FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 – Semi-finals

25 August 2022

Spain – Netherlands
Referee: Tori Penso (USA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Chantal Boudreau (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Brooke Mayo (USA)
Fourth Official: Kim Yu-Jeong (KOR)
VAR: Daiane Muniz (BRA)
AVAR 1: Maria Carvajal (CHI)
AVAR 2: Ella De Vries (BEL)

Brazil – Japan
Referee: Tess Olofsson (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Almira Spahic (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Polyxeni Irotodou (CYP)
Fourth Official: Marianela Araya (CRC)
VAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA) 

AVAR 1: Melissa Borjas (HON)
AVAR 2: Sian Massey-Ellis (ENG)

UEFA Europa League 2022/2023 – Play-offs (Second Leg)

25 August 2022

AEK Larnaka – SK Dnipro
Referee: Davide Massa (ITA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Stefano Alassio (ITA)
Fourth Official: Rosario Abisso (ITA)
Referee Observer: Michael Riley (ENG)

Zalgiris Vilnius – PFK Ludogorets
Referee: Harm Osmers (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Dominik Schaal (GER)
Fourth Official: Robert Schröder (GER)
Referee Observer: Matteo Trefoloni (ITA)

Silkeborg IF – HJK Helsinki
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni (ITA)
Fourth Official: Francesco Fourneau (ITA)
Referee Observer: Martin Hansson (SWE)

Omonia – KAA Gent
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (BUL)
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Margaritov (BUL)
Assistant Referee 2: Diyan Valkov (BUL)
Fourth Official: Ivaylo Stoyanov (BUL)
Referee Observer: Konrad Plautz (AUT)

Fenerbahçe SK – Austria Wien
Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Barbero Sevilla (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Angel Nevado Rodriguez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez (ESP)
Referee Observer: Rene Temmink (NED)

Sivasspor – Malmö FF
Referee: Srdjan Jovanović (SRB)
Assistant Referee 1: Uroš Stojković (SRB)
Assistant Referee 2: Milan Mihajlović (SRB)
Fourth Official: Novak Simović (SRB)
Referee Observer: Viktor Kassai (HUN)

Sheriff Tiraspol – Pyunik FA
Referee: Andreas Ekberg (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Mehmet Culum (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Niklas Nyberg (SWE)
Fourth Official: Kristoffer Karlsson (SWE)
Referee Observer: Ferenc Szekely (HUN)

Heart of Midlothian – FC Zürich
Referee: Lawrence Visser (BEL)
Assistant Referee 1: Rien Vanyzere (BEL)
Assistant Referee 2: Thibaud Nijssen (BEL)
Fourth Official: Kevin Van Damme (BEL)
Referee Observer: Kyros Vassaras (GRE)

Shamrock Rovers – Ferencvarosi TC
Referee: François Letexier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni (FRA)
Fourth Official: Jeremy Stinat (FRA)
Referee Observer: Alon Yefet (ISR)

Olympiakos SFP – Apollon Limassol
Referee: Sandro Schärer (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Bekim Zogaj (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Jonas Erni (SUI)
Fourth Official: Fedayi San (SUI)
Referee Observer: Neale Barry (ENG)

UEFA Europa Conference League 2022/2023 – Play-offs (Second Leg)

23-25 August 2022

Apoel – Djurgardens IF
Referee: Roi Reinshreiber (ISR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: David Biton (ISR)
Assistant Referee 2: Sagi Metzamber (ISR)
Fourth Official: Eitan Shmuelevitz (ISR)
Referee Observer: Pavle Radovanović (MNE)

CFR Cluj – NK Maribor
Referee: John Beaton (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel McFarlane (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Douglas Potter (SCO)
Fourth Official: Steven McLean (SCO)
Referee Observer: Michal Beneš (CZE)

FC Basel – CSKA Sofia
Referee: António Nobre (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Ribeiro (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Martins (POR)
Fourth Official: Andre Narciso (POR)
Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson (SWE)

FC Twente – ACF Fiorentina
Referee: Radu Petrescu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Radu Ghinguleac (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Mircea Grigoriu (ROU)
Fourth Official: Marcel Bîrsan (ROU)
Referee Observer: Stefan Johannesson (ROU)

Viking FK – FCSB
Referee: Tamas Bognar (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Balazs Buzas (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Peter Kobor (HUN)
Fourth Official: Balazs Berke (HUN)
Referee Observer: Marco Borg (MLT)

Slavia Praha – Rakow Czestochowa
Referee: Craig Pawson (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Lee Betts (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Ian Hussin (ENG)
Fourth Official: Jarred Gillett (ENG)
Referee Observer: Shmuel Shteif (ISR)

Hapoel Beer Sheva – Universitatea Craiova
Referee: Erik Lambrechts (BEL)
Assistant Referee 1: Jo De Weirdt (BEL)
Assistant Referee 2: Mathias Hillaert (BEL)
Fourth Official: Wim Smet (BEL)
Referee Observer: Dejan Filipović (SRB)

MOL Fehervar – FC Köln
Referee: Ali Palabıyık (TUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Ceyhun Sesigüzel (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Kemal Yılmaz (TUR)
Fourth Official: Ümit Öztürk (TUR)
Referee Observer: Ichko Lozev (BUL)

Viborg FF – West Ham United
Referee: Harald Lechner (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Heidenreich (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Maximilian Kolbitsch (AUT)
Fourth Official: Markus Hameter (AUT)
Referee Observer: Michael Ross (NIR)

AIK – Slovacko
Referee: Donatas Rumšas (LTU)
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš (LTU)
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis (LTU)
Fourth Official: Robertas Valikonis (LTU)
Referee Observer: Stéphane Lannoy (FRA)

Wolfsberger AC – Molde FK
Referee: Robert Harvey (IRL)
Assistant Referee 1: Emmett Dynan (IRL)
Assistant Referee 2: Darragh Keegan (IRL)
Fourth Official: Neil Doyle (IRL)
Referee Observer: Lucilio Batista (POR)

KF Ballkani – FK Skupi
Referee: Istvan Vad (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Vencel Toth (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Istvan Albert (HUN)
Fourth Official: Ferenc Karako (HUN)
Referee Observer: John Ferry (NIR)

OGC Nice – Maccabi Tel Aviv
Referee: Sascha Stegemann (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Gittelmann (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Mark Borsch (GER)
Fourth Official: Christian Dingert (GER)
Referee Observer: Ognjen Valjić (BIH)

Hamrun Spartans – FK Partizan
Referee: Jakob Kehlet (DEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Lars Hummelgaard (DEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Victor Skytte (DEN)
Fourth Official: Morten Krogh (DEN)
Referee Observer: Stefano Podeschi (SMR)

RSC Anderlecht – BSC Young Boys
Referee: Serhiy Boyko (UKR)
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksandr Korniyko (UKR)
Assistant Referee 2: Oleksandr Zhukov (UKR)
Fourth Official: Yaroslav Kozyk (UKR)
Referee Observer: Marian Ružbarsky (SVK)

F91 Diddeleng – Lech Poznan
Referee: Nikola Dabanović (MNE)
Assistant Referee 1: Milutin Djukić (MNE)
Assistant Referee 2: Vladan Todorović (MNE)
Fourth Official: Miloš Bošković (MNE)
Referee Observer: Andrejs Sipailo (LVA)

Slovan Bratislava – HSK Zrinjski
Referee: Mohammed Al-Hakim (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Fredrik Klyver (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Robin Wilde (SWE)
Fourth Official: Bojan Pandzic (SWE)
Referee Observer: Nicola Rizzoli (ITA)

Linfield – RFS
Referee: Matej Jug (SVN)
Assistant Referee 1: Matej Žunič (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Manuel Vidali (SVN)
Fourth Official: David Šmajc (SVN)
Referee Observer: Robert Schörgenhofer (AUT)

Royal Antwerp – Istanbul Başakşehir
Referee: Manuel Schüttengruber (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Brandner (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Robert Steinacher (AUT)
Fourth Official: Rene Eisner (AUT)
Referee Observer: Haim Jakov (ISR)

