© EuroFootball.com
"You, fag..., na... be quiet," words like these from referee Irmantas Kovalenkos are said to have been heard by Vilnius "Žalgiris" football player Mantas Kuklys on the field. "Don't get angry, there will be no comments," said Kovalenko, when asked why he started evaluating his elected leader M. Kuklys' sexual orientation on the field last week, calling him an uncensored expression.
The referee lost control during the Lithuanian A League championship match in Gargzdai on Friday, in which the country's vice-champion Vilnius "Žalgiris" failed to defeat one of the league's underdogs, Gargzdai "Bangos", with a score of 0:0.
According to M. Kuklys, the referee did not control the situation on the field and responded to criticisms with insults. Additionally, during added time, I. Kovalenko expelled "Žalgiris" legionnaire, Croatian Tomislav Pekos, from the field. When asked why the player was expelled, the referee also stated that there would be no comments.
- Why did you attack the referee and what words or actions prompted his insults?" we asked M. Kuklys.
- It was difficult to control emotions. At one point, T. Pekas was running alone towards the opponent's goalkeeper and was brought down. One hundred percent - a red card. But the referee showed a yellow. Later he also officiated in favor of one side. So we said what we thought about such officiating. But without any swearing or crude insults. "Stop joking", "clown", "you're making a circus". We used these words.
And he said to me, "You, fag..., shut up". I was astonished, because I had never heard referees in the A League speak like that to players before. Then he said, "Be happy that you got away with it against "Dainava"."
This means that there are some manipulations going on in Lithuanian football, because the referee believes that someone helped us in the match against Alytus "Dainava", and that's why he officiated against us now.
- Have you heard what words Pekas was expelled for from the field?
- Probably for Croatian curse words. But his curse was definitely not directed directly at the referee. T. Pekas asked several times why the referee did not notice the opponent's handball. And he saw a red card. Of course, emotions were overflowing. But for the first time in my life, I saw things happening on the field.
- Have there been any conflicts on the field with this referee before?
- Not in the A League. Only when I represented the university team, there were problems. But you can't compare them. Now, he is a referee in the A League, so he must be an example to the players. Even if five or six of us attacked him, he should have controlled himself and the situation. I understand that it's difficult, but after all, the A League is the highest division. So he can't call us faggots..."
