HT Kick Off: Need more of what Kettle’s started

A weekly newsletter on the beautiful game. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Trouble viewing this email? View in web browser

Friday, 17 Jan 2025

By Dhiman Sarkar

Need more of what Kettle’s started

Referees have again been in the line of fire in ISL. (Source ISL)

Andy Madley and Venkatesh R: separated by continents and competitions, united by the absence of VAR and hatred on social media. No one has spoken up for Madley; referees have been long-time subjects of vitriol anyway. Which made Trevor Kettle’s explanation and, by extension, defence of Venkatesh after the Kolkata derby a surprise. And a first in ISL.

Referees are media shy. “I want to look inside your head, yes I do,” Peter Sarstedt had sung about a woman who spoke like Marlene Dietrich, was friends with the Aga Khan and sipped Napoleon brandy without getting her lips wet. Don’t we want to do that with referees?

Code of silence

Nearly two years ago, Joao Moutinho, then with Wolves, had said referees need to explain decisions, be thrown into the mix of flash interviews like players and coaches. Kettle does not agree. “The only time the media wants to talk to the referees is when he has made a mistake,” he said during a conversation with HT. All communication I get is about perceived mistakes, never that a referee has done a good job, he said.

On Monday, at a virtual media conference, the All India Football Federation’s chief refereeing officer said such conversations with referees would be “negatively biased.” The other reason why Kettle said he thinks referees should stay away from the media is that disciplinary action that can follow a refereeing decision must go through due process which cannot include talking about it.

Importance of external communication

Fair point. But like coaching pods at Australian Open is making tennis a less lonely pursuit, football is taking baby steps to explain referees’ decisions. The League Cup trialled VAR decisions being announced on the stadium’s public address system and Premier League has an X handle that does that in real time. Dermot Gallagher would come on television to talk about certain decisions and now Sky Sports has got the former Premier League referee to do an explainer of contentious decisions in Premier League.

Jamie Maclaren tries to beat Hector Yuste in Saturday's Kolkata derby. (Source ISL)

Which is why Kettle’s “external communication” was so important. He took every question and explained why Venkatesh was right in not giving East Bengal a penalty. The hand was not in an unusual position, he said. And it was what the five-member panel of experts felt as well, he said.

Not everyone may agree – East Bengal have called it ridiculous – but at the very least, it was an expert providing the rationale for a referee’s decision. The more frequently that happens, the better will be fans’ understanding of why referees do what they do. An ISL club official told me it should be done after every round. Referees will make mistakes and Kettle has accepted that the official was “deceived” into showing Jeakson Singh a red card.

One day after Kettle’s media conference, East Bengal called one. With clippings of decisions that they felt were inconsistent and those that hit them unfairly, East Bengal said it would seek the Union sports minister’s intervention. Don’t know what else we can do, said club official Debabrata Sarkar. “We must have sent close to 50 complain letters,” the club said in a press release referring to decisions that went against them in I-League and ISL over the “last 10-12 years.”

A word of caution

While pointing out errors is important, East Bengal need to be careful that they do not end up conveying paranoia or a persecution complex. What also needs to be tempered is how television commentators, with the benefit of multiple television replays, rip into referees. The opposite also happened on Wednesday when Robin Singh contested Owen Coyle’s claim that the second penalty for Mohammedan Sporting against Chennaiyin FC was unfair. And Singh backed up his claim with television footage.

Abuse on social media could lead to fewer people wanting to be referees, Kettle has said. Nearly 20 years ago, it led to Anders Frisk giving it up. Threats to his family were not worth pursuing what he loved.

India does not have enough referees and cannot afford to lose the ones it has. Social media abuse affects everyone in the industry, Mikel Arteta has said. It needs to be eradicated, the Arsenal boss said after Kai Havertz and his wife were abused following Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United. Police are probing the abuse Havertz’s wife has faced. Will we see such a day in India?

PLAY OF THE WEEK

(Click to expand)

IN OTHER NEWS

Stoney Canada coach: Former England captain Casey Stoney said she’s confident she can move Canada past the drone spying scandal that shook the women's national team at the Paris Olympics. Stoney was named head coach of Canada's women on Monday, reports AP. She signed a three-year contract with Canada Soccer that runs through the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with an option for 2028. Stoney takes over from Bev Priestman, who was fired in the wake a drone surveillance scandal at last year's Olympics.

