Article by Cezar Titor – Published Sunday, March 15, 2026, 1:16 p.m. / Updated Sunday, March 15, 2026, 1:16 p.m.
Giani Kiriță, 49 years old, double champion of Romania with Dinamo, three times winner of the Romanian Cup, puts the “cannons” on Istvan Kovacs, after the referee's mistake in the derby with Rapid, concluded with the victory of Giulești, score 3-2.
He considers a possible suspension of the “knight in black” from Carei as just and does not explain the magnitude of the mistake from the speedsters' second goal, given the fact that Kovacs has Conference League, Europa League and Champions League finals on his CV.
Giani Kiriță: “You don't see something like this even in the 4th League”
“Didn't the whole country see what happened? Is there anything else to comment on? In a match like this, when you have VAR, don't give such a foul, which you don't even see in the 4th League… You don't give it, goodbye! It's a shame to spoil a match of this level.
This is what everyone is asking: you go to the Champions League, you referee very well, you have the same VAR system, and yet here why do you referee like that? What is the cause? It seems almost impossible to explain. We are not talking about a slight foul, a simple push. He took it and threw it away. It can be seen from the plane“, declared Giani Kiriță for GSP.ro.
“100% should be suspended”
He also says that the phase should have been corrected with the help of the video referee, even if Kovacs did not initially see the foul, although he had a perfect view of the phase and was optimally positioned.
In his opinion, it is inadmissible for such a mistake to go unnoticed in the conditions where there are several referees and the VAR system. The former Dynamo player believes that such errors can undo a team's work and believes that tough measures should be taken, regardless of the referee's experience or the fact that he also officiates in important competitions.
“Let's say you didn't see the phase. You have VAR. Stop, replay, foul, that's it, that's how the referee should be refereed! The VAR should be self-sensing at such phases, you can't miss them. Are they not watching the game? There are six referees. What are six for? It seems for nothing.
See how a team works. Drastic action should be taken, surely, to learn something from this. It doesn't matter that you are an experienced referee or that you are refereeing in the Champions League. Football is the same in Romania.
100% should suspension. Now you have to close ranks, you have a very difficult match against Craiova and you have to get the most out of this game”, added the former defender from Ștefan cel Mare.