Rapid Wien – FC Vaduz
Referee: Rade Obrenovič (SVN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež (SVN)
Fourth Official: Alen Borošak (SVN)
Referee Observer: Helmut Fleischer (GER)

Hajduk Split – Villarreal CF
Referee: Andris Treimanis (LVA)
Assistant Referee 1: Haralds Gudermanis (LVA)
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksejs Spasjonņikovs (LVA)
Fourth Official: Aleksandrs Golubevs (LVA)
Referee Observer: Fredy Fautrel (FRA)

Gil Vicente – AZ Alkmaar
Referee: Fran Jović (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Hrvoje Radić (CRO)
Assistant Referee 2: Luka Pušić (CRO)
Fourth Official: Mario Zebec (CRO)
Referee Observer: Christopher Lautier (MLT)

UEFA Champions League 2022/2023 – Play-offs (Second Leg)

23-24 August 2022

Viktoria Plzen – Qarabag
Referee: Artur Soares Dias (POR, photo) 

Assistant Referee 1: Rui Tavares (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulo Soares (POR)

Fourth Official: Fabio Verissimo (POR)
VAR: Tiago Martins (POR)
AVAR: Luis Godinho (POR)
Referee Observer: Terje Hauge (NOR)

Crvena Zvezda – Maccabi Haifa
Referee: Anthony Taylor (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn (ENG)
Fourth Official: David Coote (ENG)
VAR: Christopher Kavanagh (ENG)
AVAR: Paul Tierney (ENG)
Referee Observer: Lutz-Michael Fröhlich (GER)

Benfica – Dynamo Kyiv
Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Cyril Gringore (FRA)
Fourth Official: Jeremie Pignard (FRA)
VAR: Jerôme Brisard (FRA)
AVAR: Willy Delajod (FRA)
Referee Observer: Murat Ilgaz (TUR)

Dinamo Zagreb – Bodo Glimt
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrian Devis (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Diaz Perez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Jose Munuera Montero (ESP)
VAR: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetchea (ESP)
AVAR: Xavier Estrada Fernandez (ESP)
Referee Observer: Drago Kos (SVN)

Trabzonspor – Copenhagen
Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries (NED)
Fourth Official: Jochem Kamphuis (NED)
VAR: Pol van Boekel (NED)
AVAR: Dennis Higler (NED)
Referee Observer: Vitor Melo Pereira (POR)

PSV – Rangers
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL)
Fourth Official: Pawel Raczkowski (POL)
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
AVAR: Bartosz Frankowski (POL)
Referee Observer: Juan Fernandez Marin (ESP)

FIFA referee Ma deliberately knocked over by player in China

In the 15th minute of the Wuhan Yangtze River's home match against Henan Songshan Longmen on Sunday, Brazilian player Dourado ran straight at the referee Ma Ning from behind and knocked the match official over. After reviewing it through VAR, Ma sent the Henan striker off.

The former director of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) referee department Liu Hu has slammed Henrique Dourado's knocking over of the referee in a Chinese Super League game as "criminal”. “I can't refrain from commenting after seeing the video (of Dourado's misconduct). It is simply outrageous," he wrote on social media on Monday. "The similar behavior of Dourado, who purposedly knocked over the referee Ma Ning from behind, has rarely been seen across world professional games. It is a criminal act which could ruin the victim's career. Dourado ran at high speed and rammed into Ma Ning on the back with the latter completely unaware of what's happening. This could result in an unexpectedly serious physical injury for the victim," he wrote. "This is a very vicious act representing a flagrant challenge to the spirit of football as a sport. The players' and match officials' physical safety must be safeguarded," he added.

Chinese former international Li Yi also voiced his shock at Dourado's gross conduct through social media. "I was left in total shock by Dourado's misconduct which resulted in a red card," Li said. "That's an act of violence committed on a match official, which will be surely further punished. No matter what happens on the pitch, you need to keep your self-control," Li added.

According to CFA rules, any act of violence committed on match officials by players, including elbowing, punching, and kicking, will incur a suspension of at least six months. Henan Songshan Longmen said in the wake of the Dourado incident that they are ready to accept any penalty the CFA hands them or their players. The Henan club said they will mete out their own punishment including fines, suspensions and contract terminations of players who have been shown red cards for on-pitch misbehavior.

Source: English News

Concacaf League 2022 – Round of 16 (Second Leg)

23-25 August 2022

CS Herediano – Pacific FC
Referee: Bryan Lopez (GUA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Tipaz (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Julian Mendez (GUA)
Fourth Official: Jose Fuentes (GUA)

Tauro FC – Sporting SM
Referee: Steffon Dewar (JAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Ojay Duhaney (JAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Jassett Kerr-Wilson (JAM)
Fourth Official: Oshane Nation (JAM)

Diriangen – Comunicaciones
Referee: Randy Encarnacion (DOM)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Bare (DOM)
Assistant Referee 2: Lendy Taveras (DOM)
Fourth Official: Keylor Herrera (CRC)

Motagua – Cibao
Referee: Benjamin Pineda (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: William Arrieta (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: William Chow (CRC)
Fourth Official: Josue Ugalde (CRC)

Alianza – Verdes FC
Referee: Said Martinez (HON)
Assistant Referee 1: Walter Lopez (HON)
Assistant Referee 2: Raymundo Feliz (DOM)
Fourth Official: Nelson Salgado (HON)

CS Cartagines – RCD Espana
Referee: Ivan Barton (SLV)
Assistant Referee 1: David Moran (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Zachari Zeegelaar (SUR)
Fourth Official: Filiberto Martinez (SLV)

Alianza FC – LD Alajuelense
Referee: Drew Fischer (CAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Christopher Wattam (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Lyes Arfa (CAN)
Fourth Official: Pierre-Luc Lauziere (CAN)

Olimpia – Municipal
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Cory Richardson (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Jeremy Kieso (USA)
Fourth Official: Nima Saghafi (USA)

AFC Champions League 2022 – Quarter-finals (East Region)

22 August 2022

Vissel Kobe – Kitchee SC
Referee: Abdulrahman Al Jassim (QAT, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Saoud Al Maqaleh (QAT)
Assistant Referee 2: Taleb Al Marri (QAT)
Fourth Official: Salman Falahi (QAT)

Urawa Red Diamonds – Pathum United
Referee: Mohammed Al Hoish (KSA)
Assistant Referee 1: Khalaf Al Shammari (KSA)
Assistant Referee 2: Yasir Al Sultan (KSA)
Fourth Official: Khalid Al Turais (KSA)

Former official who developed the original VAR system demands referees become specialised in video technology while encouraging more transparency

Football's rule-makers should encourage referees to specialise in video technology to improve the standard of officiating, the former official who pioneered VAR has told The Mail. Raymond van Meenen, the Feyenoord head of operations, also believes that the conversations between the match official and his video assistant should be broadcast to make the decision-making process transparent. Van Meenen, who developed the original VAR system while working for the Dutch football association, further proposed captains’ challenges that would permit teams to request that certain incidents should be reviewed. Van Meenen, a former referee himself, said that the job with the video screen requires a slightly different skill set to officiating matches. ‘Last season, we had three officials in the Netherlands who were not refereeing at FIFA level, but they were FIFA video match officials because they have skills to do it,’ he said. ‘I can see a time when that becomes normal. You have specialists who are good at recognising situations on camera, but not good at managing teams.’

Van Meenen spent roughly four years in the early 2010s working on the original VAR research project with Dutch football administrator Gijs de Jong and the British technology firm Hawk-Eye. It has been rolled out quickly since the first live trial in 2016, with the Premier League adopting the technology for the 2019-20 season. At the last count, domestic leagues in 49 countries are now using it. Van Meenen firmly believes it has been successful overall, and research backs him up. A study of 1,000 games by Belgian University KU Leuven found that VAR increased the accuracy of officials’ decisions from 93 per cent to 98.8 per cent. However, it has divided fans and a survey of 33,000 Premier League supporters last summer found only 26 per cent supported it. ‘If we did a survey of Dutch fans, probably half of them would say the same thing: we should get rid of the VAR immediately,’ Van Meenen says. ‘But when we have a match without the VAR, they miss it. Is it helping the referee to make more correct decisions? Yes. How long are we into this, four, five years? It’s nothing. We need to keep refining it, and then let’s see where we are in five to 10 years’ time.’

