Referee Cakir received a surprise offer

Cuneyt Cakir, the most famous referee of Turkish football, received a great transfer offer. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation sat at the table with Cakir to referee matches in their own league. According to the information received, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation offered an astronomical figure to 44-year-old Cakir. It was learned that the offer made was 500,000 dollars for one season. It is equivalent to 7-8 times of Cakir’s annual earnings in Turkey. It is believed that Cakir is currently  thinking about the offer, but he is very keen on the proposal. He successfully refereed the match between Al Hilal and Al Nassr in the Saudi Arabian Pro League in 2019 and received great praise for his management in that match.

Cuneyt Cakir, who started his referee career in 1994, did his first match in the Super League in 2001 and received his FIFA badge in 2006. In Europe, he directed the Europa League semi-final between Fulham and Hamburg in the 2009-2010 season, then stepped into the Champions League with the Rubin-Barcelona match in the 2010-2011 season.

On 16 June 2011, Cakir was promoted to the UEFA Elite Category, which is the top category in Europe. Then, he refereed a FIFA U-20 World Cup semi-final, a Champions League semi-final and a FIFA Club World Cup final, respectively. Cuneyt Cakir attended the 2012 Euro, where he blew the whistle in the Portugal-Spain semi-final. Participating in the 2014 World Cup, Cakir became only the second Turkish referee to experience this honour, after Dogan Babacan. Cakir made history by refereeing the semi-final match between Netherlands and Argentina and hit the top of his career with the Champions League final between Barcelona and Juventus in 2015. His last top appointments were at Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018.

Source: Haber

FP World’s Best Futsal Referee 2020: Jelic (CRO)

Futsal Planet has awarded the prizes for the year 2020 to the most outstanding referees in relation to World Futsal. Futsal Planet made a selection of the main experts in futsal from around the world to decided who won the Awards, using a voting system where each individual voted for their 5 favorites in each category of the nominees, who have been selected by the Futsal Planet team in order of preference. The first chosen nominee received 5 points, the second 4 points, and so on, and the fifth nominee received 1 point. In the event that one of the voters was also nominated in a category, they were not be allowed to vote in that category.

FP World’s Best Futsal Referees 2020 

1. Nikola Jelic (CRO, photo) - 658 p

2. Irina Velikanova (RUS) - 479 p

3. Daniel Matkovic (SUI) - 357 p

4. Daniel Rodriguez (URU) - 342 p

5. Gelareh Nazemi (IRN) - 304 p

6. Valeria Palma (CHI) - 249 p

7. Tomohiro Kozaki (JPN) - 235 p

8. Fahad Al-Hosani (UAE) - 143 p

9. Mohamed Hassan (EGY) - 137 p

10. Khalid Hnich (MAR) - 111 p

Source: Futsal Planet

De Almeida making her way and leaving her mark

The day after officiating Independiente-Arsenal in the Argentinian top flight, Mariana de Almeida woke up early. She immediately noticed four missed calls from her husband Javier Uziga, an assistant referee like her. Knowing he should be driving back from a match in Parana, she worriedly returned his call. However, when Javier answered, he was euphoric. "I didn't understand what he was saying, as I hadn't yet seen my messages or the e-mail with the official designation," De Almeida tells FIFA.com with a laugh, just hours before embarking for Qatar. "I had no indication so, apart from being surprised, I felt enormous happiness and pride," adds the 38-year-old assistant referee. De Almeida, together with Brazilians Edina Alves Batista (referee) and Neuza Back (assistant referee), will be the first women to form part of the refereeing team at a FIFA Club World Cup when they officiate at the rescheduled 2020 edition from 4-11 February. "On a personal level, I see it as recognition of my career and another nice vote of confidence in me and my work – all within the context of seeing more and more female referees called up for men's tournaments. That wasn’t happening when I started out, so hopefully it’ll encourage more girls and women to take up refereeing."

From fan and journalist to referee

So how did De Almeida first get involved in football? "Well, I had no family influence and I'm not a good player, but I’ve always liked it. I would go to watch any game I could, especially with high school friends. That’s why I decided to pursue something sport-related." Consequently, she began studying sports journalism in 2000. "One of the classes was on refereeing, the laws of the game more than anything, and I liked it. However, I felt that if I was going to be a woman with opinions on this, then I needed a deeper understanding," she explains. "So, I told my professor, a former referee, and he thought it was a good idea. He recommended I take the course at the Argentine Association of Referees. ‘You’ll discover a whole new side of things there,’ he told me, and he was right!” De Almeida did not encounter concern or prejudice from any quarter. "A secretary took my application, and I felt really good from the first minute. No one looked at me weirdly or asked me what I was doing there. That said, there weren't many girls in the school of journalism either, so it all felt normal." Then the practical part of the course came around. "That's where I really started to enjoy it and began thinking of it as a possible career. At the time I was doing an internship for a sports daily, but I knew I couldn’t juggle both. So, I opted for refereeing." However, the prospect of being the on-field official did not appeal. "I really liked to collaborate with the referee and fulfil that supporting role that sometimes becomes primary, because our decisions are important. I loved how the action appeared from the sidelines!"

Accumulated experience

De Almeida considers herself to have been fortunate in her profession. “Nothing very strange has happened to me, nor have I ever left the field in tears vowing never to return. Quite the opposite, in fact.” That didn't happen even when she began refereeing underage teams in 2006 as an approved AFA match official. "Mothers were glad to see a woman, though they would then be angry if a decision didn’t go their way (laughs)." Humour also came in handy in dealing with some funny situations she experienced along the way, such as when the sidelines were very close to the stands. "I’d take out my notecard to write down something, and someone would shout out their phone number... I couldn't help laughing." When refereeing, De Almeida makes no distinction between men and women. "There’s just one set of rules. In Argentina, I know a lot of the women players, as we grew up together! The same with the guys. There's respect on the pitch. We stopped being an unusual sight a long time ago." While she has been a FIFA assistant referee since 2008, her first FIFA tournament was the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in 2012, an event she still remembers fondly. "Over and above the excitement, I was the reserve assistant referee for the final, so I was also given an official flag, which I've been using ever since." The Argentinian later took part in the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015, the 2016 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Rio de Janeiro and the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Uruguay, before appearing at her second senior Women’s World Cup in 2019, where she formed part of the VAR team for the final. "It was a privilege that they trusted me with a tool I’d only recently come into contact with."

Libertadores, Qatar and beyond

De Almeida was part of another landmark achievement in September 2020, when, together with compatriot Daiana Milone, they became the first female match officials to form part of a refereeing team for Copa Libertadores duty (Editor's note: Copa Sudamericana had earlier featured female officials before the pandemic disrupted the event). As fate would have it, she was assigned Racing Club-Nacional, a major fixture. "It's true that we were called up because of Covid-related withdrawals, but they trusted us even though we hadn't been officiating in seven months, not to mention that we, assistant refs, came from the same country as the home team. That Libertadores call-up was later validated by subsequent ones when Covid was not a factor," she tells us. After officiating at the first professional final of the Argentinian Women’s Championship between Boca Juniors and River Plate, De Almeida is fully focused on Qatar. "There are a few nerves, but I want to enjoy it in spite of the responsibility." She reveals that she is in a WhatsApp group with the aforementioned Alves Batista and Back "to talk exclusively about the World Cup. I know them, having done VAR support for both of them at the World Cup and seen them at other tournaments, without ever working the same games." Looking beyond the Club World Cup, De Almeida is clear about what she wants for the future. "I’d like to officiate for as long as my body permits, which could be longer now that VAR has opened up another possible avenue for me. Aside from my goals, I’d like to see a female referee at the Copa America or at the World Cup Qatar 2022. Those are opportunities to open doors and pave the way for generations to come."

De Almeida and...

- Being married to another assistant referee: "We support, help and understand each other, although we’ve sometimes gone to bed angry after disagreeing about some decision."

- The Laws of the Game: "I keep a paper copy of each edition and like to have the latest one to hand in case I need to mark it or look for what I need."

- Memorabilia (I): "I hold on to a lot of shirts, including the one I wore the very first time I refereed, which was in a boys five-a-side league."

- Memorabilia (II): "I have the yellow cards I carried on my debuts in each category, and all the FIFA badges I’ve worn."

