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Northern Ireland Manager Booked for Criticizing Referee's Performance
15 Nov, 2025
Summary
- Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill booked for telling referee to "be stronger"
- Slovakia scored late winner after two earlier Northern Ireland goals disallowed
- Northern Ireland player Daniel Ballard sent off on "a joke" yellow card
On November 14, 2025, Northern Ireland suffered a 1-0 defeat to Slovakia in a 2026 World Cup qualifier. The match was marred by controversy, with Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill receiving a yellow card for telling the referee, Istvan Kovacs, to "be stronger" in his decision-making.
The game's turning point came in the final minutes, when Slovakia's Tomas Bobcek scored the winning goal in added time. Northern Ireland felt the goal should have been disallowed, as they believed there was a push by Leo Sauer on Daniel Ballard in the build-up. To compound O'Neill's frustration, Ballard was later sent off after receiving a yellow card that the manager described as "a joke."
Adding to the drama, O'Neill revealed that he was disappointed that his opposing manager, Francesco Calzona, did not shake hands with him after the match. Despite the loss, Northern Ireland will still have a chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup through the March play-offs, having won their Nations League group in November.
