Platini backs Mascherano punishment

UEFA president Michel Platini believes last weekend's sending off of Javier Mascherano was the "right thing" and has backed the Football Association's clampdown on dissent.

The Liverpool midfielder was sent off after confronting referee Steve Bennett in the Reds' 3-0 defeat at Manchester United last Sunday - his dismissal coming just days after the outrage generated by Ashley Cole's behaviour towards Mike Riley, who did not red card the Chelsea left-back.

The FA has launched a campaign to promote respect to referees in the amateur game, and it appears that a more hard-line stance has now been adopted by professional officials.

Platini believes it is not before time and has predicted that when the initial controversy dies down, players will soon get used to keeping their mouths shut.

"The decision of the English FA to insist on showing yellow cards to any players arguing with referees in amateur games is a good one," Platini told the Mail on Sunday.

"It's something that should have been done 40 years ago. The referees have the backing of the rules to do this."

He added: "Mascherano got a yellow card for running at the referee, which is correct. He won't do it again now. What the referee did was good, it was the right thing to give him the second yellow card.

"We have to make sure the referees are respected. Of course the players don't like it at first but they won't do it a second time and if it means other players learn to restrain themselves, that's a good thing."

According to Platini then Mascherano got a 'deserved' yellow card for 'running at the referee'.  Could somebody please find in the FA guidelines where this is a punishable offence.

I watched MOTD last night and counted around 14 instances (and that was just the highlights) where either fouled players raised their hands as Torres did as if to say 'For F**k's sake' or where players 'ran at the referee'.

It's a joke.

I see the Platini has got in on the act, now saying the the punnishment was just, and praises the FA for acting (there is always a first time I guess).
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1776_3365407,00.html

I felt he (platini) has always had a grip against Liverpool, and this morining it came to me. He was playing for Juve in '85 so I guess he still has some issues. I I have said before they (the authorities) always seem to act against Liverpool, but never against others, why is that?

Rules for other teams and rules for Liverpool ...obviously............ .do you ever feel like you're being discriminated against?  :

Totally agree, just posted similar on Masherano thread.

Rules for other teams and rules for Liverpool ...obviously............ .do you ever feel like you're being discriminated against?  :

It was definitley a booking offense for Mascherano, but then this should apply to any player that commints the same offense Masch made!

It was definitley a booking offense for Mascherano, but then this should apply to any player that commints the same offense Masch made!

I didn't see 14 yellow cards on MOTD for those offences.

And on another point, I personally think diving outside the penalty area and then being awarded a penalty is cheating and should be a red card offence.

What do you reckon Michel?

I didn't see 14 yellow cards on MOTD for those offences.

I know it's totally wrong. I think these referee's either need to clamp down the rules and stick with them, or not use them at all. They are turning corrupt now!

F***ing joke.

14 incidents?  Was Bennett reffing yesterday??

F***ing joke.

14 incidents?  Was Bennett reffing yesterday??

Just going off what I saw on MOTD.  There could have been 14 yellow cards if the rules were applied as equally to everyone else as they were to Mascherano and Torres last week.

Just going off what I saw on MOTD.  There could have been 14 yellow cards if the rules were applied as equally to everyone else as they were to Mascherano and Torres last week.

Yeah you already pointed this out, but was Bennett actually incharge of any of those games? I didn't watch Match Of The Day, was too busy drinking ale

One way or another the FA needed something to back their decision and that screwball has stepped up for them.

'Worst Fans In Europe' & now apparently players.  Idiot.

I caught a bit of a Championship match yesterday, not sure who it was, but a player butted another player right in front of the ref and he totally turned a blind eye to it  - WTF      Even the commentators were flabbergasted. 

One way or another the FA needed something to back their decision and that screwball has stepped up for them.

'Worst Fans In Europe' & now apparently players.  Idiot.

It's the world against us!