Source: FIFA

UEFA Futsal Euro 2022 Qualifying Round – Group Stage (Matchday 2)

27-31 January 2021 

Croatia – Albania
Referee 1: Ingo Heemsoth (GER, photo)
Referee 2: Michael Lima (LUX)
Third Referee: Josip Dujmic (CRO)
Timekeeper: Dino Kramar (CRO)

Moldova – Greece
Referee 1: Dario Pezzuto (ITA)
Referee 2: Daniele D'Adamo (SMR)
Third Referee: Olga Tanschi (MDA)
Timekeeper: Valeri Minciuna (MDA)

Bosnia and Herzegovina – North Macedonia
Referee 1: Carl Hughes (WAL)
Referee 2: Valentin Ciuplea (WAL)
Third Referee: Farik Keco (BIH)
Timekeeper: Pljevljak Jasenko (BIH)

Romania – Serbia
Referee 1: Viktor Bugenko (MDA)
Referee 2: Ingus Puriņs (LVA)
Third Referee: Liviu Chita (ROU)
Timekeeper: Daniel Deca (ROU)

Montenegro – Italy
Referee 1: Adrian Tschopp (SUI)
Referee 2: George Jansizian (SWE)
Third Referee: Drazen Vukcevic (MNE)
Timekeeper: Vukic Femic (MNE)

Belgium – Finland
Referee 1: Yiangos Yiangou (CYP)
Referee 2: Georgios Kozakos (CYP)
Third Referee: Gerd Bylois (BEL)
Timekeeper: Thomas Zambuto (BEL)

Azerbaijan – Slovakia
Referee 1: Irina Velikanova (RUS)
Referee 2: Iuri Neverov (RUS)
Third Referee: Hikmat Qafarli (AZE)
Timekeeper: Knyaz Amiraslanov (AZE)

Russia – Armenia
Referee 1: Borislav Kolev (BUL)
Referee 2: Kaloyan Kirilov (BUL)
Third Referee: Vladimir Kadykov (RUS)
Timekeeper: Alexey Ivanov (RUS)

Latvia – Slovenia
Referee 1: Yaroslav Vovchok (UKR)
Referee 2: Yevhen Hordiienko (UKR)
Third Referee: Eduards Fatkulins (LVA)
Timekeeper: Kiazo Leladze (LVA)

Switzerland – Spain
Referee 1: Nikola Jelic (CRO)
Referee 2: Mislav Dzeko (CRO)
Third Referee: David Schaerli (SUI)
Timekeeper: Darko Boskovic (SUI)

Portugal – Poland
Referee 1: Angelo Galante (ITA)
Referee 2: Nicola Manzione (ITA)
Third Referee: Ruben Santos (POR)
Timekeeper: Cristiano Santos (POR)

Denmark – Croatia
Referee 1: Slawomir Steczko (POL)
Referee 2: Dominik Cipinski (POL)
Third Referee: David Nissen (DEN)
Timekeeper: Kasper Darfelt (DEN)

Albania – Ukraine
Referee 1: Ozan Soykan (TUR)
Referee 2: Murat Colak (TUR)
Third Referee: Arlind Subashi (ALB)
Timekeeper: Kreshnik Hakrama (ALB)

Candidate Referees for FIFA Futsal World Cup 2021

Lithuania, 12 September - 3 October 2021

AFC
1. Ryan Shepheard (AUS, 1977)

2. Hussain Al Bahhar (BHR, 1980)
3. An Ran (CHN, 1980)
4. Liu Jianqiao (CHN, 1984)
5. Zari Fathi (IRN, 1988)
6. Ebrahim Mehrabi (IRN, 1982)
7. Mahmoudreza Nasirloo (IRN, 1976)
8. Gelareh Nazemi (IRN, 1984 )
9. Kumi Hiruma (JPN, 1981)
10. Tomohiro Kozaki (JPN, 1978)
11. Nurdin Bukuev (KGZ, 1980, photo)
12. Mohamad Chami (LBN, 1979)
13. Lee Po Fu (TPE, 1988)
14. Yuttakon Maiket (THA, 1978)
15. Fahad Al-Hosani (UAE, 1979)
16. Quoc Truong (VIE, 1982)

CAF
1. Tarek Ahmed (EGY, 1977)
2. Mohamed Hassan (EGY, 1977)
3. Said El Haoud (MAR, 1983)
4. Khalid Hnich (MAR, 1981)
5. Mustapha Rguig (MAR, 1982)
6. Hilario Almoco (MOZ, 1979)
7. Nabil Gueddich (TUN, 1981)
8. Aymen Kammoun (TUN, 1984)

CONCACAF
1. Chris Grabas (CAN, 1982)
2. Yeraldin Araya (CRC, 1988)
3. Ronny Castro (CRC, 1978)
4. Diego Molina (CRC, 1986)
5. Reinier Fiss (CUB, 1987)
6. Carlos Berroa (DOM, 1990)
7. Carlos Gonzalez (GUA, 1982)
8. Francisco Rivera (MEX, 1977)
9. Ricardo Lay (PAN, 1987)
10. Roberto Lopez (PAN, 1989)
11. Jose Barrera (SLV, 1989)
12. Jorge Flores (SLV, 1981)
13. Josh Wilkens (USA, 1982)

CONMEBOL
1. Maria Pinto (ARG, 1986)
2. Leandro Lorenzo (ARG, 1975)
3. Dario Santamaria (ARG, 1979)
4. Henry Gutierrez (BOL, 1981)
5. Ricardo Amaral (BRA, 1983)
6. Anelize Schulz (BRA, 1985)
7. Gean Telles (BRA, 1975)
8. Cristian Espindola (CHI, 1979)
9. Valeria Palma (CHI, 1990)
10. Yuri Garcia (COL, 1985)
11. Jonathan Herbas (ECU, 1988)
12. Carlos Martinez (PAR, 1980)
13. Rolly Rojas (PER, 1980)
14. Daniel Rodriguez (URU, 1979)
15. Tayana Moreno (VEN, 1992)
16. Jose Villar (VEN, 1982)

OFC
1. Antony Riley (NZL, 1985)
2. Chris Sinclair (NZL, 1986)
3. Rex Kamusu (SOL, 1984)

UEFA
1. Borislav Kolev (BUL, 1979)
2. Nikola Jelic (CRO, 1982)
3. Ondrej Cerny (CZE, 1979)
4. Marc Birkett (ENG, 1978)
5. Kirill Naishouler (FIN, 1983)
6. Victor Berg-Chaix (FRA, 1985)
7. Cedric Pelissier (FRA, 1976)
8. Gabor Kovacs (HUN, 1978)
9. Angelo Galante (ITA, 1975)
10. Chiara Perona (ITA, 1987)
11. Eduardo Fernandes (POR, 1979)
12. Miguel Oliveira (POR, 1981)
13. Vladimir Kadykov (RUS, 1984)
14. Irina Velikanova (RUS, 1980)
15. Petar Radojcic (SRB, 1981)
16. Lukas Pesko (SVK, 1983)
17. Juan Cordero Gallardo (ESP, 1978)
18. Alejandro Martinez Flores (ESP, 1977)
19. Daniel Matkovic (SUI, 1989)
20. Kamil Cetin (TUR, 1984)

Italian referee Maresca in trouble

Inter coach Antonio Conte risks a two-match suspension after the clash with Fabio Maresca, but the incident has consequences for the match official too. Reports in Italy highlight the looming suspension for Conte and team manager Lele Oriali, who were sent off in the 0-0 draw with Udinese on Saturday.

Conte and Maresca clashed on the pitch and in the tunnel at the Dacia Arena, during and after the match between Udinese and Inter, and it will also have consequences for the match official. Towards the end of the match, Conte complained about the short amount of stoppages. “It’s always you, Maresca,” he said, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Always you. Even as VAR.” After the sending off, Conte and his staff exploded and shortly afterwards Oriali was sent off too. Now, they both risk a two-match suspension. According to the Sport Italia journalist Alfredo Pedulla, Maresca replied: “You must accept when you don’t win.” The turmoil then continued in the tunnel, where the report claims physical contact between the coach and the referee occurred, including heavy insults. La Gazzetta dello Sport claims the refereeing designator Nicola Rizzoli has decided Maresca will no longer referee Inter for a long period of time, and is also considering to leave out the match official from Serie A.

Source: Football Italia

Concacaf League Final 2020: Barton (SLV)

3 February 2021 

Alajuelense – Saprissa
Referee: Ivan Barton (SLV, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: David Moran (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Kathryn Nesbitt (USA)
Fourth Official: Rubiel Vazquez (USA)

Women referees make African football history at CHAN

Three women referees created history at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) quarter-finals. Ethiopian referee Lidya Tafesse and her assistants, Malawian Bernadettar Kwimbira and Nigerian Mimisen Iyorhe, became the first women to control a match at a senior CAF male tournament. The breakthrough came two years after women referees handled matches at the African U-23 and U-17 Cup of Nations tournaments. 

Tafesse, a former professional basketball player, tolerated no foul play as she yellow-carded three Tanzanians within 10 minutes during the second half. African male footballers often dispute decisions against them, but most accepted without hesitation the rulings of Tafesse at the Stade Omnisport in the southwestern coastal resort. "Lidya really enjoyed herself tonight and was a wonderful advertisement for female referees," a CAF official, who requested anonymity as he is not an official spokesperson, told AFP. CAF refereeing manager Eddy Maillet, from the Seychelles, was pleased as the trio created history eight days into the sixth edition of the Nations Championship. "The CHAN is the second most senior national team competition in the continent after the Africa Cup of Nations," he said. "It is a wonderful platform for Lidya, Bernadettar and Mimisen to prove what they are capable of. They competed with male referees for places at this tournament and now they have made history," he added. 

Source: BeSoccer

Roldan: “In the final stretch of my career, I did not want the pandemic to take a year away from me”

Colombian FIFA referee Wilmar Roldan began refereeing at the young age of 12, in local and regional tournaments. In February 2003 he refereed his first official professional football match and obtained the FIFA badge in January 2008, at the age of 28. In addition, he has a degree in Physical Education, graduating from the Universidad Autonoma Latinoamericana (UNAULA). Beyond recognizing and accepting the difficulties that a large part of the world had to face - and continues to do so - given the situation of the coronavirus pandemic, he affirms that 2020 "was one of the best years of my career." 

- Why was it one of the best years for you? 