Van Meenen believes broadcasting a referee’s conversation with their video assistant — as has worked successfully in rugby union — would make fans more prepared to accept the system. ‘You need total transparency,’ he says. ‘Just turn on the microphones and let them have that conversation for everybody to follow.’ Van Meenen and his colleagues considered the captains’ reviews idea for their original protocol but decided against implementing it at such an early stage. He would now like to see it trialled in a format similar to cricket’s TMO. Van Meenen added: ‘I can’t imagine a match without a VAR now. It’s not 100 per cent in the Dutch league right now, or in the Premier League and Champions League, but it will evolve.’

Source: Daily Mail

Record of red cards in Ligue 1

The 11 reds were a single-round high in Ligue 1 for the last 30 years, according to statistics company Opta. There were also seven reds in Ligue 2, three of them for Saint-Etienne as they lost 6-0 at home to Le Havre and two for Metz who still drew at Laval.

Struggling Nice finished with nine men as they lost 1-0 at Clermont. Angers ended with 10 as they lost 3-1 at home to Brest and both teams had two men sent off as Auxerre won 2-1 at Montpellier. In the late afternoon game, despite a warning from their coach, Ajaccio finished with 10 men. Hosts Rennes, who won 2-1, even had a player on the bench sent off. "Seeing the matches earlier in the day, I had the feeling that the referees had received firm instructions. I warned my players," said Ajaccio coach Olivier Pantaloni. On Saturday, Vanderson was sent off as Monaco lost at home to Lens while Marseille beat Nantes despite losing Samuel Gigot.

In Clermont, Saif-Eddine Khaoui scored the only goal against Nice in the fifth minute. The visitor, who have not won this season, lost Mario Lemina in the 80th minute, shown a red card for a tackle from behind. Two minutes later, Jean-Clair Todibo collected his second yellow for dissent after a foul was awarded against Aaron Ramsey. In Rennes, the home team's substitute goalkeeper Romain Salin received two yellow cards in quick succession for arguing from the touchline. Lesley Ugochukwu, who had only come on for Ajaccio five minutes earlier was shown red for a foul in added time. "The spectacle was perhaps more the red cards than the play this afternoon," complained Rennes coach Bruno Genesio. "It's a bit weird. It is regrettable. Because it distorts the matches," said Genesio. "I saw a bit of the matches before ours. Some are justified, others a little less." Genesio said some coaches had wanted a meeting with referees, but others were not interested, which, he said, was "a pity".

There were four red cards in Montpellier, as Auxerre gained a first victory in Ligue 1 since May 2012. Montpellier midfielder Khalil Fayad was sent off in the 46th minute and Auxerre striker M'Baye Niang in the 51st. After Mathias Autret scored a penalty winner, Nuno Da Costa and then Montpellier midfielder Teji Savanier were sent off. "There were four expulsions. That's heavy in a game without extreme violence," said Auxerre coach Jean-Marc Furlan. "In our time, when we played, we killed each other. There was never a yellow or a red. UEFA changed all that because there were serious injuries like (Diego) Maradona or (Marco) Van Basten," said the former defender, who played for a series of French clubs from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s. "We lost our two centre forwards because of reds. We're going to play like Barca. We're going to play without a centre forward." Montpellier coach Olivier Dall'Oglio agreed. "There are red cards being shown very quickly, there are penalties being whistled very quickly," said Dall'Oglio. "There are always new instructions. There is always a new strictness, but it will fade as the days go by."

Source: France24

FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 – Quarter-finals

20-21 August 2022

Colombia – Brazil
Referee: Cheryl Foster (WAL, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Sara Telek (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Katarzyna Wojs (POL)
Fourth Official: Marta Huerta de Aza (ESP)
VAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
AVAR 1: Sian Massey-Ellis (ENG)
AVAR 2: Fatiha Jermoumi (MAR)

Spain – Mexico
Referee: Kim Yu Jeong (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Ramina Tsoi (KGZ)
Assistant Referee 2: Park Mi Suk (KOR)
Fourth Official: Lara Lee (AUS)
VAR: Esther Staubli (SUI)
AVAR 1: Ella De Vries (BEL)
AVAR 2: Chantal Boudreau (CAN)

Nigeria – Netherlands
Referee: Marianela Araya (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Mijensa Rensch (SUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Shirley Perello (HON)
Fourth Official: Tori Penso (USA)
VAR: Melissa Borjas (HON)
AVAR 1: Eszter Urban (HUN)
AVAR 2: Fatiha Jermoumi (MAR)

Japan – France
Referee: Emikar Calderas (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Migdalia Rodriguez (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Mary Blanco (COL)
Fourth Official: Francia Gonzalez (MEX)
VAR: Daiane Muniz (BRA)
AVAR 1: Salome Di Iorio (ARG)
AVAR 2: Enedina Caudillo (MEX)

Referee body cam in MLS All-Star game

Football is evolving. The game is becoming more and more influenced by the growth of new technologies. The potential impact of these technologies cannot be underestimated, after all, just look at how VAR has changed the game over the past few years.

The MLS is the latest league to dip its toes in the latest technology. It conducted a revolutionary experiment by placing a camera on the chest of the referee during the MLS All-Star vs Liga MX game. The images that have been shown from the game have provoked quite the reaction. They give the spectator a firsthand view of everything that the referee sees: protests, fouls, sprints, penalties and more. This kind of technology is one is that is likely to be welcomed with open arms by football fans because of the immersive insight it gives on the game. It truly does make for quite the spectacle. Who knows, it might even make fans sympathise with referees a bit more!

Source: Marca

UEFA Women’s Champions League 2022/2023 – First Round

21 August 2022

Real Madrid – Manchester City WFC
Referee: Shona Shukrula (NED, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Laura Cordani (SMR)
Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Milošević (SRB)
Fourth Official: Marina Živković (SRB)
Referee Observer: Gyöngyi Gaal (HUN)

Shelbourne Ladies – Valur Reykjavík
Referee: VoLha Blockaja (BLR)
Assistant Referee 1: Nastassia Dančanka (BLR)
Assistant Referee 2: Sidsel Dall (DEN)
Fourth Official: Frederikke Sokjær (DEN)
Referee Observer: Anelia Sinabova (BUL)

AS PAOK – Rangers LFC
Referee: Alina Peșu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Mihaela Țepușă (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Ugnė Šmitaitė (LTU)
Fourth Official: Jurgita Mačikunytė (LTU)
Referee Observer: Snježana Fočić (CRO)

BIİK Qazygurt – Zhytlobud Kharkiv
Referee: Minka Vekkeli (FIN)
Assistant Referee 1: Heini Hyvönen (FIN)
Assistant Referee 2: Vasilía Tsiklitari (GRE)
Fourth Official: Anastasía Mylopoulou (GRE)
Referee Observer: Miroslava Migalova (SVK)

Zürich Frauen – Apollon Ladies
Referee: Eleni Antoniou (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Chrysoula Kourompylia (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Liana Grigoryan (ARM)
Fourth Official: Sofik Torosyan (ARM)
Referee Observer: Christine Frai (GER)

Anderlecht – KuPS Kuopio
Referee: Jelena Cvetković (SRB)
Assistant Referee 1: Danijela Mitrović (SRB)
Assistant Referee 2: Victoria Finlay (NIR)
Fourth Official: Louise Thompson (NIR)
Referee Observer: Sofía Karagiorgi (CYP)

Juventus – Kiryat Gat
Referee: María Martinez Madrona (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Rocio Puente Pino (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Tamara Došen (BIH)
Fourth Official: Merima Čelik (BIH)
Referee Observer: Dilan Gökcek Işcan (TUR)

