It's a hammer: Stephan Klossner (38) resigns as referee. He feels exposed because he is not believed to have been spat on by Raphael Nuzzolo. The referee’s report has been incontestable for years. What the referee notes is law. But now with Stephan Klossner, a 38-year-old referee, it is not anymore and he feels exposed. This is reported by the "Sonntag Zeitung".
It happened during the play-off game Xamax – Aarau on 30 May 2019. After 52 minutes, an Xamax player fell in the penalty area of Aarau, who was leading 3-0. Klossner gave no penalty and Raphael Nuzzolo (36) ran near him. Shortly afterwards Klossner showed him a red card. Xamax won 4-0 and the referee wrote in the report that hhe had been spat on by Nuzzolo: “I heard a corresponding noise and felt spit on my knee and hand”. Nuzzolo denies everything: “I never spat on anyone in my life spat. The truth must prevail”. There is a history among the referees, where Nuzzolo is not very popular because he complains again and again. Different with the fans and the public. The Disciplinary Committee suspended the Xamax player for four games, the first being the return leg of the play-off. Xamax then appealed the decision and the midfielder was acquitted. The referee report? Worthless. Klossner, doctor of biology and teacher at the Kanti Willisau, felt hit. He decided to stop at the end of the year. He said, "I do not need that anymore and prefer to spend the weekends differently. The motivation subsided. I do not have the puff anymore to go on and make it right for me. Why they do not believe me? What is that signal? Where does this lead to?” But how did Nuzzolo's acquittal come about? The "Sonntag Zeitung" wrote that, on 16 July, Klossner received an invitation by email for a recourse hearing on 29 July in Neuchâtel. Klossner could not appear in person, but was available by phone. The recourse court did not call him. Only the four-delegation of Xamax were allowed to speak: Nuzzolo, club president Binggeli and two lawyers. After the hearing, Nuzzolo said the offence "could not be proved", adding the reference "despite the increased credibility of the referee". The court of appeal said that “no picture showed that Nuzzolo turned his head to the referee. Also, due to the distance between him and Klossner, hardly any spit at two parts of the body could be felt and that a spitting noise in a sold-out stadium was hardly audible.” It's a big hit for Klossner.
Ernst Staehelin, the Basel lawyer who acts as president of the court, says: "The referee's report is not incontestable. If, on the basis of evidence from the accused party, the judge concludes that what is stated in the report cannot be proved, he acts accordingly. And then the verdict may come out differently." He understands Klossner and goes on: "It's like in normal life: When an accident happens on the road and ten witnesses are interviewed, you often have eleven opinions. Even a prosecutor cannot win in court as he would have hoped, but loses."
The Head of Swiss Refereeing, Dani Wermelinger, fears that now a prejudice has been created. And he says: "It is a pity that one of the best referees in Switzerland quits because of the behavior of players on the field and lack of support from the authorities." Switzerland loses a renowned referee: Klossner came in 2010 in the Super League and has been a FIFA referee since 2012.