- It is no secret to anyone that sport was one of the worst hit sectors, in the atypical 2020. There was a lot of uncertainty with all the events canceled. At the local level, it has not yet been possible to resume activities, which is why I have stopped my refereeing school since March. It was something new for us. As we could see, no one was prepared to face this. However, thank God, when everything came back, I finished very well and was able to show all my professionalism in the middle of this bad situation. 

- And how do you explain this? 

- Every day I woke up to train with that dream. The first months of confinement were difficult, but the human being is already adapting, so I did not stop training. I am in the final stretch of my career and I did not want the pandemic to take a year from me. I lived each game with great enthusiasm. I did not mind being away from my family for 15 days or traveling by car for hours. I enjoyed all that and it showed on the pitch, that's why 2020 was one of my best years at a professional level. 

- How do you rate South American refereeing in general? 

- If you watch the leagues in the world, mistakes are made everywhere. If we take it to our context, refereeing is always going to be very subjective because there is passion. You're never going to want the team you love to be whistled against. But we have young referees, there is a generational change and they are gaining experience. This is like footballers, they have to add matches to make as few mistakes as possible and become better. Wilmar Roldan was not the same 10 years ago as it is today. 

- Do you miss the crowds in stadiums? 

- Totally. I like a stadium full of people. See that folklore that we all know and see the passion that their team awakens in people. That makes our sport different. 

- When would you like to retire? 

- Will continue until the leaders want to have me there and continue to give guarantees. I would like to finish my career well. The issue of the pandemic served as a grounding for me. Enjoy the moment more. I live each game as if it were the last and the people who know me congratulate me because they realize that. 

- What do you say to those who want to follow in your footsteps? 

- In my organization, I tell referees that they have to take it as a mean and not as an end. Regardless of the pandemic, very few make a living from refereeing because here we do not have a contract, they pay us for each match. So, until it becomes professional, that is our reality. I know how difficult it is because I had to endure hunger and, at this time, I put my hand in my pocket to help referees who did not have a job. 

Source: Gol Caracol

Chilean Osses is the new Director of Referee Instruction in Mexico

Enrique Osses, FIFA instructor and former president of the Chilean Referees Committee, who has more than 15 years of experience, will be the new Director of Instruction of the Mexican Referees Committee. 

Osses refereed more than 100 international matches, obtaining the distinction as the best CONMEBOL referee in 2012. His most important appointments: FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014, FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013, FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014, FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2011, Copa America Chile 2015, Copa America Argentina 2011, Copa Libertadores Final 2012, Copa Sudamericana Final 2013, Copa Sudamericana Final 2012.

In addition to his impressive career as a referee, Enrique Osses is a FIFA Elite instructor, teaching different seminars in Qatar, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia and Mexico, among other countries, and has been a key element in the implementation of VAR in Chile, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina. At the management level, he served as president of the Referees Committee in Chile (2016-2020). “For the Referees Committee it is a priority to continue strengthening our structure, as well as the training and professionalization of our referees, seeking continuous improvement and ensuring the provision of sports justice on the field of play. I am convinced that the integration of Enrique Osses will enhance the work that we have been doing ”, commented Arturo Brizio, President of the Mexican Referees Committee. 

Source: FMF

Brazilians Alves and Back passed the men’s fitness test for Club World Cup

Night was approaching when Edina Alves and Neuza Back arrived at the Bolao athletic track in Jundiai, last Saturday. Ahead of them, they would have one of the biggest tests of their lives: the FIFA fitness test to referee at the Club World Cup in Qatar. But the Brazilian duo already got used to breaking barriers. This would be just another challenge. 

After more than an hour of intense tests, the two found themselves at the center of the athletics track, tired and full of pride. Any doubts would end there: they will be the first women to referee a men's adult game in a FIFA competition. Pioneers, Edina and Neuza will represent their dreams and that of so many other women, being aware of the responsibility they carry and the trust placed in them.

"It is the biggest challenge of our career. It is the first time that there will be women at an adult men’s event; we need to go there and correspond so that this door stays open. Edina and I always asked to go to international men's competitions. Now this opportunity is coming. We needed to pass the fitness test and, now that we passed it, we can celebrate that we are going", reinforced Neuza. With this mixed feeling of pride and responsibility, the pair, who belong to the international referees of CBF, will go to Qatar to make history. After all, this is another page in the history of football that is about to be written by a Brazilian. "I am very happy to be able to represent our country, Brazil, in FIFA and CONMEBOL events and I want to do a good job. Because we always had great referees in ionternational competitions and I don't want to disappoint them or my family", said Edina. 

The call 

About 10 days ago, Edina and Neuza, who live in Jundiai, returned together from another training. Neuza was driving when she received a call from Leonardo Gaciba, chairman of the Brazilian Referees Committee, with an important message. "He called and said: 'Are you driving?'. I said ‘yes’ and he told me to pull over. That's when he said: 'you were invited to go to the Club World Cup'. … Cool. I hung up the phone and asked Edina if we were really going to the Club World Cup. She said yes, we got out of the car, she gave me a hug and we jumped", said the assistant referee. From the announcement onwards, Edina and Neuza started the preparation. Amid games of the Brazilian Championship, the two started even heavier training, keeping an eye on the fitness test that would come to confirm their participation in the World Cup. The circuit, which included tests of agility, change of direction, speed and endurance, was repeated to exhaustion in the days before the race. "Everything is adaptation and training. It is the same as a player. When he wants to be a free kick taker, how many times will he train to have this skill, get there and know how to hit the ball? You have to come to the track to train, adapt to breathing, which needs very good control, the mental one too", said Edina. 

The tests 

With skies closed by rain in the last days in Jundiai, the athletic track was still a little humid. But nothing could stop their dream. The first to take the test was Neuza Back. After a few minutes of warm-up, the assistant referee was ready to secure her place at the Club World Cup. The test started with short runs, changing directions. Then, medium runs, with the assistant referee always beating the time. At each end of the first test, Neuza rested to the sounds of Edina's screams: "Good, Neuza! Come on!" They were together for one dream. And it was at this pace, with this motivation, that the assistant referee finished the endurance run, with 10 laps at different speeds on the track, and beat all the necessary times. "The hardest part is cheering for the teammate to pass as well. Since we are a team, if one fails, it compromises everyone's work. Besides you doing your part, you are cheering and agonize to see your partner passing too", revealed Neuza. Then the two switched roles and it was Neuza's turn to cheer for Edina. Concentrated, the referee made the circuit of lateral movement, the sprints and, later, the resistance run. Each time she accelerated, Edina showed in her steady stride her determination to reach Qatar. In the last few laps, the referee also gained an important ally. In the final meters of the run, even after performing her own run, Neuza started running alongside her, as an incentive. And whenever she saw her go one more distance, she would say "You are the strongest woman I know. You have a lot of strength!" It was on this footprint that Edina finished the run and confirmed the fulfillment of a dream for both: they will be at the Club World Cup. 

The Club World Cup 

Appointed by FIFA to compose one of the seven trios at the 2020 Club World Cup in Qatar, Edina Alves and Neuza Back will work alongside Argentine Mariana Almeida. They will travel to the competition in late January. The tournament will be played in the first two weeks of February and will have a Brazilian representative, Santos or Palmeiras, who face each other in the Libertadores final. FIFA had already appointed women referees to work at the U-17 World Cup in 2017, in India, and in 2019, in Brazil. But this will be the first time that a woman will referee a professional match in a FIFA tournament. "I thank those who are in charge of CBF, Leonardo Gaciba and President Rogerio Caboclo, who always open the doors and give opportunities to us. They don't think about the genre, but about the capacity. I just wanted to work on a Brazilian Serie A game. I spent my entire career telling this to my friends and the people who knew me. Sometimes, I thought I was asking for the wrong thing, because I got to flag, to be fourth referee and additional in Serie A. I realized that dream in 2019 and, after that, my life changed ", revealed Edina. In addition to people's trust, Edina’s and Neuza's achievements are the result of a lot of sweat and competence. In this way, when opportunities appeared, they deserved more and more opportunities. That was how the duo's dream became more than reality. It became history. "Thank God, things have been happening, but we have worked hard for that. I have a 22-year career, formed 20 years ago and it is not easy. We have fallen and we have risen, but we never gave up. Just like others created this opportunity for us, and we are following them, we will leave the door open for the next ones to follow too", concluded the referee. 

Source: Esporte Jundiai

Referee Gonzalez will be missing Copa Sudamericana Final and FIFA Club World Cup due to Covid-19

The referee for the Copa Sudamericana final has been changed. Jesus Valenzuela will take charge of the clash since Leodan Gonzalez, initially appointed by CONMEBOL, has tested positive for coronavirus. 

