Top 10 Most Controversial Refereeing Decisions

Top 10 Most Controversial Refereeing Decisions

From Sport Is History by SpiritLand Creative

May 15, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

Mark and Marcus discuss the most controversial refereeing decisions in football history.

Being a referee isn't exactly easy...but it becomes a whole lot harder when you get it wrong! In this bonus episode, Mark and Marcus look back on some of the most outrageous refereeing decisions in football, both club and country. From incorrect offside calls to overzealous bookings, the pair break down some of the worst and most interesting choices made by referees. Stories include the 2009 Chelsea v Barcelona Champions League semi-final, Pedro Mendes' halfway line strike from 2005 against Manchester United and referee Wolf-Dieter Ahlenfelder's alcoholic indulgence before a game alongside many more. Every week, Mark Pougatch and Marcus Buckland unpack unbelievable stories from the world of sporting history. ⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by Spiritland Creative Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Hosts: Mark Pougatch, Marcus Buckland

Topics covered

  • refereeing decisions
  • football controversies
  • sports history
  • outrageous calls
  • club football
  • international football

Keywords

  • referee
  • controversial decisions
  • football
  • Chelsea
  • Barcelona
  • Manchester United
  • Pedro Mendes
  • Wolf-Dieter Ahlenfelder

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Spiritland Creative

More episodes of Sport Is History

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Sport Is History podcast page.