Want to know something even more funny,it was Steve bennet that send off xabi in a game against arsenal for tripping over. Yes literally TRIPPING OVER. I think a few of you will remember it, i think he was walking backwards and tripped over matieu flamini who also hit the ground and Alonso got a second yellow for it.

It's the world against us!

The Liverpool treatment as I like to call it.

Stupid fools! They make the rules, but when we don't follow them we get bans and fines, yet when other teams do it it's OK. Idiots!

Want to know something even more funny,it was Steve bennet that send off xabi in a game against arsenal for tripping over. Yes literally TRIPPING OVER. I think a few of you will remember it, I think he was walking backwards and tripped over matieu flamini who also hit the ground and Alonso got a second yellow for it.

Oh yeah and Steve Bennet didn't even see the incident either, only that the crowd screamed and Fabregas was lying on the floor did Bennet send Alonso off. Bennet was convinced he fouled him seeing as Fabregas was down, well no.. Xabi Alonso slipped and it was a total accident. Don't make a desicion if you didn't see the incident.

Bennett = total pr**k

I don’t take anything serious that comes from Platini as he is the Arthur Scargill of football and has very little support for the big clubs and nations.  In virtually every statement he makes, I can smell dissent towards the bigger clubs and especially towards our league.  I can’t remember him saying anything positive about the premiership.

Instead of making a statement against Mascherano and being supportive of the referee, should he not be trying to organise a clear cut rule preventing players approaching referees.  Instead of indirectly trying to point out that the type of football played is wrong.  Afterall, he is one of the people that can make changes

Yak had a go at the referee today, more than once and nothing happened, not even a yellow for diving. Steve Bennett handled the Newcastle/Tottenham match today and I must say he didn't give anyone a yellow card for challenging his calls today; only a pat on the back.

There is an anti-Liverpool movement growing amongst haters. Our dominance hurts their feelings.

There is an anti-Liverpool movement growing amongst haters. Our dominance hurts their feelings.

could i be so bold to ask what are we dominating at the minute 

could I be so bold to ask what are we dominating at the minute 

Let's see?, Champions League finals twice in three years, and looking like a third in four years; Won the FA Cup, and still the most decorated club in England. Compare that with the other teams and let me know how it feels like.

Pretty much justifies what I was saying with regard to bennet and the whole debarcle about the refing in this country. Now that Platini is in the debate only give creedance to Bennet dismal performance and he is not just the only one. Did anybody see Rob Styles performance in the Man City Birmingham game??? Showing dissent is only forced on the refs at times from their very poor decision making and the basic bread and butter decsion making that should be the backgorund of their officiating. With Platini coming out and showing support only really goes the show that they are in fact in a very weak position.

Let's see?, Champions League finals twice in three years, and looking like a third in four years; Won the FA Cup, and still the most decorated club in England. Compare that with the other teams and let me know how it feels like.

mate, i admire your optimism, and i hate pissing on your parade, but the fact is we haven;t dominated anything since the 80's. 2 CL finals in 3 years is great, but you could also say we've been in 2 CL finals in 20 years.... not domination.

we won the fa cup in 2006, brilliant, but we haven't dominated the competition.

we've wom the league a record 18 times, but not since 1990, again cant say domination.

i dont wanna piss you off, as we are all LFC supporters till we die, but i think we have to have a bit of realism here.

mate, I admire your optimism, and I hate pissing on your parade, but the fact is we haven;t dominated anything since the 80's. 2 CL finals in 3 years is great, but you could also say we've been in 2 CL finals in 20 years.... not domination.

we won the fa cup in 2006, brilliant, but we haven't dominated the competition.

we've wom the league a record 18 times, but not since 1990, again cant say domination.

I dont wanna piss you off, as we are all LFC supporters till we die, but I think we have to have a bit of realism here.

But when you talk about teams and their achievements, Liverpool FC always seem to edge out Man U everytime. Regardless of the fact that we have not won the Premier League in 17 years, we still won it 18 times. We will win again, but right now? enjoy the fact that in four years, we have maintained a top 5 position with clear dominance in Europe.

