Photo credit to FC BE1 Jonava
After the A Lyga promotion/relegation second-leg game against FK Sūduva, Jonava’s “Be1” club filed an official protest to the Lithuanian Football Federation. The Pirma Lyga silver medalists are asking, among other things, whether the referee’s actions in the last minutes of the second half of the return match were not an attempt to influence the result.
Following the game in Marijampolė on Saturday, heated discussions arose among football experts and fans regarding the referee’s decisions. After regular time concluded and the compensation minutes began, the main referee, Robertas Valikonis, awarded a penalty kick to Jonava’s “Be1” goal. Marijampolė’s “Sūduva” converted the penalty, leading 1:0 and tying the aggregate score of the two-match series (as Be1 had won the first match in Jonava 2:1). This allowed “Sūduva” to force extra time, in which they remained goalless and eventually won the penalty shootout 4:2, thereby preserving their place in the A Lyga.
Representatives from the “Be1” club expressed their confusion over not only the referee R. Valikonis’s individual decisions but also the overall series of events during the decisive moments of the match. Specifically, they questioned the call for a penalty kick in the 92nd minute, as there was no obvious foul against “Be1” goalkeeper Dominykas Valeckas in the penalty area just seven seconds prior. Additionally, the referee failed to address the presence of outside individuals standing behind the “Be1” goal who were interfering with the goalkeeper by yelling and making noise. Such behavior contravenes competition regulations, which prohibit obstruction of this nature. Furthermore, the referee did not permit the Be1 team to make three substitutions during extra time, although the rules allowed this; instead, only one substitute was permitted.
“We do not wish to cast accusations or focus on individual incidents. We want to ensure that fair play prevails after reviewing all aspects of the match. This is crucial for the overall image of our football. Experts in this field will likely evaluate the validity and professionalism of the referee’s actions. We are exercising our right to file this protest and hope that the LFF, per the Disciplinary Code, will form a commission to determine whether the referee’s actions significantly impacted the match’s final result. Appropriate decisions should be made accordingly. I want to emphasize that we are not making definitive statements until proven, but we are striving for transparency and clarity,” stated Be1 club president Andrius Markevičius.
Source:
https://www.delfi.lt/sportas/futbolas/i-a-lyga-nepateke-jonavieciai-pateike-protesta-lff-120067272