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Keith Hackett
Mon 2 June 2025 15:30, UK
Keith Hackett has blasted referee Istvan Kovacs for his handling of the Champions League final after similar controversies involving Arsenal and Aston Villa.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that Kovacs should still have played stoppage time in the second half despite the one-sided nature of the scoreline.
PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final on Saturday (31 May), to claim the trophy for the first time in their history.
In what was a dominant performance from the French champions, one move from referee Kovacs did still raise some eyebrows.
Keith Hackett
Keith Hackett was not impressed with one aspect of the Champions League final
Arsenal and Aston Villa inconsistency continues in Champions League final
With the result already as good as certain as soon as the clock hit 90 minutes, Kovacs elected not to add any stoppages to the game, instead immediately blowing his whistle for full time.
Earlier in the competition, referee Dominic Siebert had done the same with Aston Villa leading 6-1 on aggregate in the second leg of their Round of 16 clash with Club Brugge.
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On the same night though, Arsenal had still played a period of stoppage time, despite holding a 9-3 aggregate advantage over PSV Eindhoven.
During that additional period of play, Chelsea loanee Raheem Sterling had picked up a yellow card that earned him a suspension for the next Champions League matchday, exposing an issue over the inconsistency.
Having been critical at the point of that inconsistency over the use of stoppage time, Hackett has now also slammed Kovacs over that situation.
Keith Hackett hits out over stoppage time controversy
After being asked by Football Insider about whether the fact a Champions League final, with no other games to clash with and the result already settled, meant the lack of stoppage time was understandable on this occasion, the former referee said:
“The referee is the sole timekeeper of the game and you have to have two equal 45 minutes minimum.
“I can’t believe that in a game there isn’t added time. There’s got to be stoppages, there’s got to be some time-wasting.
“It doesn’t matter about the score. It’s incumbent upon the referee to ensure that the appropriate amount of time is played.
Arsenal winger Raheem Sterling
Photo Credit: Imago
“So I’m critical of the match referee. He may have come under some pressure from the organiser UEFA through television, interviews, ceremonial things, and all of that goes, but he has to carry out the laws of the game.
“And the laws of the game say that there’s a process and procedure. I can’t believe that there’s no added time in either half of a game or at any point in the game.
“There’s time that the goalkeeper’s taken, there’s time-wasting there’s substitutions, there’s goals. On average you’re going to allow about 30 seconds and probably a little more with the amount of celebrations that take place.
“So I think they’re out of order. I think the referee’s probably come under pressure and he should have resisted it, his responsibility is to ensure that the game is 90 minutes plus, and that the appropriate time is added on.”
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