Tamas Molnar: Condemi decision “casted shadow on Olympics”

Tamas Molnar, head of the World Aquatics Water Polo Technical Committee (TWPC), has been speaking with Hungarian news portal, VLV, with some interesting reflections on the Paris Olympics.

Molnar, a three time Olympic champion with Hungary as a player, highlights everything from the sport’s high fan engagement to the Italy-Hungary quarterfinal controversy, technical challenges with VAR, and the growing presence of female referees in international water polo. This conversation reveals both the triumphs and trials of water polo at one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

Unprecedented Fan Interest

To start the interview with VLV, Tamas Molnar reflects on what he describes as an unprecedented level of fan interest in water polo at the Paris Olympics.

“A total of 350,000 tickets were sold for the two water polo tournaments, and… the teams played in front of a practically full house in every session, I can say that this has never happened before,” he states. “It is no coincidence that water polo finished in the top ten among the sports of the Olympics in the ‘category’ of fan interest, in terms of the number of tickets sold, specifically in 9th place. This is a huge thing.”

The 49-year-old expresses pride in the sport’s growing popularity, although he acknowledges that Hungary’s results were disappointing for Hungarian fans.

“From the Hungarian point of view, the result achieved is obviously a bit of a disappointment, the fact that we were left without a medal,” Molnar admits, underscoring the emotional weight for Hungarian supporters.

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Refereeing Under High Pressure

The Italy-Hungary quarterfinals proved to be one of the most heated matches of the tournament, partly due to a critical officiating error that impacted the flow of the game. Molnar shares his perspective on the incident, emphasizing that the game’s atmosphere and intensity can place immense pressure on officials.

“The Montenegrin judge, who had led the tournament at a really high level until then, received very good reviews – he made a bad decision,” Molnar acknowledges. “That’s why we try to imagine ourselves in his situation… there is a situation that he may not have seen exactly, there is a player with a bleeding head sitting on the bench. He also knows exactly what kind of responsibility he has for such a decision.”

Molnar adds that, had the match continued at 3-3 without the controversial call, it might have diffused the tension.

“If the match had continued at 3:3, without judging the act of violence (so that particular goal would have been valid) – it would have been easier for everyone,” he reflects. “The Italians unleashed such fury that they were able to capitalize on it right away, leading 6:4, 8:6.”

Molnar points out that referees face split-second decision-making in high-stakes situations in front of 15,000 people, adding, “I encourage everyone to go there, take the whistle and… when you have to decide in a tenth of a second, send-off or penalty, possibly a counterfoul – make your judgment, which is of enormous importance in any given case.”

The error in this match left a mark on Molnar, who confesses, “For me… what happened in the Italian-Hungarian quarter-finals casts a bit of a shadow on the Olympics.”

Criticism and Transparency in Officiating

Molnar addresses the challenge of criticism directed at referees, especially from sources he feels lack nuanced understanding of the sport’s complexities. He remains critical of online reviews that evaluate referee performance based solely on television broadcasts – a clear reference to Total Waterpolo’s referee evaluations during the tournament.

“It’s actually very frivolous… I don’t want to use the term ‘unethical’,” he says. “Anyone who has a little idea about this sport knows exactly that you cannot evaluate a referee while sitting in front of a TV screen.”

Molnar argues that these assessments overlook essential factors, such as a referee’s positioning and coordination with their partner. He believes comprehensive judgments should consider elements that cannot be seen on TV.

“The activities of the referees cannot be rated as such if you are not there,” Molnar states firmly. “Everyone knew how to deal with it, but it still got a little ingrained in people’s minds.”

When asked about the possibility of making referee evaluations public, Molnar notes that transparency varies across different sports, adding, “If we look around at the major sports, we know very little about the official qualification of the referee’s work elsewhere.”

VAR Technology Shortcomings

VAR technology, intended to assist referees with complex calls, faced limitations in Paris, Molnar reveals. He explains that while efforts were made to integrate TV broadcast signals for more precise replay reviews, technical obstacles hindered its functionality.

“Unfortunately, we unsuccessfully applied the same conditions and requirements in Paris – we did not receive them,” Molnar explains. “Even though the TV signal was there, for some reason the contracting partner could not display it. I asked for it every day myself, it never happened.”

Molnar indicates that an investigation within World Aquatics is essential to understand and address these technical issues, stating that such setbacks impacted the effectiveness of VAR throughout the tournament.

Referee Retirements and Female Referee Development

Alexandrescu’s retirement from refereeing after the Italy-Hungary match brought attention to the intense pressures officials face. According to Molnar, the TWPC supported him, though Alexandrescu still felt compelled to leave.

“A mistake was made in an intense situation, which received enormous publicity… Unfortunately, victims have become bad guys,” Molnar remarks, suggesting that Alexandrescu’s years of exemplary officiating were unfortunately overshadowed by one incident.

In addition to Alexandrescu’s departure, Molnar discusses the growth in female referees at the Olympics, highlighting the progress made over recent years.

“In Tokyo, there were two female referees; in Paris, there are now seven,” he states. “Four or five female referees are at a similar level, all of them very young to reach the top of the peaks in time.”

Molnar finished the interview without delving into detail of any new rule changes, but stated:

“We are always open to new ideas and generally act proactively,” Molnar says. “We support the results of the tests with data for the decision-makers.”