Marco Rossi Criticizes Referee Following Late Draw Against Ireland

Hungary’s head coach, Marco Rossi, expressed his frustration with referee Harm Osmers after his team’s late draw against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. The match, held on March 17, 2024, marked the opening game of Group F in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers. Despite acknowledging Ireland’s performance, Rossi’s ire was directed at the officiating, which he believed significantly impacted the outcome.

Rossi stated, “It is clear that in this moment there is a bit of disappointment because of the result.” He conceded that Ireland deserved the equalizer, which came from Adam Idah late in the match. The coach reflected on Hungary’s strong start, saying, “In the first half, we started really well. In the first 25 minutes, I think we were absolutely dominating.”

As the game progressed, the dynamics shifted, and Rossi felt the referee’s decisions favored the home side. He criticized a pivotal moment in the first half, where he believed a foul by Nathan Collins on Barnabas Varga went unnoticed. Rossi remarked, “The referee probably started to think it was a wrestling match instead of a football match. The decisions must be the same for both teams.”

The tension escalated when Hungary was reduced to ten men for nearly 45 minutes due to a red card, a situation that Rossi described as challenging, particularly against a team known for delivering high balls into the box. He remarked, “It’s difficult especially against a team which puts high balls into the box and we had to defend.”

Despite the draw, which leaves both teams with everything still to play for in the group, Rossi remained skeptical about the quality of officiating. “I will be really surprised if we have a referee like we did here; he was leaving them and killing us in every contact,” he added, emphasizing the need for consistency in refereeing standards.

The match concluded with a score of 1-1, setting the stage for further competitive fixtures in the Euro qualifiers. As both teams look ahead, the focus will undoubtedly shift to their respective strategies and performances in the upcoming rounds.