Competitive and combative, former Chelsea captain John Terry took on a management role in the Baller League with the same never-safe attitude he applied during the career he played.
If anything goes on the football pitch, teammates, coaches, managers and referees will likewise know how he felt.
In the Baller League, that’s not the same either. Former Premier League referee Mark Krattenberg certainly knows.
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In Game 1 of Baller League Night 3 as 26ers manager John Terry and umpire Mark Krattenberg Crush, the Tempers are high in Game 1.
The pair clashed following the decision during Terry’s 26ers’ match against three FC RTWs at night, with the five-time Premier League winner telling Krattenberg: “There are no f****** points.
Terry’s rant continued after the match when he told Sky Sports “the reference is terrible.”
The 26ers win, second from the bottom, only appearing isolated points due to four weeks of Baller League action. As far as Kratenburg is concerned, Terry needs some introspection after his team’s performance.
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There was a lot of passion when he saw his team admitted a slow goal in a 3-3 draw with FC RTW after 26ers boss John Terry clashed with umpire Mark Krattenberg.
“Terry has been able to tell him how to manage his football team, so we need to be careful.
“At the end of the day, you can make a comment. He wasn’t happy with the referee’s decision. There were a lot of run-ins in the Premier League with John Terry, but I certainly respected him as a player and had a great moment when I was refereeing Chelsea. He was a great player.
“He’s the winner, and that’s the most important thing, and you can’t take it from someone. That’s what I like about people – they’re still the winners and they want to win even if they’re excited, but he wins and sometimes it spills.
“He tried to blame me, but at the end of the day, it’s not necessarily the judge’s fault. It’s certainly not my fault. You have to look at the big picture. Is his team doing it well? No. No?
“But he’s putting in a lot of effort. I saw him in a photo on the beach in Dubai, so he’s fine. I’m sure the next time he wins, everything will be forgotten.”
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Chloe Kelly’s Wembley Rangers AFC was punished after Mark Kratenburg evoked a refereeing challenge during a match against M7 FC in the Baller league.
Terry’s bust-up reflects the old struggles of the judges, but it’s all happening in another Krattenberg environment.
The bronze box arena umpire in the Champions League, FA Cup and Eurofinals is quite changing, but it’s a challenge that Krattenberg is completely immersed in.
“It’s nice to be still active. I haven’t done any active umpire since 2020. So I’m not really involved. But I’m involved in these charity matches, sideman matches, YouTuber influencer games.
“Psychologically, it’s great that I can still be active. In the Baller League, the players really respect me, and that’s really fun.
“It’s great to have young referees taken to the Baller League so they can learn from me and inspire the next generation of young referees to be involved in the Baller and take on the referee.”
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Watch the best moments of Baller League Night 4.
The rules of the Baller League make for a fierce, faster game that is different from what Clattenburg was used to during his time as a FA and FIFA referee. Six-A-Side, GameChangers, Flashing Lights, is that a new era in soccer?
“That’s true,” says Krattenberg.
“When you’re in the arena every week, you can feel the buzz, you can feel the hype, you can feel the noise, you can all enjoy it, I think that’s the most important thing.
“At the moment, everything is being prepared to be as fast as possible and as exciting as possible, because fans, people need to be involved to see it.
“But what people want is excitement, especially the younger generation. The Premier League needs to bring leagues like this in the future, as the younger generation wants something else.”
Matchday 5 Fixture
Game 1: Wembley Rangers vs FC RTW Game 2: Santan FC vs M&FC Game 3: N5 FC vs 26ers Game 4: Deportrio vs Yanited Game 5: VZN FC vs MVPS United Game 6: Trebol FC vs SDS FC
Krattenberg, along with other referees involved, takes the Baller League seriously. Weekly video calls between staff members are used to analyze performance for the following week. Warm up, preparation, and nerves remain the same, as in the blockbuster matches that hosted for many years.
Officially, the tattoo is famous in commemoration of all the biggest fixtures he judged. Whether he adds something inspired by the Baller League? “We’ll never know the future,” says Krattenberg.
The Sky and Baller League has announced a one-year broadcast partnership to watch Sky Sports. Now, in an exciting new era of football, it will be the TV home for a new indoor 6-side contest in the UK.
All matches from the first British season will be exhibited live on Sky Sports Linear Channel on Monday night from London’s Bronze Box Arena.
The competition began on March 24th, with the top four teams taking part in the semi-finals and determining who will win the season.
