Tom Henning Øvrebø

Last updated

Tom Henning Øvrebø
Full name Tom Henning Øvrebø
Born (1966-06-26) 26 June 1966 (age 57)
Oslo, Norway
Other occupation Psychologist
Domestic
YearsLeagueRole
1992–2012 Flag of Norway.svg Tippeligaen Referee
2013 Flag of Norway.svg 1. divisjon Referee
International
YearsLeagueRole
1994–2010 FIFA Referee

Tom Henning Øvrebø (born 26 June 1966) is a Norwegian former football referee who has officiated matches in the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Champions League. He's been elected in UEFA's top category of Elite Referee. [1] Øvrebø has worked outside football as a qualified psychologist. [2]

Contents

Career

Born in Oslo, Øvrebø refereed over two hundred games in the Norwegian top division since his debut made on 20 September 1992. He represented the Norwegian sports club Nordstrand. In 1994, he became an authorised FIFA referee. He won the Kniksen Award as referee of the year in the Norwegian top League for 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006. He refereed the Norwegian Cup finals of 1999 (Rosenborg–Brann 2-0) and 2006 (Fredrikstad–Sandefjord 3–0).

Controversies

Euro 2008: Italy

Øvrebø was chosen to referee at the Euro 2008, his first major tournament and the first time he was chosen over fellow countryman and colleague Terje Hauge. He refereed the Germany–Poland match on the opening day of Group B and the Italy–Romania match of Group C that ended in a 1–1 draw. In that game, Italy scored first with a Luca Toni goal but Øvrebø disallowed it for offside. He subsequently admitted that the decision "was a mistake," after watching the pass to Toni in a TV replay. [3] Despite the draw, Italy advanced to the next stage of the tournament.

2008–09 Champions League: Chelsea-Barcelona

On 6 May 2009, Øvrebø officiated in the UEFA Champions League's semi-final second leg between Chelsea and Barcelona and made big mistakes because many decisions were detrimental to Chelsea . The game ended in a 1–1 draw and Barcelona advanced to the final on away goals. [4] At the end of the game, he was verbally abused by several Chelsea players, including Didier Drogba, José Bosingwa and Michael Ballack, after turning down several penalty appeals by the home team during the match. [5] [6] Drogba had to be physically restrained at the end of the match [5] and the Norwegian referee was later escorted out of England by police on account of fears for his safety. He reportedly received a number of death threats, from which Chelsea distanced themselves. [7] Drogba was subsequently banned for three matches and Bosingwa for two. Chelsea were fined £85,000 for improper conduct on the part of their players and fans. [6]

Øvrebø claimed in 2012 that he was still the subject of abuse from Chelsea fans. [8] In 2018, he admitted to Marca that he made "a series of mistakes" and that he was "not proud" of that performance, which the newspaper presented as "infamous." He claimed that "those mistakes can be committed by [any] referee", and expressed the wish that people will not remember his career "just for that game." [9]

In 2023, French former international referee Tony Chapron, reviewed the game, along with Didier Drogba, for the French sports channel Canal+ Sport . [10] Chapron assessed the refereeing in the game as "a disgrace." He considered as its "key moment" the free-kick given by Øvrebø in the first half, instead of a penalty, when Daniel Alves fouled Florent Malouda inside the Barcelona box. Chapron claimed that the referee, having realized he'd made a mistake, "lost his head." [11]

2009–10 Champions League: Fiorentina

Øvrebø had previously come under "strong" criticism when, in February 2010, he'd allowed a goal scored by Miroslav Klose from a "clearly" [12] off-side position in the final minutes of the game Bayern Munich vs Fiorentina, in the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, during the round-of-16. His call sparked anger in Italy, [13] [14] after the managers of both teams agreed it was in error. [15] The result advanced Bayern to the next stage.

Øvrebø, the next day, said "I chose to approve the goal" although admitting "it's clear we should have realised it was offside." He initially blamed the "wrong information" coming from the linesman, but ultimately accepted he was responsible. [12]

2010 FIFA World Cup qualification round: Latvia

In the group stages of qualification for the 2010 World Cup, Øvrebø refereed the games Armenia–Turkey, Belgium–Spain, and Slovakia–Czech Republic. On 10 October 2009, Øvrebø refereed the Greece–Latvia game. [16] In that game, on 10 October 2009, Øvrebø awarded a "highly disputed" penalty to the Greek team, at that point trailing 2-1, a decision that helped the Greeks turn the result around and win. After the game, Latvian manager Aleksandrs Starkovs stated that "there was clearly no foul" and that he "didn't understand why Øvrebø awarded a penalty." [17]

