Referee Daniel Siebert left Villarreal with nine players after UEFA time-wasting rule

Villarreal beat Napoli 3-1 in the second round of the UEFA Champions League, but the match is being talked about for an unusual refereeing decision by Daniel Siebert that briefly left the Spanish side with only nine players on the pitch.

How it happened

The pivotal moment came in the 63rd minute when Villarreal coach Marcelino signalled a double substitution. Strikers Gerard Moreno and Georges Mikautadze began to walk off slowly toward the touchline, and Siebert judged their movement to be deliberate time-wasting.

Instead of simply waving play on, the referee enforced a new UEFA directive targeting time-wasting: players leaving the field must do so without delay. Under the measure, if the outgoing players do not step off quickly, the incoming substitutes are barred from entering for 60 seconds.

The decision meant Villarreal had to defend for about a minute with only nine players while the substitutes remained off the field. The scene caused loud confusion in the stands and among commentators, as bench players waited beside the fourth official while the match continued.

After the game, Gerard Moreno defended his actions, saying: "At that moment, I did not hear the whistle that ordered me to leave the field immediately."

UEFA has rolled out the stricter enforcement as part of an anti-time-wasting push and warned clubs across Europe that delays will no longer be tolerated and will be punished immediately on the pitch.

Photo: press material from the event