After the conclusion of the matches of the 8th round of the Uzbekistan Super League, a number of controversial situations related to refereeing emerged. The Referees Committee of the Uzbekistan Football Association conducted a thorough analysis of the decisions made by referees during the matches and acknowledged that two referees had made serious mistakes, taking appropriate measures against them.
In particular, during the match between OKMK and "Andijon," in the 60th minute, a representative of OKMK committed an illegal action against an opposing player. He elbowed the "Andijon" player in the face in a situation without the ball. The main referee Rustam Lutfullin consulted with the VAR referee, made a decision regarding this situation, and did not make a mistake in this case.
However, a serious mistake made by the referee was recorded in a situation that arose in the 85th minute of that match. While the players were fighting for the ball, Lutfullin awarded a penalty kick. However, according to expert referees, there was no situation that would justify awarding a penalty in this case. As a result, the Referees Committee suspended Rustam Lutfullin from refereeing for an indefinite period due to this serious mistake.
Additionally, a controversial situation was observed in the match between "Qizilqum" and "Navbahor." In the 90+5th minute of this match, the main referee Ahrol Risqullayev awarded a penalty kick due to the ball hitting the hand of a "Navbahor" player. The VAR review did not change the main referee's decision, and the penalty was executed in the 90+12th minute. However, according to expert analysis, it was determined that the player's hand was attached to his body, and therefore, a penalty should not have been awarded in this case.
For this reason, the Referees Committee decided to suspend the main referee Ahrol Risqullayev from refereeing for an indefinite period due to his serious mistake.
Through these incidents, the Uzbekistan Football Association and the Referees Committee once again proved that they continue to firmly ensure the principles of transparency and fairness in the activities of referees.
