Europe’s most ruthless referees in top football leagues
Arguably the most popular sport in European history, it is undeniable football has a way of keeping fans on the edge of their seats through the thrill of an unpredictable match, much like playing online casino in the UK. Aside from the players, the referee plays a crucial role in the game’s outcome.
From controversial penalties to game-changing sendoffs, we highlight the officials who have earned a reputation for strict rule enforcement and unforgiving decision-making. Although each league has strict rules, which has the most ruthless refereeing?
Taking a closer look at the referees in the 2023-24 season across the top five football leagues in Europe, we unveil the most ruthless of them all, considering how many fouls, penalties, red cards, and more they’ve dished out during the season.
The most ruthless referees in the Premier League
1. David Coote
Ruthless score: 7.13/10
David Coote is the most ruthless Premier League referee, scoring 7.13 out of 10. Starting his career as a 16-year-old in leagues such as the Northern Premier League, Coote now officiates primarily in the Premier League.
Having made 16 game appearances in the 2023-24 season, Coote awarded approximately 24.7 fouls and gave players 5.19 yellow cards per game, the highest among any other referee last season.
2. Michael Salisbury
Ruthless score: 7.13/10
The English professional football referee Michael Salisbury is in joint first place, scoring 7.13 out of 10. Salisbury was promoted to the Premier League during the 2021–22 season and made a name for himself in the famous sporting event.
Having made 14 game appearances in the 2023-24 season, Salisbury not only gave the highest number of penalties per game (0.71) but also had the third-highest number of fouls awarded per game (23.8) and fouls per tackle (0.68). Salisbury also had a lower home win percentage of over two-fifths (42.9%) compared to the league average (46.3%); therefore, it’s no surprise he is at the top of the list.
3. Thomas Bramall
Ruthless score: 6.85/10
In third place is Thomas Bramall, scoring 6.85 out of 10. Born in Sheffield, Bramall first worked as a PE teacher before his role in England’s most prestigious football league.
With 11 game appearances last season, Bramail made quite the impression after handing out an average of 0.27 red cards per game, the highest in the season. He also had the second-highest number of fouls (24.6) and yellow cards (4.91) per game, following just behind David Coote.
The least ruthless referees in the Premier League
1. Samuel Barrott
Ruthless score: 1.67/10
Samuel Barrott is the least ruthless referee in the Premier League, with a ruthless score of just 1.67 out of 10. In his 15 appearances last season, Barrott handed out the fewest fouls (20.1) and yellow cards (3.13) per game.
The English football referee had the second-lowest average for red cards per game, with just 0.07. He is also in the top five for referees with the highest home win percentage of over half (53.3%), making him the least ruthless referee of the 2023-24 Premier League season.
2. Andy Madley
Ruthless score: 3.24/10
Among those with the most game appearances (23) in the last Premier League season, Andy Madley ranks second as one of the nicest referees, scoring 3.24 out of 10. Beginning his career in local Wakefield leagues, the Huddersfield-born football referee has dramatically advanced in his role over the last decade.
Madley issued the fewest penalties per game (0.04). He is also in the top five for handing out the fewest yellow cards (3.78) and red cards (0.09) per game on average.
3. Stuart Attwell
Ruthless score: 3.71/10
Making his prominent debut almost two decades ago as the youngest-ever referee in the Premier League, Stuart Attewell completes the top three list of nicest referees of the 2023-24 season with a score of 3.71 out of 10. With a lifelong ambition for refereeing, Attwell worked his way up from leagues such as the West Midlands League and the Football League.
The professional football referee made 17 game appearances last season and has the second-lowest fouls (20.7) and red cards (0.24) issued. Attwell is also in the top five with one of the fewest fouls per tackle (0.58) and penalties per game (0.18).
The most ruthless referees in Europe
1. Isidro Díaz de Mera Escuderos, Spain
Ruthless score: 8.37/10
Isidro Díaz de Mera Escuderos was the most ruthless referee in Europe last season, scoring 8.37 out of 10. With 18 game appearances in the league, the professional football referee handed out the second-highest fouls per tackle (0.91).