From this post you sound a very negative poster.  There have been a lot of people after our backs especially in recent months in particular the media and when they’ve kept quite for a matter of only weeks what happens.  We get made an example of for a crime that we have the best record amongst the top four.  Obviously we’re hurting.  And we are trying to speculate the reasoning of all this. 

As for us getting to two champions league final that is one more than the scums and a UEFA cup as a bonus.  And by the way mate why measure our success in 20 years and not 30 or 40 years, is it because it looks a lot better if you start to include more years.   I think solodee has a case we have had an excellent record this decade in Europe especially under Benitez.  These achievements in Europe winds many of our competitors fans and even makes manager’s make very embarrassing statements ie Wenger and Fergy.

As for us getting to two champions league final that is one more than the scums and a UEFA cup as a bonus.  And by the way mate why measure our success in 20 years and not 30 or 40 years, is it because it looks a lot better if you start to include more years.   I think solodee has a case we have had an excellent record this decade in Europe especially under Benitez.  These achievements in Europe winds many of our competitors fans and even makes manager’s make very embarrassing statements ie Wenger and Fergy.

Brilliant post King Kenny.

I notice in Platini's statement he failed to mention the handling of the Cole incident. One which there was down right ignorance and lack of respect - as opposed to Mascherano being passionate.
So it's ironic when you think Platini is being ignorant and not respecting the passion that could easily fade in football if there isn't some sort of consistancy in refereeing. It certainly is a joke. He should know better seing as he's played the game.

I notice in Platini's statement he failed to mention the handling of the Cole incident. One which there was down right ignorance and lack of respect - as opposed to Mascherano being passionate.

Of course it was this incident that blew everything up and Mascherano took the full brunt of the Ref's force..........wrong in my opinion, some of the decisions that Ref's have made this season have been diabolical, I think they all need to go back to REF school,

Of course it was this incident that blew everything up and Mascherano took the full brunt of the Ref's force..........

Which makes it even more of a joke Platini coming out saying this, doesn't it. You can see why some people would see it as us being a victim. I don't think there is any need for people in authority to keep banging on about the Mascherano incident now. It will only make things worse when another mistake is made by a ref. If Bennett was right, then that standard should apply to all games now otherwise Platini will have made himself look a fool when he should have kept his stupid mouth shut.

Why do Uefa insist on employing idiots !

And the FA employing second rate referees for top flight games for that matter !

Why do Uefa insist on employing idiots !

I suppose it's something to do with the fact that they are all idiots themselves 

if this is the new rule terry, ferdinand and rooney should be off every game, 3 match ban taylor breaks eduardos leg in half an gets 3 match ban, macherano smiling asking a simple question 3 match ban spot the differnece, IMO both player an ref were in the wrong. i think everyone if making a big thing of it, so prem league players will have it one there minds while running to the ref.

Every time there is a controversial issue involving ourselves or England Platini almost always has something to say about it and its always against us, I am sure he has an agenda against us and English football in general.

Every time there is a controversial issue involving ourselves or England Platini almost always has something to say about it and its always against us, I am sure he has an agenda against us and English football in general.

What should we expect from a frenchmen, flowers!

Every time there is a controversial issue involving ourselves or England Platini almost always has something to say about it and its always against us, I am sure he has an agenda against us and English football in general.

I am sure here is your answer... by my good self,

I see the Platini has got in on the act, now saying the the punnishment was just, and praises the FA for acting (there is always a first time I guess).
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1776_3365407,00.html

I felt he (platini) has always had a grip against Liverpool, and this morining it came to me. He was playing for Juve in '85 so I guess he still has some issues. I I have said before they (the authorities) always seem to act against Liverpool, but never against others, why is that?

Yes,  he was criticised by the media for celebrating one the most important goal of his career.    Redpuppy, I think you have cracked it even though being a frenchmen will always add sour to his remarks regardless.