"Dutch referee Danny Makkelie did not commit "armed robbery" in the match between Croatia and Italy. The world media does not even deal with it, there was nothing controversial for them. They noted that he missed a clean penalty for Croatia, but VAR corrected it, so there is no need for discussion. They also underlined Dalić's remark that "it is not clear where even eight minutes of extra time came from", but they did not analyze it. To them, it's all just a few minutes more or less...
However, anyone who watched the game carefully and knows anything about refereeing could quickly see how Danny Makkelie was trying to target the Italian mill. The Italians made several visible fouls that "he didn't see" , but other way - he awarded in favor of Italy everything. And everything that was marginal went to the side of the Azzurro.
It will be difficult for Makkelie to explain why he did not immediately play the penalty for Croatia, but needed the help of VAR. He was close to a situation, well placed, and the hand play was clearly visible even in the broadcast. We won't talk about his "body language" now, we're not that expert, but at the time we already deeply suspected that he was on an obvious mission to help the Azzurri.
All our doubts were confirmed by the Dutchman at the end of the 90th minute when he showed an inexplicable eight minutes of stoppage time. During the continuation, player substitutions were made six times, which brings three minutes of injury time. The VAR check for the penalty did not last long, no more than two minutes. As a rule, this means five minutes of compensation. We would accept six minutes as normal, because there were some small "thefts" of time. Seven minutes of stoppage time was already unacceptable, and eight - beyond any referee's logic.
Danny Makkelie is a police inspector, and is reputed to be a great favorite of Pierluigi Collina, the head of world referees. Did Collina somehow delegate Makkelie for the match with Croatia? Formally, it certainly isn't (the head of European referees is Robert Rosetti - another Italian), but Makkelie is known as "a man of Collina's confidence".
You will remember how Makkelie "invented" the decisive penalty after contact between Sterling and Jenssen in extra time of the semi-final match of Euro 2021, played between England and Denmark. Many English people were embarrassed at the time, and Makkelie was presented to the media as a "policeman on duty". UEFA duly stood behind his decision.
That semi-final was played at Wembley, the whole of England was on their feet, and we know how powerful and influential the English are. Many wanted to see them in the Euro final. We don't believe that this time it was so important to UEFA that Italy secure the round of 16, so we'll just stick to the fact that Collina is Italian and that it must have been very important to him...
The world also remembers him well as the referee who overlooked an obvious goal by Cristiano Ronaldo in the match between Serbia and Portugal, played in the qualifiers for the WC 2022. Even then, the referee's compensation was involved, and the result was 2:2. Out of anger, Ronaldo threw the captain's armband and left the field. Makkelie was not on assignment in Belgrade, he just had a huge oversight. Even so, he refereed in Qatar, UEFA always understands his "sins".
Makkelie - to be fair - wasn't the one who ended up giving the Italians the point with which they directly secured the round of 16 of the Euros. The Italians earned that point with a clear goal, after they pressed Croatia hard in the last half hour of the game. Makkelie didn't score that goal.
However, the Dutchman did everything he could to give the Italians a chance to score in the 98th minute. He was dishonest, he was biased, they wouldn't say impressed by the Italians. He was simply on a mission, which he did as he imagined. Just like an experienced police inspector. Everything is clear to you, but when you draw the line, it will be difficult for you to attach anything serious to the "forcer"...
So Rosetti is head of European refeeres.. Well, I rest my case.
10 years of FIF
, that I couldn’t care any less about