Venezuelan referee Jesus Valenzuela, 37, will take charge of the Copa Sudamericana final between Argentinian teams Lanus and Defensa y Justicia. That is because Uruguayan Leodan Gonzalez has tested positive for Covid on 19 January 2021. Gonzalez, 38, had been appointed last Sunday for the encounter that will take place at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba, Argentina. The Uruguayan official is asymptomatic and will self-isolate in Uruguay, said a CONMEBOL statement addressed to the Uruguayan and Venezuelan associations said. (Source: BeSoccer) 

Leodan Gonzalez had also been appointed by FIFA to the Club World Cup in Qatar. The competition is scheduled from 4-11 February 2021, while Gonzalez has to self-isolate for 14 days, which would end only 2 days before the first match. FIFA announced that he will be replaced by Esteban Ostojich (Source: FIFA)

Concacaf League 2020 – Semi-finals

20-22 January 2021

Alajuelense – Olimpia 

Referee: Mario Escobar (GUA, photo) 

Assistant Referee 1: Gerson Lopez (GUA) 

Assistant Referee 2: Victor Ramirez (CRC)

Fourth Official: Bryan Lopez (GUA) 

Saprissa – Arcahaie
Referee: Reon Radix (GRN)
Assistant Referee 1: Henri Pupiro (NCA)
Assistant Referee 2: Karen Diaz (MEX)
Fourth Official: Nima Saghafi (USA)

Longest serving match officials on the FIFA List 2021

Although FIFA decided to remove the age limits for international match officials, only 2 referees - Bjorn Kuipers (NED, 1973), Vladislav Bezborodov (RUS, 1973) - and 5 assistant referees - Konrad Sapela (POL, 1971), Cyril Gringore (FRA, 1972), Octavian Sovre (ROU, 1973), Tarik Ongun (TUR, 1973), Rui Tavares (POR, 1974) - older than 46 were accepted for 2021. There are 8 referees - Patricio Loustau (ARG, 1975), Nestor Pitana (ARG, 1975), Mauro Vigliano (ARG, 1975), David Gantar (CAN, 1975), Felix Brych (GER, 1975), Daniele Orsato (ITA, 1975), Veaceslav Banari (MDA, 1975), Victor Carrillo (PER, 1975) - and 4 assistant referees - Matthew Cream (AUS, 1975), Thorsten Schiffner (GER, 1975), Juan Yuste Jimenez (ESP, 1975), Bahattin Duran (TUR, 1975) - who will be turning 46 this year. However, there are some older video match officials: Carlos Ayala (MEX, 1967), Juan Rangel (MEX, 1971), Dalibor Djurdjevic (SRB, 1973), Milovan Ristic (SRB, 1974), Allen Chapman (USA, 1974), Kevin Blom (NED, 1974), in addition to those who already turned 45 last year: Kim Woo Sung (KOR, 1975), Paulus Van Boekel (NED, 1975). While Mexican VMO Carlos Ayala (54) is the oldest, Polish AR Konrad Sapela (50, photo), is the longest serving match official on the FIFA List (since 1998).

Referees (M): Enea Jorgji (ALB, 2002), Yu Ming Hsun (TPE, 2002). Ivan Bebek (CRO, 2002), Vasilios Dimitriou (CYP, 2002), Ali Al-Qaysi (IRQ, 2002), Veaceslav Banari (MDA, 2002), Damir Skomina (SVN, 2002), Charymurat Kurbanov (TKM, 2002), Eduardo Gamboa (CHI, 2003), Zhang Lei (CHN, 2004), Ng Chiu Kok (HKG, 2004), Hettikamkanamge Perera (SRI, 2004), Aleksei Kulbakov (BLR, 2005), Ahmed Toure (GUI, 2005), Svein Moen (NOR, 2005), Victor Carrillo (PER, 2005), Juan Soto (VEN, 2005). 

Referees (F): Salome Di Iorio (ARG, 2004), Katalin Kulcsar (HUN, 2004), Sandra Braz (POR, 2004), Kateryna Monzul (UKR, 2004), Estela Alvarez (ARG, 2005), Sirley Cornejo (BOL, 2005), Lidya Abebe (ETH, 2005), Vivian Peeters (NED, 2005), Tanja Subotic (SVN, 2005), Esther Staubli (SUI, 2005), Cong Thi Dung (VIE, 2005). 

Assistant Referees (M): Konrad Sapela (POL, 1998), Matthew Cream (AUS, 2000), Alessandro Rocha (BRA, 2001), David Bitton (ISR, 2001), Ridiger Cokaj (ALB, 2002), Ricardo Ake (BLZ, 2002), Berke Tesfagiorghis (ERI, 2002), Alan Camilleri (MLT, 2002), Andrei Bodean (MDA, 2002), Bahattin Duran (TUR, 2002), Emre Eyisoy (TUR, 2002), Pham Manh Long (VIE, 2002), Marios Dimitriadis (CYP, 2003), John Pareanga (COK, 2004), Radoslav Siejka (POL, 2004), Juan Yuste Jimenez (ESP, 2004), Hsu Min-Yu (TPE, 2005), Douglas Bermudez (SLV, 2005), Octavian Sovre (ROU, 2005), Edgar De Barros (STP, 2005), Tomas Somolani (SVK, 2005). 

Assistant Referees (F): Iordanka Korcheva (BUL, 2001), Ekaterina Petkova (BUL, 2002), Kossiwa Kpadenou (TOG, 2002), Sarah Ho (AUS, 2004), Cindy Muller (AUT, 2004), Judit Kulcsar (HUN, 2004), Kim Kyoung Min (KOR, 2004), Lidwine Rakotozafinoro (MAD, 2004), Mayte Chavez (MEX, 2004), Sonia Louis (BEN, 2005), Mona Mahmoud (EGY, 2005), Lee Seul Gi (KOR, 2005), Petruta Iugulescu (ROU, 2005), Maria Sukenikova (SVK, 2005). 

Futsal Referees (M): Francisco Rivera (MEX, 2005), Borislav Kolev (BUL, 2006), Jan Kresta (CZE, 2006), Nurdin Bukuev (KGZ, 2006), Josip Barton (MKD, 2006), Ray Ritaga (PHI, 2006), Gean Telles (BRA, 2007), Gabor Kovacs (HUN, 2007), Mohamad Chami (LIB, 2007), Ivan Shabanov (RUS, 2007), Trayan Enchev (BUL, 2008), Marc Birkett (ENG, 2008), Vahid Arzpeyma (IRN, 2008), Eduardo Coelho (POR, 2008).

Futsal Referees (F): Katiucia Meneguzzi (BRA, 2007), Giselle Torri (BRA, 2007), Teresa Da Rosa (URU, 2010), Irina Velikanova (RUS, 2012), Raquel Gonzalez (ESP, 2012), Bettina Cingari (ARG, 2014), Maria Pinto (ARG, 2014), Gelareh Nazemi (IRN, 2014), Liang Qingyun (CHN, 2015), Kumi Hiruma (JPN, 2015), Kumiko Matsuo (JPN, 2015), Liz Arrelano (PER, 2015), Rosa Carvalho (VEN, 2015), Nohely Mendez (VEN, 2015). 

Beach Soccer: Libor Kastanek (CZE, 2008), Eduards Borisevics (LVA, 2008), Jelili Ogunmuyiwa (NGA, 2008), Abdulaziz Abdullah (KUW, 2009), Turki Al Salehi (OMA, 2009), Mikhail Prokharav (UKR, 2009), Gerges Yarak (LBN, 2010), Yahya Abdel (LYB, 2010), Said Hachim (MAD, 2010), Suhaimi Mat (MAS, 2010), Ibrahim Wan (MAS, 2010), Oleg Cebotari (MDA, 2010), Tomasz Winiarczyk (POL, 2010), Hugo Pado (SOL, 2010). 

Distribution of FIFA match officials per confederation in 2021: UEFA – 1342 (411 referees, 610 assistant referees, 100 video match officials, 150 futsal referees, 71 beach soccer referees), CAF – 879 (345 referees, 432 assistant referees, 20 video match officials, 47 futsal referees, 35 beach soccer referees), AFC – 773 (260 referees, 353 assistant referees, 41 video match officials, 91 futsal referees, 28 beach soccer referees), CONMEBOL – 393 (125 referees, 137 assistant referees, 34 video match officials, 63 futsal referees, 34 beach soccer referees), CONCACAF – 284 (89 referees, 135 assistant referees, 13 video match officials, 31 futsal referees, 16 beach soccer referees), OFC – 41 (11 referees, 22 assistant referees, 0 video match officials, 6 futsal referees, 2 beach soccer referees).

Member associations with most FIFA match officials in 2021: Brazil – 51 (16 referees, 16 assistant referees, 7 video match officials, 8 futsal referees, 4 beach soccer referees), Spain – 51 (15 referees, 17 assistant referees, 9 video match officials, 6 futsal referees, 4 beach soccer referees), Germany – 49 (14 referees, 16 assistant referees, 12 video match officials, 4 futsal referees, 3 beach soccer referees), Italy – 49 (14 referees, 15 assistant referees, 10 video match officials, 5 futsal referees, 5 beach soccer referees), France – 45 (14 referees, 16 assistant referees, 9 video match officials, 4 futsal referees, 2 beach soccer referees), Argentina – 44 (15 referees, 15 assistant referees, 3 video match officials, 7 futsal referees, 4 beach soccer referees), Russia – 44 (14 referees, 16 assistant referees, 4 video match officials, 6 futsal referees, 4 beach soccer referees). 

Member associations without any FIFA match officials in 2021: American Samoa, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Guam, Liechtenstein, Montserrat, St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands.