Olimpia Cluj Napoca – SFK Sarajevo
Referee: Lucie Šulcova (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Nikola Šafrankova (CZE)
Assistant Referee 2: Sabrina Keinersdorfer (SUI)
Fourth Official: Michele Schmölzer (SUI)
Referee Observer: Hilda McDermott (IRL)

FC Twente – SL Benfica
Referee: Maria Marotta (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Veronica Martinelli (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Georgia Komisopoulou (GRE)
Fourth Official: Andromachi Tsioflíki (GRE)
Referee Observer: Emilia Wnuk (POL)

Dynama BDUFK – St. Pölten Frauen
Referee: Rasa Grigone (LTU)
Assistant Referee 1: Irina Pozdejeva (LTU)
Assistant Referee 2: Silvia Fernández Perez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Olatz Rivera Olmedo (ESP)
Referee Observer: Olga Tanschi (MDA)

KFF Vllaznia – Spartak Myjava
Referee: Tatıana Sorokopydova (KAZ)
Assistant Referee 1: Nargıs Magay (KAZ)
Assistant Referee 2: Iryna Chayka (UKR)
Fourth Official: Lyudmyla Telbukh (UKR)
Referee Observer: Antonia Kokotou (GRE)

Spartak Subotica – ALG Spor
Referee: Viola Raudziņa (LVA)
Assistant Referee 1: Diāna Vanaga-Araja (LVA)
Assistant Referee 2: Irmgard Van Meirvenne (BEL)
Fourth Official: Caroline Lanssens (BEL)
Referee Observer: Sjoukje de Jong (NED)

Paris FC – AS Roma
Referee: Angelika Söder (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Melissa Joos (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Matilde Esteves-Garcia (ESP)
Fourth Official: Ainara Acevedo Dudley (ESP)
Referee Observer: Claudine Brohet (BEL)

FK Minsk – Rosenborgk BK
Referee: Ewa Augustyn (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandra Ulanowska (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Maria Vasileva (BUL)
Fourth Official: Galia Echeva (BUL)
Referee Observer: Ivana Vlaić (BIH)

AFC Ajax – Eintracht Frankfurt
Referee: Sabina Bolić (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Maja Petravić (CRO)
Assistant Referee 2: Judit Gavalla-Kulcsár (HUN)
Fourth Official: Katalin Sipos (HUN)
Referee Observer: Ana Minić (SRB)

Premier League introduces new independent panel to review refereeing decisions

The Premier League’s key refereeing decisions will be scrutinised by a newly introduced independent panel with the findings to be passed on to all 20 clubs. Just 24 hours after Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham that prompted Thomas Tuchel to rip into referee Anthony Taylor for his performance at Stamford Bridge, Sportsmail can reveal that top-flight clubs will now receive regular reports from the Professional Game Management Officials on the standard of officiating - including errors made during matches. The new panel includes three former players, a Premier League representative and a PGMOL official. Recently retired referees Jon Moss and Martin Atkinson - who have taken on roles at the PGMOL - would have the credentials to be part of the process.

The new panel will usually meet on Thursdays, meaning Chelsea will not receive the findings on their game against Tottenham until towards the end of the week. Meanwhile, the Football Association are investigating Tuchel for his remarks in which he appeared to question Taylor’s impartiality. Tuchel is also waiting to discover whether he and Spurs boss Antonio Conte face an FA charge for the heated exchanges that overshadowed Sunday’s clash. The pair had to be separated on two occasions at Stamford Bridge, with both eventually being shown red cards by Taylor. The FA will examine the referee’s report before deciding whether to open an investigation into the flashpoints, although it appears likely that the pair will find themselves in trouble with the governing body. The new measures were introduced at the start of the season and clubs have already received the report from the first round of games.

Source: Daily Mail

AFC Champions League 2022 – Round of 16 (East Region)

18-19 August 2022

Vissel Kobe – Yokohama Marinos
Referee: Alireza Faghani (IRN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammadreza Mansouri (IRN)
Assistant Referee 2: Mohammadreza Abolfazli (IRN)
Fourth Official: Khamis Al Marri (QAT)

Daegu FC – Jeonbuk Motors
Referee: Abdulla Mohammed (UAE)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohamed Al-Hammadi (UAE)
Assistant Referee 2: Hasan Al-Mahri (UAE)
Fourth Official: Khalid Al Turais (KSA)

Pathum United – Kitchee
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (JOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Taleb Al Marri (QAT)
Assistant Referee 1: Saoud Al Maqaleh (QAT)
Fourth Official: Salman Falahi (QAT)

Johor Darul Tazim – Urawa Red Diamonds
Referee: Christopher Beath (AUS)
Assistant Referee 1: Anton Shchetinin (AUS)
Assistant Referee 2: Ashley Beecham (AUS)
Fourth Official: Mohammed Al Hoish (KSA)

How much do Premier League referees get paid?

The referees in charge of the biggest league in the world are becoming stars in their own right – with their faces instantly recognisable to millions of Premier League fans across the world. But how much do Premier League referees such as Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor get paid?

Premier League referees are given a regular wage on top of match fees for every game they are assigned. According to Goal, referees are given a salary of between £38,500 and £42,000 – which varies based on experience. Referees are then given an extra £1,150 for matches they are put in charge of, which means that a Premier League referee can earn up to £70,000 per year. In comparison, referees in the Championship are given the same regular wage but only earn £600 for games. In the lower leagues of English football, referees are given a match fee of around £80 as well as expenses incurred through hotels and travel. And at the grassroots level, amateur referees typically earn between £20 to £40 per game.

While English football referees get a salary, Europe’s biggest leagues forgo a regular wage and instead pay on a match-by-match basis. In Spain, referees are paid roughly £5,200 per match, which means that referees in charge of La Liga games can earn well over £140,000 per year. In Germany, Bundesliga referees are given £3,150 per match, whereas Italian referees in their famous yellow shirts are awarded £3,000 for taking charge of Serie A games. French referees in Ligue 1 are given £2,400 per match, while counterparts in Portugal are given just £1,000 for every match they are in the middle.

Source: Metro

Collina: “We prepare World Cup referees as best as possible to avoid using technology”

Between 31 May and 22 June, FIFA held three seminars to thoroughly prepare the 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials from all six confederations chosen to officiate at the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The three-day seminars enabled officials from each confederation to come together in Asuncion, Paraguay (Concacaf/CONMEBOL), Doha, Qatar (AFC/OFC/CAF), and Madrid, Spain (UEFA), led by Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, and Massimo Busacca, FIFA's Director of Refereeing.

The match officials were put to the test in both theoretical classes and on-the-field training sessions each day, allowing the officials to simulate and practice various live-match situations. “Our objective is to prepare the referee as best as possible to avoid using technology, but technology is there to reduce the possibility of human mistake that can affect the outcome of a match. Even the best referee can make a mistake; he is a human being, and we know that,” said Pierluigi Collina. The successful delivery of the seminars on three continents was especially satisfying, considering during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, FIFA Refereeing had to move all education online.

For the selected match officials, their participation at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is the ultimate realisation of a professional dream. For Danny Makkelie of The Netherlands, one he’d had since childhood. "When I received the invitation and confirmation that I had been selected with my team, this was an unbelievable feeling. When I started as a referee, I was 12 years old, and my goal was already that I wanted to reach the top, and I was dreaming of the World Cup," said the Dutchman, who was also a Video Assistant Referee at the Final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

For assistant referee Karen Diaz (Mexico), she hopes being one of six pioneering women – alongside referees Stéphanie Frappart (France), Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda), and Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan), and assistant referees Neuza Back (Brazil) and Kathryn Nesbitt (USA) – to participate in a men's FIFA World Cup, will open up opportunities for more women. “I feel very happy, and very grateful to all the people that have given me this chance,” said Diaz. “We have to ensure that this time doesn't become the only time that women are selected, but the first of many to come.”

As Massimo Busacca concludes: "It's like a football team; they have to prepare everything very well for the most important competition we have in the sport. I am positive. I expect a great World Cup. We know what we are doing. “The sacrifice we are making, the seminars; talking and talking, is because we want to achieve a target. I'm sure the referees understand this message, and they will perform very well.”