Later years and retirement

Øvrebø was among the 14 referees short-listed by UEFA for the final stages of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, [18] but was eventually not among the 10 referees picked from Europe, as announced in March 2010. [19]

In May 2010, he resigned from his position as a FIFA Referee and concentrated on officiating in the Norwegian league. [20] After three years, in October 2013, Øvrebø announced his retirement from professional refereeing. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

Anders Frisk is a Swedish insurance agent by trade and a former football referee. Frisk chose to go into early retirement from refereeing due to pressure from death threats made against him and his family. He is fluent in several languages including his native Swedish, English and German.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Didier Drogba</span> Ivorian footballer (born 1978)

Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the all-time top scorer and former captain of the Ivory Coast national team. He is best known for his career at Chelsea, for whom he has scored more goals than any other foreign player and is currently the club's fourth highest goal scorer of all time. Drogba was named Chelsea's greatest ever player in a poll of 20,000 fans conducted by Chelsea FC Magazine in 2012, and he was also named in the Chelsea team of the 2010–2020 decade by Chelsea's fans in 2020. He is regarded as one of the greatest African players of all time and was noted for his physical strength, speed, ability in the air, powerful and accurate strikes, and ball retention. Drogba was named African Footballer of the Year twice, winning the award in 2006 and 2009. He is also the player with the most runner-up appearances (4), most third-place finishes (3), and most times in the top three (9).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Bosingwa</span> Portuguese footballer (born 1982)

José Bosingwa da Silva is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a right-back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Cup and UEFA Champions League records and statistics</span>

This page details statistics of the European Cup and Champions League. Unless noted, these statistics concern all seasons since the inception of the European Cup in the 1955–56 season, and renamed since 1992 as the UEFA Champions League. This does not include the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League, unless otherwise noted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Bennett (referee)</span> English football referee

Stephen Graham Bennett is a former English football referee who operated in the Premier League, and previously for FIFA as an assistant referee and then referee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florent Malouda</span> Footballer (born 1980)

Florent Johan Malouda is a football coach and former professional player who played as a midfielder. Born in French Guiana, he represented both France and French Guiana at international level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terje Hauge</span> Norwegian football referee

Terje Hauge is a former Norwegian football referee from the club Olsvik IL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Webb</span> Former English football referee and General Manager of the Professional Referee Organisation

Howard Melton Webb MBE is an English former professional football referee who officiated primarily in the Premier League from 2003 to 2014, as well as for FIFA as a FIFA international referee from 2005 to 2014.

Viktor Kassai is a Hungarian football official and a former referee who is the current head of refereeing department of the Bulgarian Football Union. He participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and refereed the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final. He has been a full international referee for FIFA since 2003. He retired as a referee on 30 December 2019.

Alain Sars is a retired French football referee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 UEFA Champions League final</span> The final of the 2009–10 edition of the UEFA Champions League

The 2010 UEFA Champions League final was an association football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a weekend, rather than the traditional weekday. The match was won by Inter Milan, who beat Bayern Munich 2–0 to complete the treble, a feat never before achieved by any team from either Italy or Germany. The refereeing team came from England and was led by Howard Webb.

The 2008–09 season was Chelsea Football Club's 95th competitive season, 17th consecutive season in the Premier League and 103rd year in existence as a football club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damir Skomina</span> Slovenian football referee

Damir Skomina is a Slovenian former UEFA Elite category football referee.

The knockout phase of the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League began on 24 February 2009 and concluded with the final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 27 May 2009. The knockout phase involved the 16 teams who finished in the top two in each of their groups in the group stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 UEFA Champions League final</span> The final of the 2011–12 edition of the UEFA Champions League

The 2012 UEFA Champions League final was an association football match which took place on Saturday, 19 May 2012 between Bayern Munich of Germany and Chelsea of England at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. The match was to decide the winner of the 2011–12 season of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club football tournament. Bayern were making their ninth appearance in the competition's final, having won four and lost four, most recently losing in 2010. Chelsea were appearing in their second final, having lost their first in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelsea F.C. in international football</span>

Chelsea Football Club is an English professional football club based in Fulham, London. The club's involvement in international competitions dates back to the 1950s. As champions of England, the club was invited to participate in the inaugural European Champions' Cup in 1955, but were denied entry by The Football Association. Three years later, Chelsea made their European debut against Copenhagen XI in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, on 30 September 1958.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcos Alonso (footballer, born 1990)</span> Spanish footballer (born 1990)