FIFA Lists 2021 Changes

Albania
Futsal
In: Arlind Subashi (M)

Algeria
Video Match Officials
In: Abdelhak Etchiali (M, 1981), Mustapha Ghorbal (M, 1985)

Andorra
Assistant Referees
Out: Hugo Jourdan (M)
In: Joan Guiu (M)

Antigua and Barbuda
Referees
Out: Iola Simmons (F)

Argentina
Referees
In: Gabriela Coronel (F, photo)

Assistant Referees
In: Gisela Bosso (F, photo)

Video Match Officials
In: German Delfino (M, 1978), Patricio Loustau (M, 1975), Mauro Vigliano (M, 1975)

Armenia
Referees
Out: Suren Baliyan (M)
In: Ashot Ghaltakhchyan (M), Henrik Nalbandyan (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Vanik Simonyan (M)
In: Artur Gdlyan (M)

Australia
Video Match Officials
In: Chris Beath (M, 1984), Shaun Evans (M, 1987), Sarah Ho (F, 1978), Kate Jacewicz (F, 1985), Casey Reibelt (F, 1988)

Austria
Assistant Referees
Out: Michael Nemetz (M, 1988)
In: Maximilian Weiss (M)

Azerbaijan
Referees
Out: Rahim Hasanov (M)
In: Elchin Masiyev (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Mubariz Hashimov (M)
In: Sevda Nuriyeva (F), Javanshir Yusifov (M)

Futsal
In: Knyaz Amiraslanov (M), Ali Jabrayilov (M)

Bahrain
Referees
Out: Isa Ali (M)
In: Mohamed Deham (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Yaser Tulefat (M, 1974)
In: Yaqoob Abdulla (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Nawaf Shukralla (M, 1976)

Bangladesh
Referees
Out: Md Rahman (M), Mohammed Uddin (M)
In: Alomgir Alomgir (M), Sohrab Hossain (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Sk Alam (M), Abdur Dhali (M), Mahmud Mamun (M)
In: Salma Akter (F), Sujoy Barua (M), Md Islam (M), Mohammad Shah (M)

Belarus
Referees
Out: Aliaksandra Yakushevich (F)
In: Alena Kanaplianikava (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Yauheni Ramanau (M)
In: Viktar Hetsikau (M)

Futsal
Out: Vitali Rakutski (M)
In: Anatol Ustsuizhanin (M)

Belgium
Assistant Referees
Out: Karel De Rocker (M), Maria Etienne (F)
In: Romain Devillers (M, 1996)

Video Match Officials
In: Alexandre Boucaut (M, 1980), Erik Lambrechts (M, 1984)

Beach Soccer
Out: Gary Christien (M)
In: Jordy Vermeire (M)

Benin
Assistant Referees
Out: Reine Esse (F)
In: Djaria Bio (F)

Bhutan
Assistant Referees
In: Tshering Phuntsho (F)

Bolivia
Referees
Out: Telma Castro (F)
In: Alejandra Quisbert (F)

Assistant Referees
In: Juan Flores (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Gerry Vargas (M, 1979)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Referees
Out: Dragan Petrovic (M), Admir Sehovic (M, 1982)
In: Luka Bilbija (M, 1989), Haris Kaljanac (M, 1984)

Assistant Referees
Out: Sreten Udovicic (M)
In: Aleksandar Smiljanic (M, 1987)

Botswana
Referees
In: Joyce Tshephe (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Yvonne Letota (F)

Brazil
Referees
In: Daiane Muniz (F)

Assistant Referees
In: Brigida Cirilo (F)

Video Match Officials
Igor Benevenuto (M, 1981), Rodrigo D’Alonso (M, 1982), Rodrigo Ferreira (M, 1976), Rodrigo Nunes (M, 1979), Wagner Reway (M, 1981), Jose Rocha (M, 1978), Rafael Traci (M, 1987)

Beach Soccer
Out: Renato Carlos (M), Ivo Moraes (M, 1977)
In: Luciano Andrade (M), Paula Madeira (F)

Brunei
Assistant Referees
In: Mou Haji (M), Nazhim Haji (M), Ali Rosli (F)

Bulgaria
Referees
Out: Stefan Apostolov (M, 1988), Dimitrina Milkova (F, 1984)
In: Georgi Davidov (M, 1976), Kristina Georgieva (F)

Beach Soccer
Out: Ivan Kirilov (M)
In: Stoian Arsov (M), Ivan Hristov (M)

Burkina Faso
Referees
Out: Boureima Sanogo (M)
In: Benoit Bado (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Abdoura Wogbo (M)
In: Issouf Soma (M)

Cameroon
Assistant Referees
Out: Therese Neguel (F, 1981)
In: Nadine Kenne (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Lum Rochelle (F)
In: Victorine Bahane (F)

Video Match Officials
In: Elvis Noupue (M, 1983)

Canada
Referees
Out: Carol Anne Chenard (F, 1977), Sheena Dickson (F, 1982)
In: Pierre-Luc Lauziere (M, 1985)

Assistant Referees
In: Lyes Arfa (M, 1986)

Video Match Officials
In: Drew Fischer (M, 1980), David Gantar (M, 1975)

Cape Verde Islands
Assistant Referees
Out: Jose Pina (M)
In: Djery Gomes (M)

Central African Republic
Referees
Out: Prince Dongombe (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Cyrille Sibey (M)

Chile
Referees
In: Nicolas Gamboa (M, 1987)

Assistant Referees
In: Miguel Rocha (M, 1980), Juan Serrano (M, 1982)

Video Match Officials
In: Julio Bascunan (M, 1978), Rodrigo Carvajal (M, 1986), Cesar Deischler (M, 1976), Cristian Garay (M, 1989), Juan Lara (M, 1989), Piero Maza (M, 1984), Loreto Toloza (F, 1984)

China
Referees
Out: Chang Xinxin (F), Gu Chunhan (M)
In: Dong Fangyu (F), Jin Jingyuan (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Fu Ming (M, 1983), Ma Ning (M, 1979), Shen Yinhao (M, 1986), Zhang Lei (M, 1982)

Chinese Taipei
Assistant Referees
Out: Cheng Hui Yun (F)

Colombia
Referees
In: Carlos Ortega (M, 1990)

Assistant Referees
In: David Fuentes (M), Richard Ortiz (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Yadir Acuna (M), Nicolas Gallo (M, 1986), John Ospina (M, 1992), John Perdomo (M), David Rodriguez (M)

Beach Soccer
Out: Juan Amaya (M), Ferley Fuentes (M)

Congo
Referees
Out: Lazard Tsiba (M)
In: Chynel Bango (M)

Costa Rica
Referees
Out: Rebeca Mora (F)
In: Saphire Stockman (F)

Cote d’Ivoire
Referees
Out: Roland Danon (M)
In: Tuonifere Soro (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Moussa Bayere (M)
In: Lancine Kone (M)

Croatia
Referees
Out: Vesna Budimir (F), Tihomir Pejin (M, 1983)
In: Dario Bel (M), Jelena Kumer (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Ivica Modric (M)
In: Luka Pusic (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Duje Strukan (M, 1984), Mario Zebec (M, 1982)

Futsal
Out: Sasa Tomic (M, 1975)
In: Mislav Dzeko (M)

Cuba
Futsal
Out: Roberto Sanchez (M)

Cyprus
Referees
Out: Chrysoula Georgiou (F)
In: Zoe Stavrou (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Charalampos Georgiou(M)
In: Petros Petrou (M)

Czech Republic
Referees
Out: Pavel Kralovec (M, 1977)
In: Ondrej Berka (M, 1987)

Assistant Referees
Out: Gabriela Hanakova (F), Jiri Molacek (M), Jana Stychova (F)
In: Vera Soukupova (F), Matej Vlcek (M)

Denmark
Referees
Out: Michael Tykgaard (M, 1977)
In: Sandi Putors (M), Frederikke Sokjaer (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Christian Brixen (M)
In: Fie Bruun (F)

Djibouti
Assistant Referees
Out: Salah Abdi (M)
In: Eleyeh Robleh (M)

Ecuador
Referees
Out: Alba Saldarriaga (F)
In: Alex Cajas (M, 1992), Marcelly Zambrano (F), Maria Zamora (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Juan Macias (M, 1982)
In: Danny Avila (M), David Vacacela (M), Edison Vasquez (M)

Beach Soccer
In: Jose Ugalde (M), Jean Villamar (M)

Egypt
Video Match Officials
In: Mahmoud Ahmed (M), Tarek Magdi (M), Mahmoud Mohamed (M)

El Salvador
Referees
Out: Joel Aguilar (M, 1975)

England
Referees
In: Peter Banks (M, 1982)

Assistant Referees
Out: Edward Smart (M)
In: Emily Carney (F), Davies Neil (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Stuart Attwell (M, 1982), Lee Betts (M), Christopher Kavanagh (M, 1985), Sian Massey (F, 1985), Craig Pawson (M, 1979), Paul Tierney (M, 1980)

Equatorial Guinea
Referees
Out: Beata Angue (F)
In: Pedro Ovono (M)

Estonia
Referees
Out: Roomer Tarajev (M, 1980)
In: Joonas Jaanovits (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Kristo Tohver (M, 1981)

Ethiopia
Video Match Officials
In: Bamlak Tessema (M, 1980)

Finland
Referees
Out: Ville Nevalainen (M, 1984)
In: Mohammad Al-Emara (M, 1992), Joni Hyytia (M, 1988), Minka Vekkeli (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Lotta Vuorio (F)
In: Alisa Levaelampi (F)

Futsal
Out: Timo Onatsu (M, 1975)

