Shakhtar-Dynamo match referee was consistent and did not influence course of game, Collina says

The referee of the match of the fourth round of the Ukrainian Premier League between Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv, Viktor Shvetsov, was consistent and did not influence the course of the game, the head of referees for the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU), Pierluigi Collina, has said.

"Collina noted consistency in the actions of the referee, who treated Dynamo and Shakhtar equally. In general, Collina said the referee was not the main person on the field, and his actions did not influence the course of the match," the FFU's press service quoted him as saying at a meeting with Ukrainian journalists on Monday.

Collina said at the beginning of the meeting that the media pay too much attention to referees, and that the referee's actions are often used as an excuse for a defeat. The Italian expert also said that all referees are responsible for their actions and added that they would be punished for their mistakes.