Marcos Alonso Mendoza is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left-back or centre-back for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cüneyt Çakır</span> Turkish football referee

Cüneyt Çakır is a former Turkish football referee. He is best known for refereeing the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final between Juventus and Barcelona. He was FIFA listed since 2006 and a member of the UEFA Elite since 2010 until his retirement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonas Eriksson (referee)</span> Swedish football referee

Jonas Eriksson is a Swedish former football referee. He was a full international referee for FIFA between 2002 and 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 UEFA Champions League final</span> 2023 association football match

The 2023 UEFA Champions League final was the final match of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League, the 68th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA and the 31st season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. It was played at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, on 10 June 2023, between English club Manchester City and Italian club Inter Milan, with the former winning 1–0 via a second-half goal by Rodri, who was named man of the match by UEFA. For Manchester City, this was their first-ever European Cup, and first European trophy since 1970. Having earlier won the Premier League and FA Cup titles, they achieved the continental treble, only the second time it had been achieved in English men's football history. As winners, Manchester City earned the right to play against Sevilla, the winners of the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League, in the 2023 UEFA Super Cup, as well as qualifying for both the 2023 and 2025 FIFA Club World Cups.

References

  1. ↑ Waagaard Thomassen, Mari. "UEFAs rangering av dommere" [UEFA's ranking of referees] (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 9 January 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  2. ↑ Kinsella, Nizaar (19 February 2018). "Ovrebo: My night of Chelsea-Barcelona hell". Goal . Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  3. ↑ Igland, Asle (15 June 2008). "Norwegian referee: -I was wrong". TV2 . Archived from the original on 19 June 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  4. ↑ Nakrani, Sachin (5 April 2012). "Referee from Chelsea's 2009 home tie with Barcelona still given abuse". The Guardian . Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Chelsea Champions League referee Ovrebo smuggled out of Britain". The Guardian . 7 May 2009. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  6. 1 2 "UEFA reduce Didier Drogba's European ban". The Daily Telegraph . 15 July 2009. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  7. ↑ Jackson, Jamie (8 May 2009). "Death threats force the referee Tom Henning Ovrebo into hiding". The Guardian . London. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "'I still get abuse from Chelsea fans for the 2009 semi-final against Barcelona' - referee Tom Henning Ovrebo". Goal . 6 April 2012. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  9. ↑ Dean, Sam (18 February 2018). "Chelsea-Barca 2009 semi-final ref admits to mistakes but says 'you can't remember my career just for that game'" . The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  10. ↑ La "F****ing Disgrace" décryptée par Drogba – Chelsea FC vs. Barcelone 2009 – Ligue des Champions , retrieved 23 August 2023
  11. ↑ "The Chelsea vs Barca refereeing was a disgrace". Sport . 6 February 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Referee Tom Henning Ovrebo Admits 'Unwise' Offside Decision During Bayern Munich - Fiorentina Clash". Goal . Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  13. ↑ "Fiorentina scippata in Baviera. Stampa tedesca: 'Gol scandaloso'" [Fiorentina mugged in Bavaria. German press: 'Scandalous goal']. Televideo Rai (in Italian). 18 February 2010. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  14. ↑ Nazione, La (18 February 2010). "Il popolo viola contro la Uefa; Abete telefona a Platini; Ovrebo ammette l'errore" [The viola against Uefa; Abete calls Platini; Ovrebo admits the mistake]. La Nazione (in Italian). Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  15. ↑ Homewood, Brian (18 February 2010). "Bayern sink Fiorentina with controversial goal". Reuters . Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  16. ↑ Pank, Philip (12 October 2009). "Starkovs: 'Pendeles tur nebija'" [Starkov: 'The pendulum was not there']. Sportacentrs Latvia (in Latvian). Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  17. ↑ Dylan, Adrian (21 November 2009). "Chelsea's 'worst ever' Referee Pre-selected to Officiate in World Cup Finals". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  18. ↑ "List of prospective 2010 FIFA World Cup referees" (PDF). FIFA. October 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  19. ↑ "2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa; Referees with Assistant Referees" (PDF). FIFA. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  20. ↑ Johannessen, Sturla (21 May 2010). "Øvrebø gir seg som FIFA-dommer" [Øvrebø resigns as FIFA referee]. TV2 (in Norwegian). Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  21. ↑ "Øvrebø legger opp som fotballdommer" [Øvrebø gives up football refereeing]. Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 12 October 2013. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.