The head of the Russian Football Union's refereeing and inspection department, Milorad Mazhich, has publicly endorsed the controversial decision made during the 28th round of the Mir Russian Premier League match between Krasnodar and Akron. The official supported referee Evgeny Bulanov's call to disallow a goal scored by Krasnodar striker John Cordoba.
The incident occurred in the 53rd minute of the match. After a review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the on-field official determined that Cordoba had committed an attacking foul in the buildup to the goal. The match ultimately concluded with a 1-0 victory for the visiting team, Krasnodar.
Speaking in an interview on the 'Match Premier' broadcast, Mazhich provided a detailed breakdown of the referee's rationale. He emphasized the importance of analyzing the specific phase of play and the zone where the incident took place, noting it occurred inside the penalty area.
According to Mazhich's analysis, the Krasnodar forward used both hands to hold and impede the arm of his direct opponent, Akron defender Marat Bokeev. This action, he argued, immediately gave Cordoba an unfair advantage. Mazhich pointed out that there was no other defender in a position to potentially block the shot, meaning the foul directly led to the goalscoring opportunity.
The refereeing chief directly addressed the question of whether the Akron defender made contact with Cordoba's shirt, stating that he did not. The core of the decision rested on the fact that Cordoba gained his advantage through the initial holding action, which occurred during the attacking phase of play and in close proximity to the goal.
Mazhich stressed that the defender lost his defensive position specifically because his arm was pulled, which directly influenced the outcome of the play. This detailed explanation from the head of refereeing aims to clarify the application of the rules in a match-deciding moment.
Despite the disallowed goal, Krasnodar secured the three points. The team, managed by Murad Musaev, currently sits at the top of the Russian Premier League standings with 63 points. Their next fixture is an away match against Moscow's Dynamo scheduled for May 11.
Based on reporting from Чемпионат.com.