UEFA have named a lenient referee for the crunch West Ham European semi-final second leg with AZ Alkmaar after Joe Cole’s ‘prison’ comment.
West Ham face one of the biggest games in the club’s modern history in Holland on Thursday night.
The Hammers take on AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final.
The tie is delicately poised at 2-1 to West Ham after David Moyes’ side came from behind to gain a narrow lead at the London Stadium last Thursday night.
Ahead of the first leg, Hammers News warned West Ham about young card-happy referee Halil Umut Meler.
UEFA name lenient referee for crunch West Ham European semi-final second leg with AZ Alkmaar after Joe Cole ‘prison’ comment
He lived up to his reputation and left Moyes, his players and West Ham fans furious with his decisions throughout.
The Hammers were furious as countless fouls on their players went ignored.
After the game ex West Ham star Joe Cole used an extreme example to describe what he saw in West Ham win over AZ Alkmaar.
Cole compared the referee’s approach to being like ‘prison rules’ where anything goes.
Now UEFA have named a lenient referee for the crunch West Ham European semi-final second leg with AZ Alkmaar after Joe Cole’s ‘prison’ comment.
Slovakian referee Ivan Kruzliak will be in charge in Holland. The 39-year-old has officiated in 35 games this season.
But he has only dished out five red cards. And only two of them have been straight reds (transfermarkt).
He has issued 169 yellow cards, though. That’s an average of just under five per game.
Kruzliak has been the ref for games involving the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea and Bayern Munich this season. And he is much more experienced than the official from the first leg.
West Ham saw their European dreams dashed by Germans at the semi-final stage last season.
And they will be hoping Germans don’t do for them again with Marco Fritz and Christian Dingert on VAR duty.
MORE WEST HAM NEWS
ITK journo’s major claim about new arrival at West Ham in Moyes update.
Huge significance added to West Ham clash with Leeds and Allardyce.
Confident Jansen says AZ have given an important signal to West Ham.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