Club World Cup useless, says Klopp: Red Bull head of global soccer Jürgen Klopp has slammed the Club World Cup, saying it is asking too much of overworked players, says AP. Despite Red Bull-backed Salzburg's inclusion in FIFA's expanded 32-team tournament in the USA next summer, Klopp said he doesn't like the competition. “I think it's useless. It doesn't help if you have no summer break,” Klopp said, referring to players who played in the World Cup, European Championship, Copa America or other international competitions. “Who wins the tournament is the poorest winner of all time because he has to play the whole summer through and then the league starts again. We have now a lot of injuries in European football,” said Klopp. “We have to reduce the amount of games. That means in some leagues it would be better (if) you have 18 instead of 20. That means in other competitions, you don't add games.”

Jurgen Klopp, Red Bull's new "Global Head of Soccer" at a press presentation in Salzburg on Monday. (Source: AFP)

Eriksson died in debt: Swedish football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, the first foreigner to lead the England, died with debts of over £3.8 million, says Reuters. Eriksson, who died in August last year at the age of 76 having earlier announced that he was terminally ill with pancreatic cancer, left assets worth £4.8 million but owed £8.64 million. Most of Eriksson's debts were tax related in the UK, owing £7.25 million to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), according to Swedish media reports.

Malen for Villa: Aston Villa have signed Netherlands forward Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of £21 million, reports AP. The 25-year-old Malen had 18 months of his contract remaining at Dortmund. The emergence of Jamie Gittens as a starter has limited Malen's playing time this season. Malen played in last season's Champions League final as Dortmund lost 0-2 to Real Madrid but only off the bench because of the impact of Jadon Sancho, who was on loan at Dortmund at the time.

Harry Kane (2nd left) hands to Denmark's Simon Kjaer an English shirt with the name of Denmark's Christian Eriksen before the Euro 2020 semi-final at Wembley. (Source: AP)

Kjaer retires: Former Denmark captain Simon Kjaer has retired despite offers to continue playing since he left AC Milan as a free agent last year, reports AP. Kjaer will perhaps be best remembered as the captain who rushed to Christian Eriksen's aid and then led teammates in shielding him from view on the field after the star playmaker collapsed because of cardiac arrest during a European Championship game in June 2021. Kjaer also consoled Eriksen's partner on the field. Kjaer, along with the Denmark team and medical staff, later won the FIFA Fair Play Award for their actions in Copenhagen. The 35-year-old central defender played 132 times for Denmark.

Sacked after obscene post: Lazio have fired the far-right sympathiser who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis, says AFP. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010/11 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Bernabe defended the decision to publish the images by saying in an interview with radio station Radio24 that “nudity is normal, I grew up in an open-minded, naturist family." The 56-year-old Spaniard was suspended by Lazio in 2021 for performing a fascist salute at the end of a match with Inter Milan.

Kyle to walk away: Manchester City captain Kyle Walker, 34, wants to explore a move away from the four-time defending Premier League champion, manager Pep Guardiola has said, reports AP. Walker, who has won six league titles and the Champions League during a trophy-laden spell at City, was left out of the team for the 8-0 rout of Salford City in the FA Cup. “So, two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad at the end of his career,” Guardiola said. “He has been our right back and given us something that we didn't have and have been amazing. But now in his mind he would like to explore already, to go to another country to play the last years for many reasons.”

Moyes back at Everton: Everton have hired David Moyes for a second stint as manager at the Premier League club, says AP. Moyes replaces Sean Dyche, who was fired on Thursday with the team just one point above the relegation zone. The 61-year-old Moyes managed Everton from 2002-13, during which he led the Merseyside club to the 2009 FA Cup final and four European campaigns.

David Moyes returns to Everton: A familiar face to steer the ship away from relegation. (Source: Royal Blue Mersey)

Karius at Schalke: Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius has signed for German second-division side Schalke, the latest in a series of clubs as he tries to revive his career, says AP. Karius has bounced around teams in England, Germany and Turkey but has failed to secure significant game time. The 31-year-old was widely criticised following an error-ridden performance in Liverpool's 1-3 Champions League final loss to Real Madrid in 2018, his last match for the club. Five days after the match, Karius was diagnosed with concussion, having collided with Real defender Sergio Ramos. Most recently he was with Premier League club Newcastle but has been a free agent since his contract expired in July 2024.

Nabil Bentaleb training at Lille

Lille's Nabil Bentaleb in action during the French League One match against Marseille in April 2024. (Source: AP)

Nabil Bentaleb, the former Tottenham and Algeria midfielder who suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest less than seven months ago, is back training with his club Lille, says AFP. Coach of the Ligue 1 side, Bruno Genesio, said Bentaleb resumed individual training a few days ago with a physical trainer and started practising with the ball on Monday. Bentaleb collapsed on June 18 while playing a five-a-side match with friends, French media reported at the time. At Lille University Hospital, he was put into an artificial coma before being fitted with a pacemaker-defibrillator.

HT Kick Off: Need more of what Kettle’s started

Post a Comment

Contact Form