And this is why Jan Vertonghen should win the Oscar for "Best dive that led to a red card".

Thoughts?

Shit happens. Move on.

@Man_Utd

I was hoping you would contribute something to this discussion. Like your opinion on whether referees/linesmen should think twice before giving out a red, or if players who are caught diving should be given a ban by UEFA or not.

Hopefully they ban him for a few games... It would serve that cunt right. I don't use the word cunt often, but this is an exception.

@Dynastian98
OK.
I think red cards all depend on the situation. This was just a case of those weird incidents where referees are just caught up in the moment with players swarming around him. I am also curious if the referee just saw Vertonghen fall down, or he saw the "offense". Because if I put myself in the referee's situation, I would be caught up in the the moment with players swarming around me, getting pressured and being afraid you might anger the home crowd by not making the "correct" decision. Hard to be a referee. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess but we have the replays and they don't.

EDIT: Didn't edit it. I kind of repeated myself by saying the referee is caught up in the moment with players swarming around him etc... Hope you understand what I mean.

@Man_Utd

There's also the linesman. He seemed to have a decent view of it, but i personally think that the referee has no right to give a red card if he does not see the incident. The incident must be seen by either the linesmen, the referee, or the fourth official. If unseen, do nothing. The FA, UEFA, or FIFA can punish the instigators accordingly in the future. In this case, the referee seemed to just see 6'2" Vertonghen fall like a twig, in which he assumed that the Dnipro player might've punched or elbowed Vertonghen in the face. But he didn't know that Vertonghen was clearly diving because his team was going to lose, but the referee decides to give a red based on his assumption. Bad decision.

@Dynastian pause the video at exactly 1:07. This is exactly what the ref sees if he sees anything at all. He sees Vertonghen's back, and then he sees a collison and he goes to the ground. It is really difficult to blame the refereee in this sort of situation.

@messi6511

Seems to me that the referee didn't see the "hit" (collision or a touch). It looks like he saw vertonghen down and there was a tension between a tottenham player and the other player. It looks like he just assumed something happened and gave a red.

maybe i'm in the minority here. But I see a clear headbutt which deserves a red. Maybe the ref didn't see it but in the end I say he lucked out with the right call. Obviously still an exaggerated performance by Vertonghen but still provoked by the headbutt.

@Mastertice

And the headbutt was provoked by Vertonghen's shove. By your logic, that would mean that both of them deserve reds.

A headbutt especially directed at someone's head is a red. Shoving here and there while trying to get position for a free kick is usually allowed. If it gets too aggressive the ref usually gives a warning to both players. But a headbutt is a headbutt. Red card everytime.

Poor Zozula ;(

@Mastertice i don't agree with you. Vertonghen is a sissy.

@Dynastian98
Again. It all depends on the situation. I'm not saying the referee made the right decision here. If the referee didn't see the incident, then yes, he shouldn't give a red card. But I need to know exactly what the referee saw specifically. If what @messi6511 says is correct, then what else can the referee do? I feel like this happens so often with the case with Ronaldo for example. Oh well.

Never mind.
I think the red card was deserved. It was a stupid move from the Dnipro player and regardless of the reaction from Vertonghen, you just don't bump your head into someone like that. It's quite simple really. And if the linesman or referee see's any head movement in the box, you're going to get a red card. I also heard from Tottenham fans in other forums, Dnipro players dived throughout the whole game and a player used Vertonghen's arm to hit himself.
It may look easy to judge the foul itself after it's done but when you're in the heat of the moment, you have to make the call.
Final verdict? Stupid move from the player and looked like it hurt a bit, deserved red.

http://gfycat.com/AnnualWholeIncatern
Look at the second angle. His chin rocked. Looked like it hurt but yes I know that Vertonghen made a meal of it.

Earlier in the match, someone from Tottenham (I don't remember who) punched Dnipro player with elbow from behind to head and it wasn't even yellow. Unfair red.

Shame on you Vertonghen, you lose all my respect, we don't need players like this for our national team.

People are so biased, imagine if suarez, bale or young had done that...we would never have heard the end of it

when you look at man_utd's gif, you can't disagree with the referee. It's true that Vertonghen was kinda looking for it and he made a big deal of the contact but it is a headbutt, and a headbutt is a red card. So in the end it's a good decision. And I think the reaction of the player who was carded was as disgraceful as the way vertonghen fell on the ground. When you do something like that and get a red card you don't act like you've been cheated.

EDIT : Also, I think that as long as referees won't have replays to look at fouls and incidents like this, people always exagerate a contact. Because if they don't how is the referee supposed to notice ?

D8ckhead. Dnipro could have won as well.