has further undermined Benitez's faith in Premiership officiating.

He would favour a system closer to that in his home country, whereby underperforming or error-prone referees are punished by way of, for instance, a month-long suspension.

And the Spaniard - who cited Alonso's dismissal as the turning point in Sunday's defeat - certainly believes that more use should be made of video evidence.

He added: "For me the video is really important for disciplinary matters - if you talk about a player kicking someone or maybe punching someone. It can support the referees.

"To change decisions during the game you will change the spirit of the game. But in this case you are not changing the final score, you are changing a decision that has been a mistake. I don't understand why something so clear cannot be changed."