The decision to dismiss Leo Goglichidze, the defender of Sergey Karasev, who served as head referee for the final match between Krasnodar and Ural in the Russian Cup Regions Road, was publicly announced by former FIFA official Sergey Khusainov. Khusainov explained that any violation, whether on the field or in its surroundings, carries disciplinary consequences and should be recorded if contact occurs. He noted that Cordoba was ruled offside, Goglichidze pressed forward hard and received a second yellow card even though he was offside, and Karasev judged the calling to be correct.
Krasnodar hosted Ural for the culmination of the Russian Cup Regions Road. In a dramatic finish, Karasev issued a second yellow card to Goglichidze for a foul against John Cordoba and sent the Krasnodar defender off the pitch. A penalty was awarded to Ural shortly thereafter. Although VAR review led to the penalty being overturned for Krasnodar because of offside by a Krasnodar player, Goglichidze’s second yellow remained purple on the referee’s record. The sequence underscored the contentious balance between on-field action and officiating interpretation, with the final decision reflecting Karasev’s adherence to the prevailing interpretation of the rules.
The match concluded with Krasnodar securing a 2-1 victory. Vladimir Ivic’s squad advances to face CSKA in the Super Final, setting up a marquee finale that will hinge on the lessons drawn from this tightly contested encounter and the decisions that shaped its outcome. The match highlighted how refereeing, VAR interpretations, and player discipline interact in high-stakes cup finals, and it raised ongoing discussions about consistency in officiating across top-tier Russian football.