First Vice-President of the Football Association of Uzbekistan, former FIFA referee Ravshan Irmatov held a press tour for the media and bloggers at the recently commissioned national football center. During the tour, he gave his comments on some of the situations that occurred in the match between Uzbekistan and Iran (1:0) within the framework of the CAFA-2025 final.
About Yusufi's expulsion
Irmatov first touched on the fact that Iranian Ario Yusufi was sent off for a rough move against Abbasbek Fayzullayev:
— Why is the Iranian player moving towards Abbas's foot without the ball? If the ball was on that foot, it would be another story. In this case, there is a high risk of injury to the back. It doesn't matter whether it happens in the 1st minute or in the 90th minute. Of course, sometimes there are situations at the beginning of the game that can be mitigated, but this case is not one of them. Because in this case, the player can be broken. If the referee does not see this, it is possible that such actions will increase in the following minutes.
On the cancellation of the penalty awarded to Iran
The UEFA official also explained why the penalty awarded by the Kyrgyz referee in favor of Iran was reviewed by VAR:
— The ball was not passed to the goalkeeper, but to the other side. In this situation, the striker put his foot directly under the goalkeeper's feet. It is clear that this move was made to serve the penalty. If the ball was really directed towards the goalkeeper, the player would also move in the same direction. This is one of the most negative situations in football - simulation. That is, cheating and artificially earning a penalty. Many thought that the referee favored Uzbekistan. However, with vigilance, VAR corrected the situation. If it were not for VAR, the result could have been completely different.
On Alijanov's "red card" situation
Irmatov also touched on the fact that Hozhiakbar Alijanov's action against Mehdi Toremi was first recognized as a "red card" and then canceled by VAR:
— There are four main criteria for evaluating such situations. All four criteria must be met for a "red card". However, in that case, defender Akmal Mozgovoy could have interfered with the opponent. Therefore, the referee's direct "red" was the wrong decision. When I saw it in the stands, I said that this situation did not lead to a dismissal. One review through VAR was enough.
Additional information about the final
For your information, the referee from Kyrgyzstan, Nurzatbek Abdukodirov, served as the main referee in the CAFA-2025 final. The VAR referee and his assistants were Sadullo Gulmurodi and Ismoil Nuraliev from Tajikistan.
It should be noted that Eldor Shomurodov missed a penalty in the 105th+4th minute of the match. However, Hojiakbar Alijanov's goal in the 119th minute gave the Uzbek national team its first victory over Iran after a 13-year break.
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