A match between Tunisia and Mali on Wednesday descended into chaos after the referee blew the full-time whistle early, on two different occasions. Whilst the teams and their coaches were furious, this is far from the first time a referee has made a blunder on the big stage.Before the days of VAR the players, managers and fans had no choice other than to accept the decision of the on-field referee, so it wasn't unusual for gaffes to be made.Since the introduction of VAR, the majority of refereeing mistakes are eventually overturned, but of course, even that doesn't stop some errors still slipping through the cracks.Let's take a look at ten occasions that the referee admitted they got it wrong and apologised.
Chelsea vs Barcelona: Champions League semi-final 2009
The semi-final between Chelsea and Barcelona in the 2009 Champions League is a game that many Chelsea fans are unable to forget.
There were multiple controversial decisions during the course of the match, including up to three possible penalties for the Blues that weren't awarded. At the end of the 90 minutes, Chelsea were dumped out of the competition, and Barcelona went on to the next round.
The game spawned some iconic moments including Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack chasing the referee, Tom Henning Ovrebo, down the entire length of the pitch after Ovrebo failed to spot a supposedly obvious handball.
And of course, this is also the game that produced Didier Drogba's infamous foul-mouthed rant at a live TV camera after the full-time whistle was blown.
Eventually, Ovrebo spoke openly about his decisions that night during an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca, when asked if he was proud of his performance that night he said: "No, not at all. It was not my best day, really. But those mistakes can be committed by a referee ... and sometimes a player or a coach. Some days you're not at the level you should be. But no, I can't be proud of that performance."
Australia vs Croatia: World Cup 2006
Australia's match against Croatia at the 2006 World Cup would produce one of the most famous refereeing mistakes of all time.
The English referee Graham Poll booked Croatian defender Josip Simunic three times, before eventually sending him off after the full-time whistle.
After Poll's huge error he was not selected to officiate any more games for the rest of the 2006 World Cup, but the referee later admitted to his blunder and explained the reasoning behind his baffling mistake.
FIFA eventually released a statement saying: "In explaining his actions to the committee, Poll said he incorrectly noted down the name of the Australia number three Craig Moore when booking Simunic for the second time and failed to realise his error."
Everton vs Newcastle: Premier League 2018
During a 2018 Premier League match between Everton and Newcastle, referee Bobby Madley failed to spot a handball by Everton defender Phil Jagielka.
Jagielka clearly handled the ball inside his own penalty area, but Madley missed the incident from his viewpoint. Newcastle players instantly protested with the referee but of course, Madley couldn't award a penalty for a handball that he hadn't seen.
The referee openly apologised for his error on the pitch, during the game, when he could be seen mouthing "I didn't see it, I'm sorry" to the Newcastle players.
However, after repeating his apologies multiple times and still having to listen to the protests of The Magpies, Madley angrily shouted at the players "I SAID I'M SORRY". The referee's hilarious response to the situation resulted in him being shared all over social media.
Watford vs Leicester City: Championship Playoffs 2013
The playoff clash between Watford and Leicester in 2013 was an incredible game of football, it included penalties, late goals and lots of drama.
The game also spawned one of the most iconic pieces of commentary in English football as Sky commentator Bill Leslie couldn't contain his excitement. His cry of "Here's Hogg... DEENEY", is remembered by football fans throughout the country.
But the dramatic events and memorable commentary of that day often mean people forget the decision that took us to such an exciting finish, was actually an awful call. Referee Michael Oliver awarded Leicester a penalty after Knockaert went down in the box, but to most people watching, it was obvious that only minimal contact had been made by Watford's Cassetti.
But the penalty was saved, Watford sprinted down the opposite end of the pitch and scored, and all was forgotten. But apparently not by Michael Oliver, Zola revealed that the referee had apologised to him at a later match saying: “Last year Oliver apologised to me before a match, I can’t remember what match, but he came to me and said, ‘I must apologise to you, you are right, and it wasn’t a penalty.’
Bournemouth vs Southampton: Premier League 2017
In a 2017 Premier League match between Bournemouth and Southampton, a tough battle between the two teams ended in a draw.
But one of the most decisive moments in the game was a controversial decision from referee Jonathan Moss. After Southampton's Sofiane Boufal took down Bournemouth's Adam Smith inside the penalty area, the referee blew his whistle, but not for the reason everyone thought.
Moss instead, booked Smith for diving. The Bournemouth players were furious but Moss stuck by his decision, and the game would eventually end as a 1-1 draw.
After the game though, Smith claimed the referee had apologised and admitted his error. Smith said: “For the ref to book me doesn’t help because that’s my fifth yellow card of the season. I spoke to him after and he apologised and said it was a penalty.