France
Referees
Out: Amaury Delerue (M, 1977), Florence Guillemin (F, 1980)
In: Jeremie Pignard (M, 1987), Alexandra Collin (F, 1994)

Assistant Referees
Out: Frederic Haquette (M, 1975), Julien Pacelli (M, 1984)
In: Mikael Berchebru (M, 1984), Aurelien Berthomieu (M, 1988)

Video Match Officials
In: Benoit Bastien (M, 1983), Jerome Brisard (M, 1986), Ruddy Buquet (M, 1977), Willy Delajod (M, 1992), Stephanie Frappart (F, 1983), Francois Letexier (M, 1989), Benoit Millot (M, 1982), Jeremie Pignard (M, 1987), Clement Turpin (M, 1982)

Beach Soccer
Out: Moussa Bounaanaa (M)

Gambia
Video Match Officials
In: Bakary Gassama (M, 1979)

Georgia
Referees
Out: Irakli Kvirikashvili (M, 1984)
In: Goga Kikacheishvili (M, 1991)

Futsal
Out: Shota Kukhilava (M), Arsen Nonikashvili (M)
In: Zviad Bliadze (M)

Beach Soccer
Out: Nikoloz Kutsia (M)

Germany
Referees
Out: Bibiana Steinhaus (F, 1979)
In: Franziska Wildfeuer (F, 1994)

Assistant Referees
Out: Mike Pickel (M, 1975)
In: Christian Dietz (M, 1984)

Video Match Officials
In: Mark Borsch (M, 1977), Bastian Dankert (M, 1980), Christian Dingert (M, 1980), Marco Fritz (M, 1977), Harm Osmers (M, 1985), Katrin Rafalski (F, 1982), Daniel Siebert (M, 1984), Sascha Stegemann (M, 1984), Bibiana Steinhaus (F, 1979), Tobias Stieler (M, 1981), Tobias Welz (M, 1977), Felix Zwayer (M, 1981)

Gibraltar
Assistant Referees
Out: Andrew Parody (M)
In: Michael Macias(M)

Greece
Referees
Out: Georgios Kominis (M, 1980)
In: Vasileios Fotias (M, 1989)

Assistant Referees
Out: Christos Akrivos (M, 1976)
In: Andreas Meintanas (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Anastasios Papapetrou (M, 1985), Anastasios Sidiropoulos (M, 1979)

Guatemala
Assistant Referees
Out: Marvin Diaz (M)
In: Luis Ventura (M)

Futsal
Out: Mynor Mayen (M)
In: Oscar Gonzalez (M)

Beach Soccer
In: Miguel Lopez (M)

Guinea
Assistant Referees
Out: Manty Keita (F)
In: Kaba Fadiga (M)

Guinea - Bissau
Referees
Out: Reinaldo Domingos (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Danamao Ompajafo (M)
In: Bubacar Djambam (M)

Haiti
Referees
Out: Judith Ambroise (F), Emmanuel Luca (M), Joanne Monestime (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Ramses Jean (M), Anne-Marie Joseph (F)

Hong Kong
Referees
In: Wong Wai (M)

Hungary
Referees
In: Reka Molnar (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Peter Berettyan (M)
In: Norbert Bornemissza (M)

Futsal
Out: Balazs Farkas (M)
In: Peter Zimonyi (M)

Beach Soccer
Out: Laszlo Legeza (M)
In: Arpad Jakab (M)

India
Referees
Out: Rahul Gupta (M)
In: Crystal John (M)

Indonesia
Futsal
Out: Ikwan Laksono (M)

Iran
Referees
Out: Amir Arabbaraghi (M)
In: Asghar Momeni (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Alireza Faghani (M, 1978)

Iraq
Assistant Referees
Out: Muayad Ali (M)
In: Hussein Munshid (M)

Israel
Referees
Out: Eitan Shmuelevitz (M, 1978)
In: Snir Levy (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Dvir Shimon (M)
In: Omer Barbiro (M)

Video Match Officials
In: David Fuxman (M), Roi Reinshreiber (M, 1980)

Italy
Assistant Referees
Out: Lucia Abruzzese (F), Lorenzo Manganelli (M, 1974)
In: Daniele Bindoni (M, 1980), Giulia Tempestilli (F)

Video Match Officials
In: Ciro Carbone (M, 1978), Marco Di Bello (M, 1981), Michael Fabbri (M, 1983), Marco Guida (M, 1981), Massimiliano Irrati (M, 1979), Fabio Maresca (M, 1981), Maurizio Mariani (M, 1982), Davide Massa (M, 1981), Filippo Meli (M, 1977), Paolo Valeri (M, 1978)

Futsal
Out: Alessandro Malfer (M, 1975)
In: Giulio Colombin (M)

Japan
Referees
Out: Fusako Kajiyama (F, 1977), Minoru Tojo (M, 1976)
In: Azusa Sugino (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Shinji Ochi (M)
In: Kota Watanabe (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Makoto Bozono (F, 1980), Hiroyuki Kimura (M, 1982), Jun Mihara (M, 1981), Ryuji Sato (M, 1977), Yoshimi Yamashita (F, 1986), Hiroshi Yamauchi (M, 1979)

Jordan
Referees
In: Haneen Murad (F)

Video Match Officials
In: Adham Makhadmeh (M, 1987)

Futsal
Out: Ibrahim Al-Khalaileh (M)
In: Mohammad Abu-Touq (M), Mohammad Ikhleel (M)

Kenya
Referees
Out: Israel Mpaima (M), Agnetta Napangor (F), Davies Omweno (M), Andrew Otieno (M)
In: Philip Brooke (M), Dickens Nyagrowa (M), Onyango Raymond (M), Josphine Wanjiku (F)

Korea DPR
Assistant Referees
Out: Thak Jong Nam (M)
In: Kim Hwi Choi (M)

Korea Republic
Assistant Referees
In: Kim Tae Hyung (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Chae Sang Hyeop (M, 1989), Choi Hyun Jai (M, 1987), Kim Dae Yong (M, 1979), Kim Hee Gon (M, 1985), Kim Jong Hyeok (M, 1983), Kim Kyoung Min (F, 1980), Kim Woo Sung (M, 1975), Ko Hyung Jin (M, 1982), Lee Seul Gi (F, 1980)

Kosovo
Futsal
Out: Ekrem Franca (M)
In: Florentina Kallaba (F)

Kuwait
Assistant Referees
Out: Ali Ali (M)
In: Saoud Al-Shemali (M)

Kyrgyzstan
Referees
Out: Timur Faizullin (M, 1982), Dmitri Mashentsev (M, 1976), Kiemiddin Piriev (M)
In: Zainiddin Alimov (M), Nurzatbek Askat (M), Mederbek Taichiev (M)

Laos
Referees
In: Keomany Phengmeuangkhoun (F)

Latvia
Referees
Out: Aleksandrs Golubevs (M, 1981)
In: Vitalijs Spasjonnikovs (M, 1986)

Video Match Officials
In: Andris Treimanis (M, 1985)

Lebanon
Assistant Referees
Out: Hisham Kanso (M), Ali Mokdad (M), Mohammad Rammal (M), Salim Sraj (M)
In: Ahmad Al Housseini (M), Ali Berry (M), Mohamad El Hajje (M), Ali Fakih (M), Perissa Nasr (F)

Futsal
Out: Elias Al-Hakim (M)

Lesotho
Referees
Out: Maria Kolokotoane (F)

Assistant Referees
In: Fumane Mokhethi (F)

Lithuania
Referees
Out: Gediminas Mazeika (M, 1978)
In: Robertas Valikonis (M, 1983)

Assistant Referees
Out: Vladimir Gerasimov (M, 1975), Vaiva Kurpyt-Skipitiene (F), Vytautas Simkus (M, 1975)
In: Gevork Arakelian (M), Edgaras Bucinskas (M)

Macau
Assistant Referees
Out: Io Fai Tang (M)
In: Cheang Pou San (F), Cheong Song Ian (M)

North Macedonia
Referees
Out: Dimitar Meckarovski (M, 1975)
In: Igor Stojchevski (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Nikola Karakolev (M, 1975)
In: Daniel Vasilevski (M)

Malawi
Assistant Referees
Out: Ibram Mafuleka (M)
In: Evance Msonda (M)

Malaysia
Referees
Out: Rita Gani (F, 1977)

Assistant Referees
Out: Azman Ismail (M), Khalid Mohd (M)
In: Muhammad Abdul (M), Muhammad Ahmad (M)

Malta
Referees
Out: Alan Sant (M, 1980), Fyodor Zammit (M, 1985)
In: Ishmael Barbara (M), Philip Farrugia (M)

Futsal
Out: David Balzan (M)
In: Stephen Vella (M)

Mauritius
Assistant Referees
Out: Sailesh Gobin (M)
In: Louis Cauvelet (M)

Mexico
Referees
In: Diana Perez (F, 1989)

Assistant Referees
Out: Mario Lopez (M, 1975)

Video Match Officials
In: Carlos Ayala (M, 1967), Leon Barajas (M, 1977), Arturo Cruz (M, 1979), Erick Miranda (M, 1982), Angel Monroy (M, 1980), Juan Rangel (M, 1971)

Futsal
Out: Oziel Mendez (M)

Beach Soccer
Out: Miguel Aguilar (M)

Moldova
Referees
Out: Alexandru Tean (M, 1983)
In: Ion Orlic (M, 1980)