Source: FIFA

FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 – Group Stage (Matches 21-24)

17 August 2022

USA – Japan
Referee: Marta Huerta de Aza (ESP, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Katalin Török (HUN)
Fourth Official: Cheryl Foster (WAL)
VAR: Salome Di Iorio (ARG)
AVAR 1: Maria Carvajal (CHI)
AVAR 2: Eliana Fernandez Gonzalez (ESP)

Netherlands – Ghana
Referee: Emikar Calderas (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Migdalia Rodriguez (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Mary Blanco (COL)
Fourth Official: Kim Yu Jeong (KOR)
VAR: Daiane Muniz (BRA)
AVAR 1: Melissa Borjas (HON)
AVAR 2: Shirley Perello (HON)

Korea – France
Referee: Vincentia Amedome (TOG)
Assistant Referee 1: Karine Atezambong (CMR)
Assistant Referee 2: Fanta Kone (MLI)
Fourth Official: Marianela Araya (CRC)
VAR: Esther Staubli (SUI)
AVAR 1: Sian Massey-Ellis (ENG)
AVAR 2: Ella De Vries (BEL)

Nigeria – Canada
Referee: Lara Lee (AUS)
Assistant Referee 1: Thi Truong (VIE)
Assistant Referee 2: Heba Saadieh (PLE)
Fourth Official: Elizabeth Tintaya (PER)
VAR: Kate Jacewicz (AUS)
AVAR 1: Sarah Ho (AUS)
AVAR 2: Sara Telek (AUT)

OFC Champions League Final 2022: Yareboinen (PNG)

17 August 2022

AS Venus – Auckland City
Referee: David Yareboinen (PNG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Bernard Mutukera (SOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Folio Moeaki (TGA)
Fourth Official: Veer Singh (FIJ)
Reserve AR: Bertrand Brial (NCL)

Concacaf League 2022 – Round of 16 (First Leg)

16-18 August 2022

Sporting – Tauro
Referee: David Gomez (CRC, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Fernandez (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Victor Ramirez (CRC)
Fourth Official: Juan Calderon (CRC)

Comunicaciones – Diriangen
Referee: Moeth Gaymes (SVG)
Assistant Referee 1: Kevon Clarke (BRB)
Assistant Referee 2: Angelo Doyle (BRB)
Fourth Official: Reon Radix (GRN)

Pacific – Herediano
Referee: Jose Torres (PUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Henri Pupiro (NCA)
Assistant Referee 2: Limanuel Sola (PUR)
Fourth Official: William Anderson (PUR)

Cibao – Motagua
Referee: Joseph Dickerson (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Caleb Wales (TRI)
Assistant Referee 2: Logan Brown (USA)
Fourth Official: Armando Villarreal (USA)

Verdes – Alianza
Referee: Selvin Brown (HON)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Ramirez (HON)
Assistant Referee 2: Gerson Orellana (HON)
Fourth Official: Melvin Herrera (HON)

Espana – Cartagines
Referee: Oliver Vergara (PAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Alejandro Camarena (PAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Andres Vargas (PAN)
Fourth Official: Sergio Reyna (GUA)

Alajuelense – Alianza
Referee: Julio Luna (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Humberto Panjoj (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Luis Ventura (GUA)
Fourth Official: Mario Escobar (GUA)

Municipal – Olimpia
Referee: Marco Ortiz (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Ibrahim Martinez (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Jessica Morales (MEX) 

Fourth Official: Katia Garcia (MEX)

UEFA Europa Conference League 2022/2023 – Play-offs (First Leg)

17-18 August 2022

Djurgardens IF – Apoel
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja (ALB, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Rejdi Avdo (ALB)
Assistant Referee 2: Dojando Myftari (ALB)
Fourth Official: Kreshnik Bajramaj (ALB)
Referee Observer: Peter Sippel (GER)

Rakow Czestochowa – Slavia Praha
Referee: Rohit Saggi (NOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Geir Isaksen (NOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Morten Jensen (NOR)
Fourth Official: Mohammad Aslam (NOR)
Referee Observer: Raymond Ellingham (WAL)

RFS – Linfield
Referee: Aliyar Agayev (AZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Zeynal Zeynalov (AZE)
Assistant Referee 2: Akif Amirəli (AZE)
Fourth Official: Elçin Masiyev (AZE)
Referee Observer: Miroslav Tulinger (CZE)

CSKA Sofia – FC Basel
Referee: Duje Strukan (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Bojan Zobenica (CRO)
Assistant Referee 2: Alen Jakšić (CRO)
Fourth Official: Ivan Bebek (CRO)
Referee Observer: Kostas Kapitanis (CYP)

Maccabi Tel Aviv – OGC Nice
Referee: Allard Lindhout (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Rogier Honig (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Roy de Nas (NED)
Fourth Official: Erwin Blank (NED)
Referee Observer: Stefan Messner (AUT)

BSC Young Boys – RSC Anderlecht
Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (MKD)
Assistant Referee 1: Dejan Kostadinov (MKD)
Assistant Referee 2: Kuštrim Lika (MKD)
Fourth Official: Aleksandar Grujoski (MKD)
Referee Observer: Volodymyr Petrov (UKR)

FC Slovacko – AIK
Referee: Horațiu Feșnic (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Valentin Avram (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Alexandru Cerei (ROU)
Fourth Official: Sebastian Colțescu (ROU)
Referee Observer: Thomas Einwaller (AUT)

Molde FK – Wolfsberger AC
Referee: Anastasios Papapetrou (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Tryfon Petropoulos (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Iordanis Aptosoglou (GRE)
Fourth Official: Evangelos Manouchos (GRE)
Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine (NIR)

Universitatea Craiova – Hapoel Beer Sheva
Referee: Nicolas Walsh (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: Graeme Stewart (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Calum Spence (SCO)
Fourth Official: Donald Robertson (SCO)
Referee Observer: Alain Hamer (LUX)

Istanbul Başakşehir – Royal Antwerp
Referee: Jerôme Brisard (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Erwan Finjean (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alexis Auger (FRA)
Fourth Official: Thomas Leonard (FRA)
Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav (BIH)

HŠK Zrinjski – Slovan Bratislava
Referee: Julian Weinberger (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Maximilian Weiss (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Michael Obritzberger (AUT)
Fourth Official: Alan Kijas (AUT)
Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan (ARM)

NK Maribor – CFR Cluj
Referee: Pavel Orel (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Dan Vodražka (CZE)
Assistant Referee 2: Jirí Kríž (CZE)
Fourth Official: Zbyněk Proske (CZE)
Referee Observer: Igor Pristovnik (CRO)

Lech Poznan – F91 Diddeleng
Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas (LTU)
Assistant Referee 1: Vytenis Kazlauskas (LTU)
Assistant Referee 2: Edgaras Bučinskas (LTU)
Fourth Official: Kęstutis Bartuškevičius (LTU)
Referee Observer: Emil Božinovski (MKD)

FCSB – Viking FK
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili (GEO)
Assistant Referee 1: Levan Varamishvili (GEO)
Assistant Referee 2: Zaza Pipia (GEO)
Fourth Official: Davit Kharitonashvili (GEO)
Referee Observer: Bariş Şimşek (TUR)

FC Köln – MOL Fehervar
Referee: Tiago Martins (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Campos (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Hugo Ribeiro (POR)
Fourth Official: Luis Godinho (POR)
Referee Observer: Georgios Bikas (GRE)

Villarreal CF – Hajduk Split
Referee: Aleksei Kulbakov (BLR)
Assistant Referee 1: Dmitri Zhuk (BLR)
Assistant Referee 2: Oleg Maslyanko (BLR)
Fourth Official: Viktor Shimusik (BLR)
Referee Observer: Edgar Steinborn (GER)

West Ham United – Viborg FF
Referee: Marco Di Bello (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Fabiano Preti (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Giorgio Peretti (ITA)
Fourth Official: Juan Sacchi (ITA)
Referee Observer: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (ESP)

