Former referee of the Russian Premier League, **[Igor Fedotov](https://www.championat.com/author/24720-igor-fedotov/)**, shared his thoughts on the officiating during the match of the 5th round of the RPL between Moscow’s Dynamo and CSKA (1:3). The main referee for this match was **[Kirill Levnikov](https://www.championat.com/author/22118-kirill-levnikov/)**.

“Levnikov’s performance was generally solid; everyone seemed satisfied, and there weren’t any major issues during the game. However, some moments arose later on.

I couldn’t grasp the reasoning behind Ivanov’s VAR decision regarding Lechuk in the 47th minute. I refrained from commenting right away as I was looking for additional angles. Upon further review, I realized that two key criteria apply here for a red card: contact and an open goal. Lechuk had moved outside the penalty area, and there was definitely contact. The referee had two options: either to allow play to continue and let VAR handle it, or to issue a red card. Levnikov took a different route. It was undoubtedly a red card since Lechuk was out of the goal, and a subsequent shot would have likely resulted in a goal. This is the crucial moment. He should have shown a direct red for denying a clear scoring opportunity.

The incident in the 55th minute isn’t decisive, but I can’t explain why Levnikov deemed it wasn’t a penalty. The Dynamo player failed to play the ball and made contact with the opponent’s leg. Apparently, Levnikov thought the tackle didn’t affect the actions of the CSKA player. However, that’s not how it works. Similar instances involving Umyarov and Zobnin were treated consistently, resulting in penalties. Additionally, Levnikov didn’t correct his mistake after VAR intervention,” Fedotov commented in an interview with **Mikhail Rozhdestvensky** from “Championat.”