Assistant Referees
Out: Anatolie Bodean (M, 1974), Maria Cerbulenco (F)
In: Vadim Vicol (M)

Beach Soccer
In: Octavian Cepoi (M)

Mongolia
Referees
Out: Tumenbayar Doljinsuren (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Davaasuren Batbileg (M)
In: Battsetseg Unurjargal (F)

Montenegro
Referees
Out: Milovan Milacic (M, 1982)
In: Mileta Scepanovic (M, 1983)

Assistant Referees
Out: Jovica Tatar (M)
In: Srdjan Jovanovic (M)

Futsal
Out: Veljko Boskovic (M, 1975)
In: Drazen Vukcevic (M)

Morocco
Referees
Out: Hicham Tiazi (M, 1975)
In: Mustapha Kech (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Youssef Mabrouk (M)
In: Abdessamad Abertoune (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Zakaria Brinsi (M), Fatiha Jermoumi (F), Redouane Jiyed (M, 1979), Bouchra Karboubi (F), Adil Zourak (M)

Mozambique
Referees
Out: Zefanias Chijamela (M)
In: Wilson Muianga (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Elina Marques (F)
In: Olinda Couana (F)

Nepal
Referees
Out: Asmita Manandhar (F), Sudish Pandey (M)
In: Anjana Rai (F), Prakash Shrestha (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Padam Bhujel (M), Rojen Shrestha (M)
In: Bikram Chaudhary (M), Kishan Yadav (M)

Netherlands
Referees
In: Marisca Overtoom (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Bas Van Dongen (M, 1975)
In: Rens Bluemink (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Kevin Blom (M, 1974), Serdar Gozubuyuk (M, 1985), Dennis Higler (M, 1985), Jochem Kamphuis (M, 1986), Allard Lindhout (M, 1987), Danny Makkelie (M, 1983), Bas Nijhuis (M, 1977), Paulus Van Boekel (M, 1975)

Futsal
Out: Sylvester Rodrigues (M)
In: Joern Te Kloeze (M)

Nigeria
Referees
Out: Ajayi Foluso (F), Ferdinand Udoh (M)
In: Yemisi Akintoye (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Hulda Nkwocha (F)
In: Kabeda Terah (F)

Northern Ireland
Referees
Out: Tim Marshall (M, 1988)
In: Andrew Davey (M, 1982)

Assistant Referees
Out: David Anderson (M, 1986), Stephen Bell (M, 1988)
In: Adam Jeffrey (M)

Norway
Assistant Referees
Out: Magnus Lundberg (M)
In: Runar Langseth (M)

Oman
Assistant Referees
Out: Hamed Al Mayahi (M)
In: Mohammed Al Ghazali (M)

Pakistan
Assistant Referees
Out: Hidayat Ullah (M)
In: Zubair Shahad (M)

Palestine
Assistant Referees
Out: Husam Al-Harazin (M), Farouq Assi (M)
In: Khaldun Abuqbaita (M), Fadi Al-Samhori (M)

Beach soccer
Out: Mahmoud Al-Sawaf (M)
In: Eslam Al-Shakhret (M)

Panama
Referees
Out: Jose Kellys (M, 1989), Victor Rios (M)

Beach Soccer
Out: Arquel Carrasco (M)

Paraguay
Referees
Out: Carmen Gomez (F)
In: Carlos Benitez (M, 1984)

Assistant Referees
Out: Dario Gaona (M, 1977), Juan Zorrilla (M, 1975)
In: Julio Aranda (M), Eduardo Britos (M), Nancy Fernandez (F), Luis Onieva (M), Jose Villagra (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Eber Aquino (M, 1979), Juan Benitez (M, 1983), Nancy Fernandez (F, 1986), Ulises Mereles (M, 1984), Zulma Quinonez (F, 1987)

Futsal
Out: Susana Almada (F), Astrid Mendoza (F)

Peru
Referees
In: Augusto Menendez (M, 1991)

Assistant Referees
In: Enrique Pinto (M), Leonar Soto (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Victor Carrillo (M, 1975)

Futsal
Out: Kellyn Cabrera (F), Cesar Malaga (M)
In: Ulises Puris (M), Johanna Vega (F)

Philippines
Referees
Out: Linjun Talaver (M)
In: Meliton Pelayo (M)

Poland
Video Match Officials
In: Marcin Borkowski (M, 1979), Bartosz Frankowski (M, 1986), Pawel Gil (M, 1976), Krzysztof Jakubik (M, 1982), Tomasz Kwiatkowski (M, 1978), Szymon Marciniak (M, 1981), Pawel Raczkowski (M, 1983)

Portugal
Referees
Out: Manuel Sousa (M, 1975)
In: Iancu Vasilica (M, 1985)

Video Match Officials
In: Luis Branco (M, 1985), Artur Dias (M, 1979), Hugo Ferreira (M, 1977), Tiago Martins (M, 1980), Joao Pinheiro (M, 1988)

Qatar
Referees
Out: Khamis Al Kuwari (M, 1982)
In: Abdulhadi Al-Ruaile (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Mohammad Dharman (M, 1982)
In: Majid Al-Shammari (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Abdulrahman Al Jassim (M, 1987), Khamis Al Marri (M, 1984), Taleb Al Marri (M, 1988), Saoud Al-Abda (M, 1986), Abdulla Al-Marri (M, 1992), Salman Falahi (M, 1990)

Romania
Referees
Out: Marius Avram (M, 1979), Sebastian Coltescu (M, 1977)
In: Marian Barbu (M, 1988), Andrei Chivulete (M, 1987)

Video Match Officials
In: Ovidiu Hategan (M, 1980), Istvan Kovacs (M, 1984)

Russia
Referee
Out: Aleksei Eskov (M, 1978)
In: Pavel Kukuian (M, 1982), Nadezhda Gorinova (F, 1993)

Assistant Referees
Out: Anton Averianov (M, 1973), Aleksei Vorontsov (M, 1980)
In: Valentin Murashov (M, 1986), Andrei Vereteshkin (M, 1983)

Video Match Officials
In: Sergei Ivanov (M, 1984), Sergei Karasev (M, 1979), Vitali Meshkov (M, 1983), Vladimir Moskalev (M, 1986)

Beach Soccer
Out: Vasil Mamedov (M)
In: Aleksei Ivanov (M)

Sao Tome and Principe
Referees
In: Adelcio Santana (M)

Scotland
Assistant Referees
Out: Kathleen Alexander (F)

Video Match Officials
In: William Collum (M, 1979), Robert Madden (M, 1978)

Senegal
Assistant Referees
In: Mamadou Ngom (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Djibril Camara (M, 1983), Maguette N’Diaye (M, 1986), El Hadji Samba (M, 1979)

Serbia
Referees
Out: Danilo Grujic (M, 1980)
In: Milos Milanovic (M, 1987)

Video Match Officials
In: Dalibor Djurdjevic (M, 1973), Milovan Ristic (M, 1974)

Futsal
Out: Djordje Petrovic (M)
In: Oliver Nikolic (M)

Seychelles
Referees
In: Emile Fred (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Eldrick Adelaide (M)

Sierra Leone
Assistant Referees
In: Precious Amara (M)

Singapore
Referees
Out: Letchman Gopala (M)
In: Muhammad Bin Mustaffa (M), Liang Lim (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Ong Chai (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Muhammad Bin Jahari (M, 1986)

Slovakia
Referees
Out: Boris Marhefka (M, 1987)
In: Erik Gemzicky (M, 1992)

Assistant Referees
Out: Michal Tomcik (M, 1984)
In: Daniel Polacek (M, 1988)

Slovenia
Video Match Officials
In: Jure Praprotnik (M, 1984), Slavko Vincic (M, 1979)

Futsal
Out: Simon Todorovic (M)
In: Jernej Petek (M)

Solomon Islands
Assistant Referees
Out: Douglas Mete (M)

South Africa
Referees
Out: Tshidiso Maruping (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Vhahangwele Nembaleni (M)
In: Moeketsi Molelekoa (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Victor Gomes (M, 1982), Zakhele Siwela (M, 1982)

Spain
Video Match Officials
In: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez (M, 1984), Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea (M, 1986), Carlos Del Cerro Grande (M, 1976), Javier Estrada Fernandez (M, 1976), Jesus Gil Manzano (M, 1984), Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (M, 1982), Juan Martinez Munuera (M, 1982), Antonio Mateu Lahoz (M, 1977), Jose Sanchez Martinez (M, 1983)

Futsal
In: Pablo Delgado Sastre (M, 1987)

Sri Lanka
Referees
Out: Mohomad Jamaldeen (M), Ashantha Ponhen (M)
In: Mohamed Athambawa (M), Thusitha Karunanayaka (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Priyanga Palliya (M)
In: Mohamed Badurdeen (M)

Sudan
Referees
Out: Adel Adam (M), Mutaz Khairalla (M)
In: Abdalaziz Abdallah (M), Abdalaziz Ahmed (M)

Futsal
Out: Abdelazim Ahmed (M)
In: Mohammed Abdelbagi (M)

Sweden
Referees
Out: Laura Rapp (F, 1986), Martin Strombergsson (M, 1977)
In: Lovisa Johansson (F), Adam Ladeback (M, 1992)

Assistant Referees
Out: Joakim Amri Nilsson (M, 1982), Daniel Gustavsson (M, 1977)
In: Niklas Nyberg (M, 1988), Daniel Yng (M, 1994)