FK Skupi – KF Ballkani
Referee: Ivar Kristjansson (ISL)
Assistant Referee 1: Birkir Sigurdarson (ISL)
Assistant Referee 2: Johann Gudmundsson (ISL)
Fourth Official: Thorvaldur Arnason (ISL)
Referee Observer: Jan Wegereef (NED)

ACF Fiorentina – FC Twente
Referee: Daniel Stefanski (PO)
Assistant Referee 1: Dawid Golis (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Michal Obukowicz (POL)
Fourth Official: Damian Sylwestrzak (POL)
Referee Observer: Niklas a Lidarenda (FRO)

FC Vaduz – Rapid Wien
Referee: Kristo Tohver (EST)
Assistant Referee 1: Silver Koiv (EST)
Assistant Referee 2: Sten Klaasen (EST)
Fourth Official: Martti Pukk (EST)
Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili (GEO)

FK Partizan – Hamrun Spartans
Referee: Filip Glova (SVK)
Assistant Referee 1: Peter a (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Polaček (SVK)
Fourth Official: Michal Očenaš (SVK)
Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen (NOR)

AZ Alkmaar – Gil Vicente
Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Angel Nevado Rodriguez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Garrido Romero (ESP)
Fourth Official: Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes (ESP)
Referee Observer: Robert Sedlacek (AUT)

UEFA Europa League 2022/2023 – Play-offs (First Leg)

18 August 2022

Ferencvarosi TC – Shamrock Rovers
Referee: Glenn Nyberg (SWE, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist (SWE)
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck (SWE)
Referee Observer: Manuel Diaz Vega (ESP)

FC Zürich – Hearts of Midlothian
Referee: Bartosz Frankowski (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Marcin Boniek (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Jakub Winkler (POL)
Fourth Official: Krzysztof Jakubik (POL)
Referee Observer: Frank De Bleeckere (BEL)

Malmö FF – Sivasspor
Referee: William Collum (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: David McGeachie (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Francis Connor (SCO)
Fourth Official: David Dickinson (SCO)
Referee Observer: Kristinn Jakobsson (ISL)

Apollon Limassol – Olympiakos
Referee: Jose Sanchez Martinez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Raul Cabanero Martinez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Inigo Prieto Lopez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Jose Munuera Montero (ESP)
Referee Observer: Andreas Schluchter (SUI)

Pyunik FA – Sheriff Tiraspol
Referee: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Naranjo Perez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sanchez Rojo (ESP)
Fourth Official: Alejandro Muniz Ruiz (ESP)
Referee Observer: Calum Murray (SCO)

PFK Ludogorets – Zalgiris Vilnius
Referee: Ivan Kružliak (SVK)
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Pozor (SVK)
Fourth Official: Peter Kralovič (SVK)
Referee Observer: David Fernandez Borbalan (ESP)

SK Dnipro – AEK Larnaka
Referee: Tobias Stieler (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Gittelmann (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Eduard Beitinger (GER)
Fourth Official: Martin Petersen (GER)
Referee Observer: Miroslav Liba (CZE)

HJK Helsinki – Silkeborg IF
Referee: Joao Pinheiro (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia (POR)
Fourth Official: Gustavo Correia (POR)
Referee Observer: Markus Nobs (SUI)

KAA Gent – Omonia Nicosia
Referee: Irfan Peljto (BIH)
Assistant Referee 1: Davor Beljo (BIH)
Assistant Referee 2: Senad Ibrišimbegović (BIH)
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigović (BIH)
Referee Observer: Tomasz Mikulski (POL)

Austria Wien – Fenerbahçe SK
Referee: Daniel Siebert (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn (GER)
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager (GER)
Referee Observer: Jon Skjervold (NOR)

UEFA Champions League 2022/2023 – Play-offs (First Leg)

16-17 August 2022

Bodo Glimt – Dinamo Zagreb
Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries (NED)
Fourth Official: Allard Lindhout (NED)
VAR: Marco Fritz (GER)
AVAR: Mark Borsch (GER)
Referee Observer: Francesco Bianchi (SUI)

Copenhagen – Trabzonspor
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Simon Bennett (ENG)
Fourth Official: Robert Jones (ENG)
VAR: Stuart Attwell (ENG)
AVAR: Jarred Gillett (AUS)
Referee Observer: Gylfi Orrason (ISL)

Rangers – PSV
Referee: Daniele Orsato (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Ciro Carbone (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alessandro Giallatini (ITA)
Fourth Official: Daniele Doveri (ITA)
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati (ITA)
AVAR: Luca Pairetto (ITA)
Referee Observer: Jørn West Larsen (DEN)

Qarabag – Viktoria Plzen
Referee: Slavko Vinčić (SVN)
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič (SVN)
Fourth Official: Rade Obrenovič (SVN)
VAR: Nejc Kajtazovič (SVN)
AVAR: Jure Praprotnik (SVN)
Referee Observer: Bernardino Gonzalez Vazquez (ESP)

Maccabi Haifa – Crvena Zvezda
Referee: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrian Devis (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Barbero Sevilla (ESP)
Fourth Official: Cesar Soto Grado (ESP)
VAR: Juan Martinez Munuera (ESP)
AVAR: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea (ESP)
Referee Observer: Sokol Jareci (ALB)

Dynamo Kyiv – Benfica
Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Lupp (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller (GER)
Fourth Official: Sven Jablonski (GER)
VAR: Bastian Dankert (GER)
AVAR: Harm Osmers (GER)
Referee Observer: Bertrand Layec (FRA)

FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 – Group Stage (Matches 17-20)

16 August 2022

Mexico – Germany
Referee: Akhona Makalima (RSA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Diana Chikotesha (ZAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Mimisen Iyorhe (NGA)
Fourth Official: Kim Yujeong (KOR)
VAR: Salome Di Iorio (ARG)
AVAR 1: Fatiha Jermoumi (MAR)
AVAR 2: Sarah Ho (AUS)

Australia – Spain
Referee: Francia Gonzalez (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Enedina Caudillo (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Sandra Ramirez (MEX)
Fourth Official: Elizabeth Tintaya (PER)
VAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
AVAR 1: Eszter Urban (HUN)
AVAR 2: Katarzyna Wojs (POL)

Brazil – Costa Rica
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara (FIN)
Assistant Referee 1: Susanne Kung (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Karolin Kaivoja (EST)
Fourth Official: Tess Olofsson (SWE)
VAR: Bouchra Karboubi (MAR)
AVAR 1: Esther Staubli (SUI)
AVAR 2: Sara Telek (AUT)

Colombia – New Zealand
Referee: Tori Penso (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Chantal Boudreau (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Brooke Mayo (USA)
Fourth Official: Marianela Araya (CRC)
VAR: Kate Jacewicz (AUS)
AVAR 1: Eliana Fernandez Gonzalez (ESP)
AVAR 2: Shirley Perello (HON)

Cuban AR Santiago missed FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 due to administrative reasons

Cuban FIFA assistant referee Ivett Santiago is among the group of match officials appointed to the U-17 Women's World Cup in India to be held next October; it will be the first time she will participate in a FIFA World Cup. Santiago, 33, was on the official list for the U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica, but for administrative reasons the process that guaranteed her presence at the event was not completed, so she was re-assigned to the U-17 World Cup. The Cuban is on the list of FIFA candidates with options to participate in the senior Women's World Cup in 2023.

“In the process of preparing as a candidate for the 2023 Australia/New Zealand World Cup, it is common for FIFA to appoint candidates to work in the U-17 or U-20 World Cups. Participating in the U-17 World Cup in India will be a great opportunity because all the referees who will attend the event are on the list of candidates for next year's World Cup. More than an individual recognition, this appointment is a boost to female refereeing in Cuba, which has a history in our region.” She began her career as an athlete while she was studying Law at the University of Havana, and her good performances in the university games catapulted her to the professional team in the Cuban capital. While she was still playing, Ivett Santiago began taking refereeing courses and in 2015 she began to referee in the highest category of Cuban football. In 2017, she received the FIFA referee designation and in 2020 she was appointed to the U-20 Concacaf Championship, in the Dominican Republic. Currently, she shares her life between refereeing and her work as a Prosecutor in the Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Havana.

