Referee given 15 month prison sentence and 10-year ban from football

A referee has been given a 15 month prison sentence and a 10-year ban from football, all because he awarded a scandalous penalty.

Srbjan Obradovic pointed to the spot contentiously on two occasions, with both spot kicks scored, in Spartak Subotica’s 2-0 win against Radnicki Nis out in Serbia back in 2018.

The decisions came in the league’s play-off tie, with the winner securing Europa League qualification, so there was a huge amount at stake for both these sides.

Radnicki Nis also had a man sent off – Milan Padkov who now plays for Red Star Belgrade – while the scores were still level.

Pavkov was given his marching orders after being given a second yellow card just two minutes after his first.

Footage of the second penalty in the 78th minute left those within the ground stunned as the referee blew up for a spot-kick with nobody appealing and no sign of a foul.

¡INSÓLITO! 🎥 | El árbitro Srdjan Obradovic fue arrestado por marcar un penal inexistente en el juego Spartak Subotica ante Radnicki Nis en Serbia.

El Subotica ocupaba ganar para acceder a la Europa League, el central fue acusado de ayudar al equipo local que terminó ganando 2-0 pic.twitter.com/4mTmaYNg3l

— Deportes TVC (@DeportesTVC) May 15, 2018

The anti-corruption department of the Novi Sad Supreme Court has come down hard on the official with one of the most severe punishments in football history handed out.

The forward attended the referee’s trial as a key witness and Obradovic has now been discovered that he will endure a 15-month jail-term three years on from the incident, news agency Tanjug state.

The report added that Obradovic’s defence was that he saw a handball which was confirmed to him by his assistant.

The official has also been banned from any role with the Serbian FA for a decade.

Talking of referee controversy, that was exactly what happened in Serbia’s World Cup qualifier against Portugal.

Portugal were denied what looked to be a goal with Cristiano Ronaldo lashing out in fury by tearing off his armband and throwing it to the ground.

The ball looked to have crossed the line but without the help of goal-line technology the officials chose not to award a goal at the end of the 2-2 draw.

The armband is now up for sale to raise funds for a sick child and since then, the referee who denied Ronaldo’s injury-time goal admitted he was ’embarrassed’ and ‘apologised’ for his blunder.

Fernando Santos, manager of the reigning European champions, revealed Makkelie knew he made a costly error.

He told RTP: “We scored a goal that was not given when the ball went in. In a match of this level, that isn’t possible.

“The referee apologised to me in the booth and told me he was embarrassed. I was in the dressing room with him and apologised to me.

“He had told me on the pitch that he was going to see the images and that if it was the case he was calling me to apologise – and so it was.

“I told him on the pitch that there was no VAR or goal-line technology – one of the things he told me was that the goal line was important – but I told him that the ball was half a metre inside the goal.

“There was no obstacle between the goalkeeper and the goal line. [It is a] problem because we drew. We have to rethink.

“The referees are human and make mistakes, but that’s why there is the VAR and the goal-line technology to avoid this.”

Cristiano Ronaldo was fuming at full-time after being denied a 93rd-minute winning goal against Serbia that appeared to cross the line 😡 pic.twitter.com/PD8ePdluoR

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) March 27, 2021

Fans reacted as a referee has been given a 15 month prison sentence and 10-year ban from football…

@njwoodward: How many referees giving penalties at Old Trafford or Anfield would be facing jail time over here?

@LFC_19_6_: This should happen in the UK. We wouldn’t have a single referee left.

@jensonecfc: Brett Huxtable’s performance at Cheltenham couple seasons ago would be worse

@gedga14: How on earth has he gave a penalty there, he prob wouldn’t of been done for corruption if it wasn’t so obvious.

@JohnJrManning: @FA @EFL take note

@KieranMorby: Absolutely disgusting, not to mention the team was winning anyways 😂 why didn’t he just wait to see if the other tram scored and give an offside lol BUT noooooo gives a penalty for the opposing team clearing the ball smh

@TomBrown7: What you in for mate? Cause I give a dodgy pen 😂

@williegilmour: In Scotland he’d be promoted, to Grand Master.

@dan_mazhar: Which Swansea game did he officiate 😳

@GrecianInItaly: Brett Huxtable would be in for life if he refereed over there

@BrianMcivor5: Theres rapists and paedos dont get 15 months

@graeds79: Mike Dean would have served 2 life sentences if this law was in the UK!

@sfowler49: Send Mike Dean over there

@mickclark6441: They should look at the Premier League.. too many soft penalties out of nothing

@Stephen17220541: There would be no refs left if it was implemented over here

@MalcolmKidd1: If they took that action in England they’d probably be only about 3 refs left and that’s a fact 😤

@Why_Rizmyth: How lucky Howard Webb & Mike Dean be that the born in England not Serbia

@1966wall: There is a huge amount of spot betting corruption within the PGMOL. It will take only one brave soul within that den of thieves to step forward, to bring the whole corrupt temple crashing down.

@IAN_POULTER: Premier league referee’s better pull their fingers out.

@TheGeorge70: League 1 & 2 standard refereing that! Probably better than the current so called “Professional” fuckwits currently plying their trade in the leagues. Dog 💩

@DanRogerss: Same sentence should be given to the ref that sent Nani off Vs Madrid all them years back.

@guywiththestar: If this happens in EPL there will be no referees left