Former EuroLeague referee Sreten Radovic has addressed the controversial Facundo Campazzo decision from last season’s championship game, defending the importance of applying consistent officiating standards until the final buzzer.
The Croatian, who retired after officiating the EuroLeague final, acknowledged that the timing of the incident contributed significantly to the reaction surrounding the call.
“Because it happened in the final seconds of the biggest game of the season. In those moments, emotions are at their strongest, and people often judge the decision through the emotion of the result rather than through the action itself.”
Radovic insisted that referees cannot change their interpretation of the rules simply because a game is approaching its conclusion.
“From an officiating perspective, the principle is simple: if an action is a foul in the fifth minute, it remains a foul in the final second. The scoreboard and the time remaining cannot change the criteria.”
He also disagreed with suggestions that officials should intervene only in exceptional circumstances during the closing possessions, arguing that players and coaches expect the same standards to be maintained throughout a contest.
According to Radovic, referees should avoid searching for marginal violations at any stage of a game, while ensuring that comparable situations receive identical treatment regardless of the remaining time.
The former official recalled experiencing a similar situation during the Berlin Final Four two years earlier, although that decision produced a different outcome.
Radovic emphasized that emotional reactions are understandable in high-stakes encounters, but they should not determine whether an officiating decision is considered correct.