Santiago denounces the sexist discrimination in Cuba. “On many occasions, they question not only your femininity, but also your knowledge in order to apply the football laws." In 2018, Cuban referee Yanely Chavez, one of the most promising figures of women's football on the island, denounced that the Cuban federation (FCF) withdrew her FIFA badge to participate in international matches without offering any explanation, alleging “confidential” reasons. “It's been very difficult for me because that badge is so hard to get. It hurts when your own country excludes you for no apparent reason,” Chavez said in an interview with sports journalist Mayli Estevez, from the Cuban magazine Tremenda Nota. According to Estevez, no official from the Cuban federation explained to the young referee the reason for her exclusion from the FIFA list. “There is a lot of discrimination; not because I say so, but because specialists in the field have recognized it. There are female referees who work in the first division of this country, and they are much more qualified than the men. Many of them do not meet the conditions and, nevertheless, they are still there, above us, because they are men”, said referee Chavez at that time about discrimination against women in the context of Cuban football.

Source: CiberCuba

OFC Champions League 2022 – Semi-finals

15 August 2022

Auckland City – Central Coast
Referee: Norbert Hauata (TAH, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Bertrand Brial (NCL)
Assistant Referee 2: Folio Moeaki (TGA)
Fourth Official: David Yareboinen (PNG)
Reserve AR: Bernard Mutukera (SOL)

AS Venus – Hienghene Sport
Referee: Matthew Conger (NZL)
Assistant Referee 1: Mark Rule (NZL)
Assistant Referee 2: Isaac Trevis (NZL)
Fourth Official: Campbell Kawana-Waugh (NZL)
Reserve AR: Veer Singh (FIJ)

FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 – Group Stage (Matches 13-16)

14 August 2022

France – Canada
Referee: Anne-Marie Keighley (NZL, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Sarah Jones (NZL)
Assistant Referee 2: Maria Salamasina (SAM)
Fourth Official: Lara Lee (AUS)
VAR: Daiane Muniz (BRA)
AVAR 1: Bouchra Karboubi (MAR)
AVAR 2: Maria Carvajal (CHI)

Korea – Nigeria
Referee: Marta Huerta de Aza (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Katalin Török (HUN)
Fourth Official: Tori Penso (USA)
VAR: Eszter Urban (HUN)
AVAR 1: Ella De Vries (BEL)
AVAR 2: Sian Massey-Ellis (ENG)

Japan – Ghana
Referee: Marianela Araya (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Mijensa Rensch (SUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Shirley Perello (HON)
Fourth Official: Francia González (MEX)
VAR: Melissa Borjas (HON)
AVAR 1: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
AVAR 2: Enedina Caudillo (MEX)

USA – Netherlands
Referee: Kim Yu Jeong (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Ramina Tsoi (KGZ)
Assistant Referee 2: Park Mi Suk (KOR)
Fourth Official: Elizabeth Tintaya (PER)
VAR: Esther Staubli (SUI)
AVAR 1: Sarah Ho (AUS)
AVAR 2: Fatiha Jermoumi (MAR)

Finalissima U-20 (UEFA-CONMEBOL) 2022

21 August 2022 (Montevideo)

CA Penarol – SL Benfica
Referee: Derlis Lopez (PAR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Canete (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Villagra (PAR)
Fourth Official: Jose Mendez (PAR)
VAR: German Delfino (ARG)
AVAR: Maximiliano Del Yesso (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Jose Buitrago (COL)

FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 – Group Stage (Matches 9-12)

13 August 2022

Brazil – Australia
Referee: Cheryl Foster (WAL, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Sara Telek (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Katarzyna Wojs (POL)
Fourth Official: Lina Lehtovaara (FIN)
VAR: Melissa Borjas (HON)
AVAR 1: Eszter Urban (HUN)
AVAR 2: Enedina Caudillo (MEX)

Germany – New Zealand
Referee: Vincentia Amedome (TOG)
Assistant Referee 1: Karine Atezambong (CMR)
Assistant Referee 2: Fanta Kone (MLI)
Fourth Official: Akhona Makalima (RSA)
VAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
AVAR 1: Fatiha Jermoumi (MAR)
AVAR 2: Chantal Boudreau (CAN)

Mexico – Colombia
Referee: Tess Olofsson (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Almira Spahic (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Polyxeni Irodotou (CYP)
Fourth Official: Lara Lee (AUS)
VAR: Kate Jacewicz (AUS)
AVAR 1: Eliana Fernandez Gonzalez (ESP)
AVAR 2: Ella De Vries (BEL)

Costa Rica – Spain
Referee: Emikar Calderas (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Migdalia Rodriguez (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Mary Blanco (COL)
Fourth Official: Elizabeth Tintaya (PER)
VAR: Maria Carvajal (CHI)
AVAR 1: Salome Di Iorio (ARG)
AVAR 2: Sian Massey-Ellis (ENG)

Fandel to lead professional refereeing in Belgium

On 1 September 2022, Herbert Fandel will be appointed as the new President of the PRB (Professional Refereeing Board). He will succeed David Elleray in this role. Herbert Fandel has German nationality and is 58 years old. He has a particularly rich experience as a FIFA top referee and as a referee manager. Amongst other things, he refereed the 2007 Champions League final between AC Milan and Liverpool, was Chairman of the Referee Committee and of the Referee Board of the German Football Federation DFB for many years and was a long-time member of the UEFA Referee Committee. In his new Belgian role, Herbert Fandel is responsible for the strategy and further development of Belgian professional refereeing. He will chair the meetings of the PRB as well as those of the newly created ProRef Committee, which will link the Professional Refereeing Department (PRD), the Pro League and the wider football world. He will also serve as a sounding board for the management of the PRD, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of Belgian refereeing. "I have been closely following Belgian refereeing for several years, as I live close to the border with Belgium. David Elleray and his team did a great job. It’s my goal to use my experience and knowledge to help the refereeing unit in Belgium improve within a professional structure and get back to European top level”, said Fandel.

Belgian refereeing has made great strides in recent years. Our referees perform well at home and abroad and continue to make progress. However, there is still room for improvement. We are investing heavily in this. The operation of the VAR can be optimised, for example, so that less time is lost. Efforts are also being made to achieve greater uniformity of decisions on the pitch and in the VAR Replay Centre. Furthermore, training and the flow of talented referees from amateur to professional football must improve, so that we get more referees of the highest level in professional football. Finally, external communication can also evolve further, giving people more insight into the operation and bringing refereeing closer to football. In order to achieve these goals, the functioning of the Referee Department has been adjusted from the start of the new season, the main features being listed below:

- Operational decisions are taken by the PRD management team, which is headed by Stephanie Forde as Operational Director and Bertrand Layec as Technical Director. The other members of the management team are Frank De Bleeckere (Spokesman and Head of Training and Development) and Dieter De Naeyer (Head of Technology).

- The PRD management team will meet on a regular basis with the ProRef Committee. This is a new committee to ensure a better flow of information in all directions between the PRD and the wider world of football. The committee is responsible for the strategic oversight of professional refereeing in professional football and will also discuss developments. Besides the CEOs of both the RBFA and the Pro League, a former player and a former coach will join as well. The ProRef Committee will be chaired by Herbert Fandel, President of the PRB.

- Frank De Bleeckere will be appointed Head of Referee Development in addition to his role as spokesman. His task is to strengthen the training and transfer of young, talented referees to professional football.

- At the VAR, Christof Dierick joins VAR manager Frédy Fautrel as VAR coordinator. He will be responsible for the education and training of the (A)VARs, for feedback after the match performance and for the development of a transparent evaluation system.