Not only is the professional La Liga referee in the top three for handing out one of the highest number of fouls per game (28.1) among nearly 100 referees in Europe, but he is also in the top 10 with one of the highest number of yellow cards per game (5.22). The Spanish referee had one of the lowest home win percentages of over a quarter (27.8%).
2. Simone Sozza, Italy
Ruthless score: 7.75/10
Italian football referee Simone Sozza is second with a score of 7.75 out of 10. In just his 11 game appearances of the 2023-24 season, Sozza handed out an average of 26.4 fouls per game and an average of 0.98 fouls per tackle – the highest among any other referee across the five top European leagues.
The professional Serie A referee had the second-highest penalties per game (0.82) and a home-win percentage of over a third (36.4%), significantly lower than the overall average of almost half (48.2%).
3. Benjamin Brand, Germany
Ruthless score: 7.72/10
Based in Bamberg, German referee Benjamin Brand ranks third, scoring 7.72 out of 10. Brand debuted in Germany’s top football league, the Bundesliga, and made 14 game appearances in the 2023-24 season.
Brand is the referee with the most penalties, with 0.86 per game. He also has one of the highest red cards per game, gaining a top 10 position with an average of 0.36.
The least ruthless referees in Europe
1. Samuel Barrott, England
Ruthless score: 1.24/10
With the lowest score of 1.24 out of 10, Samuel Barrott is the nicest football referee in Europe for 2023-24. The West Riding-based official appeared in 15 games and is among the top three referees with the fewest fouls per game (20.1) and the top five for both penalties (0.20) and yellow cards (3.13) per game.
With a relatively high home win percentage of over half (53.3%), it’s no wonder Barrott grabs the top spot as the nicest referee.
2. Sven Jablonski, Germany
Ruthless score: 1.73/10
Based in Bremen, German referee Sven Jablonski ranks second among the least ruthless referees in Europe after scoring 1.73 out of 10. After 16 game appearances, Jablonski not only had the lowest number of fouls per game among all other referees (19.2) but is also in the top five with one of the fewest fouls per tackle (0.57) alongside fellow German referee Christian Dingert.
The professional football official is among the top 10 European referees who handed out one of the fewest yellow cards (3.38) and red cards (0.06) per game.
3. Robert Schröder, Germany
Ruthless score: 1.92/10
Robert Schröder is the third nicest referee in Europe, scoring 1.92 out of 10. Schröder issued 0.63 fouls per tackle, 21.9 fouls, and 0.21 penalties per game on average across the 14 games he has appeared during the season.
The professional German referee also had one of the highest home win percentages, under two-thirds (57.1%), which is relatively higher than the overall average.
The league with the most ruthless referees
1. La Liga, Spain
Ruthless score: 7.08/10
La Liga had the most ruthless referees among the top five football leagues in Europe, scoring 7.08 out of 10. Not only did the Spanish football league have the highest average fouls per game (25.9), but it also had the highest number of yellow cards (4.61) and red cards (0.24) handouts compared to all other leagues.
The league with the least ruthless referees
1. Premier League, England
Ruthless score: 1.67/10
Scoring just 1.67 out of 10, the Premier League takes the top spot with the nicest referees in Europe. The renowned league had the highest home win percentage, with an average of less than half (46.3%), while also having the fewest fouls (22.2) and red cards (0.15) per game, as well as fouls per tackle (0.63).
Methodology
Using WhoScored.com, we gathered data on referees with 10 or more game appearances in the top five football leagues in Europe, looking specifically at the following factors:
- Fouls per game
- Fouls per tackle (1 d.p.)
- Penalties per game
- Home win percentage
- Yellow cards per game
- Red cards per game
Data for these factors were sourced for each league, including the Premier League (England), La Liga (Spain), Bundesliga (Germany), Ligue 1 (France), and Serie A (Italy), looking only at the 2023 to 2024 season.
We gave each referee a normalised score out of 10 for each factor. We calculated an average score out of 10 for each referee, revealing the most ruthless referees in each league and Europe.
To determine the European leagues with the most ruthless and nicest referees, we calculated the overall average for each factor in each league. Then, we gave each league a normalised score out of 10 for each average factor before calculating the average score out of 10 for each league.
Data collected for all sections was sourced on 19/07/2024.
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