“I don’t mind him admitting it but the fact that he booked me and can’t get it rescinded, I’ll miss the next game."
Chelsea vs Arsenal: Premier League 2014
When the referee becomes the main talking point in a game that ended 6-0 between two fierce London rivals, you have to assume that quite a huge blunder was made.
In one of the most famous cases of mistaken identity, Andre Marriner showed a red card to Kieran Gibbs after a foul was committed by teammate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Oxlade-Chamberlain made the rash decision to save an Eden Hazard shot with his hand, but amongst the confusion, Marriner mistakenly sent off Gibbs.
Refereeing body, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, released a statement after the game saying: "Incidents of mistaken identity are very rare and are often the result of a number of different technical factors.
“Whilst this was a difficult decision, Andre is disappointed that he failed to identify the correct player.
“He expressed his disappointment to Arsenal when he was made aware of the issue.”
Nantes vs Paris Saint-Germain: Ligue 1 2018
In one of the most bizarre moments of refereeing you will ever see, Tony Chapron was caught attempting to foul a player in a match between Nantes and PSG.
The remarkable incident began after Nantes player Diego Carlos accidentally ran into the back of Chapron, sending the referee to the ground.
But what happened next was unexpected by everyone, Chapron angrily kicked out at Carlos from the floor before pulling himself to his feet. He then proceeded to show the player a second yellow card, for a foul on... himself.
Nantes president Waldemar Kita was furious with the referee and unsurprisingly the official was handed a three-month ban, which was eventually doubled to six months after an attempted appeal.
The referee apologised for his actions saying: “During the match Nantes-PSG, I was knocked over by Diego Carlos, a player with Nantes. At the moment of impact, I felt a sharp pain where I had recently suffered an injury,
“My unfortunate reaction was to stick my leg out towards the player. This clumsy gesture was inappropriate. So I want to apologise following this action.”
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Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: La Liga 2014
The final game of the season between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona was the deciding factor in a title race between the two Spanish giants.
Atletico were three points clear of Barcelona in the table but a defeat in the match would see Barca lift the title due to the head-to-head rule. For Diego Simeone, it was win, draw or bust.
After an exciting first half, the teams were deadlocked at 1-1, meaning that if the scoreline remained Atletico would secure the La Liga title.
But in the 63rd minute of the match, Lionel Messi appeared to have put Barca in the lead after beating an offside trap. However, the flag was raised by the linesman and the goal was chalked off due to an offside. Replays though would show the Argentinian was actually onside and the goal should have counted.
Atletico held on to secure the draw and the title, and Barcelona manager Tata Martino finished the season with zero major trophies. Martino’s assist, Elvio Paolorosso, would later claim that referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz, had apologised to his team after the game saying: "Messi scored a goal that would have given us the title and the referee ruled it out,
”We were crying in the dressing room and the referee came to apologize.”
Manchester United vs Arsenal: Premier League 2009
During an important league game between Manchester United and Arsenal in 2009, with the scoreline at 2-1, it appeared Robin van Persie had buried a late equaliser for the Gunners.
But the goal was chalked off after the linesman raised his flag, incensing Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman booted a water bottle down the touchline and was promptly sent to the stands following a discussion between referee Mike Dean and fourth official Lee Probert.
But Wenger's fury was justified after replays showed the Dutch forward was in fact, onside. Richard Bevan, chief executive of The League Manager's Association released a statement after the game saying: "I’ve spoken to Keith Hackett and he fully recognises the situation was an error and an apology will follow to Arsène Wenger. Lee Probert totally failed to manage the situation and created a needless pressure point, taking the focus away from the pitch in a big event with only a minute to go.”
Holland vs Spain: World Cup final 2010
An intense physical battle between Holland and Spain in the 2010 World Cup final would eventually come to a boiling point after Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong launched a flying kick into the chest of Spain's Xabi Alonso.
It appeared to be one of the most blatant red-card offences of all time but apparently not to referee Howard Webb. Despite avid protests from the Spanish players Webb only produced a yellow card for the incident.
Although Webb didn't apologise for the situation at the time, he later admitted in his book that he had made the wrong decision. Webb said: “It wasn’t until half-time that I realised De Jong’s tackle might have been worthy of a red card… I felt gutted beyond belief. It looked like I’d missed a red-card offence in the World Cup final. What a f***ing nightmare. I returned to the pitch with my head pounding and my heart thumping.”
Luckily for the Englishman, Spain would eventually prevail over the Dutch team regardless of the referee's mistake.