Refereeing expert claims Radnički Niš were disadvantaged in loss to Radnik Surdulica

Radnički Niš lost 0:3 to Radnik Surdulica in their first match under coach Nikola Drinčić. The result left the team with eight points in the Mozzart Bet Superliga. Refereeing expert Zdravko Jokić claimed that Radnički was drastically disadvantaged by officiating decisions during the game.

Frenk Kanute received two yellow cards for harsh tackles and was sent off by the 15th minute. This left Radnički with ten men for the majority of the match. Jokić considered the second yellow card valid, citing foot play against the opponent's body.

Referee Nenad Minaković awarded a penalty to Radnik in the 45th minute after the ball hit Gbolija Arijibi's hand. Jokić criticized this decision, arguing that Arijibi did not see the ball and his arm position was natural. This marked the fourth time this season and the third time in four consecutive rounds that a penalty was awarded against Radnički for handball.

Aleksandar Pejović scored the second goal for Radnik. The goal was confirmed by VAR despite Emanuel Kvarši pushing Stefan Veličković with both hands. Jokić stated that the push was a foul because Veličković was pushed with both hands and could not stop. The expert concluded that decisions on both Radnik goals were made to the detriment of Radnički Niš.

Nenad Minaković is scheduled to referee the Europa League match between Sturm and Olympique Marseille on Thursday. The controversy surrounding his decisions in the Superliga match has drawn attention ahead of this European fixture.