Switzerland
Referees
Out: Sandra Strub (F, 1987)
In: Deborah Anex (F, 1992)

Video Match Officials
In: Fedayi San (M, 1981), Esther Staubli (F, 1979), Lionel Tschudi (M, 1989)

Syria
Referees
Out: Mohamad Karram (M)
In: Shadi Al-Shohof (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Ahmad Al-Maloud (M)
In: Mohamed Al-Sayed (M), Roba Zarka (F)

Futsal
Out: Wadea Al-Hasan (M)
In: Alaa Kanah (M)

Tahiti
Assistant Referees
Out: Vaihina Teura (M)

Tanzania
Referees
Out: Emmanuel Mwandembwa (M)
In: Ramadhani Kayoko (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Mgaza Kinduli (M), Dalila Mtwana (F), Grace Wamala (F)
In: Abdulaziz Jumanne (M), Kassim Mpanga (M)

Thailand
In: Supiree Testhomya (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Arisa Jansom (F)
In: Suwida Wongkraisorn (F)

Tonga
Referees:
Out: Tapaita Lelenga (F)

Assistant Referees
Out: Lata Kaumatule (F)

Tunisia
Referees
Out: Slim Belkhouas (M)
In: Amir Loucif (M)

Assistant Referees
Out: Amel Hached (F), Ramzi Herch (M)
In: Youssef Jami (M), Nesrine Ouertatani (F)

Video Match Officials
In: Haythem Guirat (M, 1977)

Turkey
Referees
Out: Huseyin Gocek (M, 1976), Mete Kalkavan (M, 1979)
In: Abdulkadir Bitigen (M, 1983), Gamze Durmuş (F, 1982), Yasar Ugurlu (M, 1981)

Assistant Referees
Out: Esat Sancaktar (M), Kemal Yilmaz (M)
In: Ali Ogel (M), Abdullah Ozkara (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Abdulkadir Bitigen (M, 1983), Cuneyt Cakir (M, 1976), Mete Kalkavan (M, 1979), Ali Palabiyik (M, 1981)

Turkmenistan
Beach Soccer
Out: Akmyrat Jumayev (M)
In: Timur Gulmyradov (M)

Ukraine
Video Match Officials
In: Oleksandra Ardasheva (F, 1987), Mykola Balakin (M, 1989), Kateryna Monzul (F, 1981), Vitali Romanov (M, 1980), Maryna Striletska (F, 1983)

UAE
Referees
Out: Najat Al-Blooshi (M), Yaqoub Al-Hammadi (M, 1981)
In: Sultan Al-Hammadi (M), Khuloud Al-Zaabi (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Omar Al Ali (M), Mohamed Al-Hammadi (M, 1984), Ammar Al-Jneibi (M, 1982), Hasan Al-Mahri (M, 1978), Saqr Al-Zaabi (M), Abdulla Mohammed (M, 1978), Obaid Mohammed (M)

Futsal
In: Ahmed Al-Ghais (M), Yasir Al-Zaabi (M)

Beach Soccer
Out: Ebrahim Al Mansory (M)

Uruguay
Referees
In: Diego Riveiro (M, 1988)

Assistant Referees
Out: Mariana Corbo (F)
In: Belen Clavijo (M), Pablo Llarena (M), Andres Nievas (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Andres Cunha (M, 1976), Daniel Fedorczuk (M, 1976), Leodan Gonzalez (M, 1983), Esteban Ostojich (M, 1982)

Futsal
Out: Matthias De Armas (M)
In: Gonzalo Morales (M)

USA
Referees
In: Tori Penso (F, 1985)

Video Match Officials
In: Allen Chapman (M, 1974), Tim Ford (M), Edvin Jurisevic (M, 1975), Chris Penso (M, 1982), Armando Villarreal (M, 1986)

Uzbekistan
Referees
Out: Valentin Kovalenko (M, 1975)
In: Asker Nadjafaliev (M)

Beach Soccer
Out: Bakhtiyor Namazov (M, 1974)
In: Jamoliddin Najmiddinov (M)

Venezuela
Referees
In: Yender Herrera (M), Andres Pernia (M)

Assistant Referees
In: Yackson Diaz (M), Antoni Garcia (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Jesus Valenzuela (M, 1983)

Futsal
In: Oriana Zambrano (F)

Wales
Referees
Out: Bryn Markham-Jones (M, 1986)
In: Thomas Owen (M)

Yemen
Assistant Referees
Out: Bassam Al-Mqdashi (M), Dawad Binmahri (M)
In: Fahd Abdulrahman (M), Omar Al-Hadda (M)

Zambia
Assistant Referees
Out: Amos Chalwe (M), Romeo Kasengele (M)
In: Gertrude Nyirenda (F), Trywell Nyirenda (M)

Video Match Officials
In: Janny Sikazwe (M, 1979)

CONMEBOL Libertadores Final 2020: Loustau (ARG)

30 January 2021

Palmeiras – Santos
Referee: Patricio Loustau (ARG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Ezequiel Brailovsky (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Bonfa (ARG)
Fourth Official: Dario Herrera (ARG)
VAR: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
AVAR 1: John Ospina (COL)
AVAR 2: Juan Belatti (ARG)
AVAR 3: Fernando Rapallini (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Nilson Moncao (BRA)

Supervisor: Sergio Correa (BRA)

CONMEBOL Sudamericana Final 2020: Gonzalez (URU)

23 January 2021

Lanus – Defensa y Justicia
Referee: Leodan Gonzalez (URU, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Richard Trinidad (URU)
Fourth Official: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN)
VAR: Julio Bascunan (CHI)
AVAR 1: Angelo Hermosilla (CHI)
AVAR 2: Raul Orellana (CHI)
AVAR 3: Victor Carrillo (PER)
Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi (ARG)

Supervisor: Hernan Maidana (ARG) 

Machin and Pele’s signed shirt

Disappeared yesterday in Pont-à-Mousson at the age of 94, Roger Machin was one of the historical figures of French refereeing. He represented himself brilliantly in France (more than 250 Ligue 1 matches from 1961 to 1975) and on the international scene, accumulating prestigious appointments: final of the 1969 Coupe de France (Olympic de Marseille-Girondins de Bordeaux, photo below), first leg of the Intercontinental Cup (AC Milan-Estudiantes de La Plata), 1970 World Cup, European Cups (21 matches). During the 1970 World Cup, Roger Machin (FIFA official from 1964 to 1973) refereed the match between England and Czechoslovakia, at the Jalisco stadium in Guadalajara. He returned from Mexico with a Brazilian jersey signed by King Pele himself. When he retired, at the age of 48, he remained in the service of refereeing as president of the Central Referees Committee of the FFF, which he successfully managed, but also a member of the FIFA Refereee Committee, where he showed himself to be an influential ambassador of French refereeing. Outside football, the native of Montchanin (Saône-et-Loire) was a deputy head of department in a metallurgy plant in Pompey (Meurthe-et-Moselle). He was knighted in the Legion of Honour in 1998. The French Football Federation offers its most sincere condolences to the family and relatives of Roger Machin. (Source: FFF)

Roger Machin’s name reappeared in local sports news at an auction held last February in Nancy. The nugget of this sale, the signed jersey of King Pele, was perhaps his fondest memory. In any case, the one he most often mentioned in the presence of journalists. Roger Machin took pleasure in recounting his visit to the villa in Guadalajara where the Brazilian selection was housed during the 1970 World Cup. Pele had asked him for news of Raymond Kopa, Roger Piantoni, Just Fontaine… and had offered him the famous shirt. Always following the evolution of football with an attentive and passionate eye, the former international referee liked to recall that when he started with the whistle, he was generously paid the sum of... 40 francs for a first division match. (Source: Le Republicain Lorraine)

Referee Grafe swapped shirts with retiring player

Eintracht Frankfurt defender David Abraham brought his Bundesliga career to an end this weekend, marking the occasion by swapping shirts with the referee. The 34-year-old has spent eight years in Germany, but is returning to his native Argentina to be with his family.

Following a 3-1 win over Schalke on Sunday evening, Abraham decided to skip out on swapping shirts with a player and chose referee Manuel Grafe instead. Abraham and Grafe, along with other match officials, even posed in the tunnel at the end of the game.

Source: Sport Bible

VAR images shown on scoreboard

Carlos Velasco Carballo, president of the Technical Referees Committee, recently indicated that VAR images will be projected on the lighted boards that surround the playing field and on the video scoreboards, starting with the Spanish Super Cup. "We have had an idea that until now has not been experienced in the world of football, and that is to use the television 'U', which are the lighted boards that are at the grass level, surrounding the field, so that, during the game, when the VAR is checking something and the referee stops the game and puts his finger to his ear, everyone, including the players, can see what the VAR is checking", said Velasco Carballo to Movistar. "The spectators will see it, but also the players, through the video scoreboard." 

In addition, a message appears on the television image of what is being checked, such as "an offside before the goal, a possible hand of the attacker before the penalty, etc." Velasco Carballo said that the objective is an "absolute transparency. With this innovation, we are going to make all this information present on the video scoreboard, even when the referee goes to the monitor to see a possible review. The same thing that the referee sees is also seen in the stadium, by the public and, above all, the footballers, who will see the same VAR images".

Source: Sport