- Finally, with the appointment of Herbert Fandel, the PRB will have a new president. The PRB is responsible for the validation of the main policies and protocols in professional football, compliance with UEFA and FIFA regulations, promotions and relegations, as well as the appointment of referees at FIFA and UEFA. In addition to President Herbert Fandel, the PRB also includes national team coach Roberto Martinez and CEO Peter Bossaert. The PRB has no operational role. Operational management is in the hands of the PRD management team.

Source: RBFA

Referees chairman Fatah resigns in protest of Clattenburg’s arrival in Egypt

Local referees have been under fire lately from most Egyptian Premier League club officials due to their performances this season. A number of clubs have already complained about refereeing decisions costing them points in the league table and threatened to withdraw from the competition. Cairo giants Al Ahly have even gone to demand the sacking of the referees committee, threatening to boycott the upcoming competitions organised by the EFA if their demands are not met.

Keen on improving the refereeing standards, the EFA decided to appoint renowned ex-referee Mark Clattenburg to Egypt as the head of the newly created refereeing committee. In protest of Clattenburg’s arrival, Essam Abdel-Fatah handed in his resignation, meaning Clattenburg will take charge of his role starting next week instead of next season. Clattenburg is well-known among Premier League fans having officiated over 250 games in English football before leaving in 2017. The 47-year-old then headed to Saudi Arabia where he replaced countryman Howard Webb as the head of Saudi Arabia’s referees committee. A short stint in China followed for the Englishman as he was hired by the Chinese Football Association to become one of their referees. He had also officiated a number of important games across multiple competitions in 2016 such as the UEFA Champions League and the Euro final.

Source: Kingfut

FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 – Group Stage (Matches 5-8)

11 August 2022

Ghana – USA 

Referee: Lara Lee (AUS, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Thi Truong (VIE)
Assistant Referee 2: Heba Saadieh (PLE)
Fourth Official: Cheryl Foster (WAL)
VAR: Kate Jacewicz (AUS)
AVAR 1: Sarah Ho (AUS)
AVAR 2: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (ESP)

Japan – Netherlands
Referee: Akhona Makalima (RSA)
Assistant Referee 1: Diana Chikotesha (ZAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Mimisen Iyorhe (NGA)
Fourth Official: Vincentia Amedome (TOG)
VAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
AVAR 1: Bouchra Karboubi (MAR)
AVAR 2: Fatiha Jermoumi (MAR)

France – Nigeria
Referee: Francia Gonzalez (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Enedina Caudillo (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Sandra Ramirez (MEX)
Fourth Official: Elizabeth Tintaya (PER)
VAR: Daiane Muniz (BRA)
AVAR 1: Maria Carvajal (CHI)
AVAR 2: Shirley Perello (HON)

Canada – Korea
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara (FIN)
Assistant Referee 1: Susanne Kung (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Katalin Török (HUN)
Fourth Official: Marta Huerta de Aza (ESP)
VAR: Salome Di Iorio (ARG)
AVAR 1: Eliana Fernandez Gonzalez (ESP)
AVAR 2: Ella De Vries (BEL)

Heady times for Super Cup referee Oliver

The curtain-raiser to the new European club competition season at the Finnish capital’s Olympic Stadium is just the first date in a packed diary for the 37-year-old official from the north-east English county of Northumberland. By the end of the year, Oliver will not only add further regular assignments in England’s Premier League and top European competitions to his career CV – a cherished ambition also lies in front of him in November and December when he joins the refereeing team for the FIFA World Cup final tournament in Qatar.

It's a heady moment for a referee who has excelled at his profession, especially since his early 20s. However, Oliver firmly refuses to get ahead of himself. The Super Cup assignment in Finland is the main current priority at the forefront of his thoughts. “I’m both delighted and excited about Wednesday,” says Oliver, a native of the town of Ashington. “You never expect to be appointed for these games until you get the call. It’s a showpiece occasion, and a nice way to start an important season.” Ashington, a town of 28,000 inhabitants located some 25 kilometres north of Newcastle upon Tyne, holds a special place in English football’s heart. The town has been the birthplace of football greats such as England’s 1966 World Cup-winning brothers Bobby and Jack Charlton, and their mother’s cousin Jackie Milburn, the iconic Newcastle United and England centre-forward of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Oliver is a current member of a long and distinguished list of personalities from various sports who have put Ashington on the map. “It’s a small town,” he reflects, “but there’s a lot of sporting activity going on, and I think that people in the town can’t not have been influenced in some way by the fact that so many sports personalities, such as the Charltons, have come from Ashington.” A proud list of refereeing achievements is Oliver’s contribution to Ashington’s sporting legacy. He was the youngest English Football League assistant referee, then the youngest Football League referee and, in 2010 – at the age of 25 years and 182 days – he became the youngest referee to take charge of an English Premier League match. The international badge inevitably followed in 2012.

Refereeing was already in the family blood – Oliver’s father Clive also refereed at the higher levels of English football – but a career as a referee wasn’t exactly a foregone conclusion when the younger Oliver was a teenager. “I played football at the Newcastle United academy, firstly as a centre-forward and then as a centre-half – but I would never have reached the heights that I eventually managed as a referee,” he remembers. “I took a break from playing at the age of 14, and my Dad encouraged me to try refereeing. The result was that I never went back to playing. Even though my Dad was a referee, there was no pressure on me at the time, I was never forced into anything. The only condition that I was given was when my parents bought me my first kit. They told me that if I didn’t referee six games, I would have to pay for the kit!” Father Clive’s wise encouragement and experiences gradually rubbed off on his son. “I caught the refereeing bug,” Oliver says. The career move from playing to refereeing soon proved to be a resounding success as he rose through the ranks. “I was fortunate enough to be promoted every season for six or seven years,” he recalls, “with each promotion taking me a step closer to the Premier League.” The ascent was so swift that the Oliver family enjoyed a unique accolade in 2009, when father and son took charge of English Football League divisional promotion play-offs at Wembley Stadium on successive days. Since then, top appointments have come thick and fast for Michael, including two English FA Cup finals in 2018 and 2021, the English League Cup final in 2016 and, on the international stage, a place in the referees’ team for UEFA Euro 2020, where he took charge of three matches.

This exceptional journey has eventually led to Wednesday’s big date in Helsinki. Oliver will be accompanied by an experienced team – assistant referees and compatriots Stuart Burt and Simon Bennett, and Lithuanian fourth official Donatas Rumšas. The VAR role has been assigned to Poland's Tomasz Kwiatkowski, who will be assisted by his fellow countryman Bartosz Frankowski, as well as Portugal's Tiago Martins. “The team is crucial - it wouldn’t be possible for a referee to handle a match otherwise,” Oliver says. He emphasises the close ties that he enjoys with his assistants. “You start out by forming a friendship, you learn about each other both as people and referees, and it turns into a genuine bond.” VAR, he underlines, “has made the referee’s job so much easier.” Management of people and situations is, in Oliver’s eyes, an essential part of the top referee’s armoury. “We’ve all done the same exams, so it then comes down to how you’re able to deal with people,” he explains. “You’ve got to be flexible, it’s not merely a question of acting in a set way to a specific incident. I think it’s also important that there’s a spirit of mutual respect between referees and players. This is usually the case at the highest level because everyone on both sides recognises the hard work that has gone into arriving at this level. It’s extremely important that you’re able to build up trust between each other on the field.”

Reaching refereeing’s summits at a young age also means that Oliver has had plenty of time to observe the huge changes in elite football and refereeing over the past decade. “Football has gone up to yet another level, and referees have had to do the same,” he says. “There’s been huge changes for us in terms of preparation, diet, training and how fitness is measured. We’ve had to become top athletes alongside the players.” A keen golfer with an excellent handicap away from football, Oliver is determined to make every refereeing moment count at this memorable stage of his career pathway. Helsinki will provide another significant milestone this week. “I’d obviously like to referee more games like this,” he emphasises. “And there’s a lot to look forward to – the World Cup, domestic and UEFA matches. I’d like to be part of the Euro team in two years’ time. I want to get in the best of shape for everything to come. Wednesday’s match is the best possible way to start what I hope will be a really strong season.”

Source: UEFA