AFC Champions League 2023/2024 – Qualifying Round (Play-offs)

22 August 2023

Al Nassr – Al Ahli
Referee: Fu Ming (CHN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Cao Yi (CHN)
Assistant Referee 2: Ma Ji (CHN)
Fourth Official: Zhang Lei (CHN)

Al Wakrah – Navbahor
Referee: Hiroyuki Kimura (JPN)
Assistant Referee 1: Kota Watanabe (JPN)
Assistant Referee 2: Takumi Takagi (JPN)
Fourth Official: Yudai Yamamoto (JPN)

Tractor FC – Sharjah FC
Referee: Kim Jong-Hyeok (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Park Kyun-Yong (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Jang Jong-Pil (KOR)
Fourth Official: Kim Dae-Yong (KOR)

Al Arabi – AGMK FC
Referee: Ko Hyung-Jin (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Yoon Jae-Yeol (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Bang Gi-Yeol (KOR)
Fourth Official: Kim Hee-Gon (KOR)

Urawa Red Diamonds – Lee Man
Referee: Sadullo Gulmurodi (TJK)
Assistant Referee 1: Vafo Karaev (TJK)
Assistant Referee 2: Xasan Karimov (TJK)
Fourth Official: Nasrullo Kabirov (TJK)

Incheon United – Haiphong FC
Referee: Mooud Bonyadifard (IRN)
Assistant Referee 1: Saied Ghasemi (IRN)
Assistant Referee 2: Alireza Ildorom (IRN)
Fourth Official: Hasan Akrami (IRN)

Zhejiang – Port FC
Referee: Axrol Riskullayev (UZB)
Assistant Referee 1: Sanjar Shayusupov (UZB)
Assistant Referee 2: Alisher Usmanov (UZB)
Fourth Official: Rustam Lutfullin (UZB)

Shanghai Port – Pathum United
Referee: Ammar Mahfoodh (BHR)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohamed Salman (BHR)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdulla Saleh (BHR)
Fourth Official: Ismael Habib (BHR)

UEFA Europa League 2023/2024 – Play-offs (First Leg)

24 August 2023

BK Häcken – Aberdeen FC
Referee: Filip Glova (SVK, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Polaček (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Peter Bednar (SVK)
Fourth Official: Michal Očenaš (SVK)
VAR: Bartosz Frankowski (POL)
AVAR: Krzysztof Jakubik (POL)
Referee Observer: Carlos Clos Gomez (ESP)

Slavia Praha – Zorya Luhans
Referee: Kristo Tohver (EST)
Assistant Referee 1: Silver Kõiv (EST)
Assistant Referee 2: Sten Klaasen (EST)
Fourth Official: Joonas Jaanovits (EST)
VAR: Dennis Higler (NED)
AVAR: Jochem Kamphuis (NED)
Referee Observer: Stephane Lannoy (FRA)

PFK Ludogorets – AFC Ajax
Referee: Marco Di Bello (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Giorgio Peretti (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alessandro Lo Cicero (ITA)
Fourth Official: Ivano Pezzuto (ITA)
VAR: Daniele Chiffi (ITA)
AVAR: Luigi Nasca (ITA)
Referee Observer: Andreas Schluchter (SUI)

Olimpija Ljubljana – Qarabag FK
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (BUL)
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Margaritov (BUL)
Assistant Referee 2: Diyan Valkov (BUL)
Fourth Official: Radoslav Gidzhenov (BUL)
VAR: Dragomir Draganov (BUL)
AVAR: Georgi Dimitrov (BUL)
Referee Observer: Ante Vučemilović-Šimunović (CRO)

GNK Dinamo – Sparta Praha
Referee: Marco Guida (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni (ITA)
Fourth Official: Andrea Colombo (ITA)
VAR: Maurizio Mariani (ITA)
AVAR: Francesco Fourneau (ITA)
Referee Observer: Lucilio Batista (POR)

Union Saint Gilloise – FC Lugano
Referee: Enea Jorgji (ALB)
Assistant Referee 1: Denis Rexha (ALB)
Assistant Referee 2: Ridiger Çokaj (ALB)
Fourth Official: Florian Lata (ALB)
VAR: Luca Pairetto (ITA)
AVAR: Marco Serra (ITA)
Referee Observer: Juan Fernandez Marin (ESP)

Slovan Bratislava – Aris Limassol
Referee: William Collum (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: Francis Connor (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: David McGeachie (SCO)
Fourth Official: David Dickinson (SCO)
VAR: John Beaton (SCO)
AVAR: Andrew Dallas (SCO)
Referee Observer: Viktor Kassai (HUN)

KI Klaksvik – Sheriff Tiraspol
Referee: Rade Obrenovič (SVN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež (SVN)
Fourth Official: David Šmajc (SVN)
VAR: Matej Jug (SVN)
AVAR: Alen Borošak (SVN)
Referee Observer: Markus Nobs (SUI)

LASK Linz – Zrinjski Mostar
Referee: Orel Grinfeld (ISR)
Assistant Referee 1: Roi Hassan (ISR)
Assistant Referee 2: Idan Yarkoni (ISR)
Fourth Official: Gal Leibovitz (ISR)
VAR: Roi Reinshreiber (ISR)
AVAR: Moshe Bohbot (ISR)
Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan (ARM)

Olympiakos SFP – FK Čukarički
Referee: Donatas Rumšas (LTU)
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš (LTU)
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis (LTU)
Fourth Official: Robertas Valikonis (LTU)
VAR: Tiago Martins (POR)
AVAR: Andre Narciso (POR)
Referee Observer: Markus Strömbergsson (SWE)

UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 – Play-offs (First Leg)

23-24 August 2023

Hibernian FC – Aston Villa
Referee: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea (ESP, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Iker de Francisco Grijalba (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Jon Nunez Fernandez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes (ESP)
VAR: Jose Munuera Montero (ESP)
AVAR: Inigo Prieto Lopez (ESP)
Referee Observer: Michal Beneš (CZE)

Spartak Trnava – SK Dnipro
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja (ALB)
Assistant Referee 1: Rejdi Avdo (ALB)
Assistant Referee 2: Nertil Bregasi (ALB)
Fourth Official: Olsid Ferataj (ALB)
VAR: Kreshnik Barjamaj (ALB)
AVAR: Olsion Yzeiraj (ALB)
Referee Observer: Hannes Kaasik (EST)

Astana FK – FK Partizani
Referee: Donald Robertson (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: Alan Mulvanny (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel McFarlane (SCO)
Fourth Official: Grant Irvine (SCO)
VAR: Steven McLean (SCO)
AVAR: Gavin Duncan (SCO)
Referee Observer: Orhan Erdemir (TUR)

Tobyl FK – Viktoria Plzen
Referee: Marian Barbu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Imre Bucsi (ROU)
Fourth Official: Sebastian Colțescu (ROU)
VAR: Hakan Ceylan (TUR)
AVAR: Koray Gençerler (TUR)
Referee Observer: Jouni Hyytia (FIN)

Zalgiris Vilnius – Ferencvarosi TC
Referee: Igor Stojčevski (MKD)
Assistant Referee 1: Kuštrim Lika (MKD)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Vasilevski (MKD)
Fourth Official: Jovan Kačevski (MKD)
VAR: Ivan Bebek (CRO)
AVAR: Ante Culjak (CRO)
Referee Observer: Michail Argyrou (CYP)

FC Nordsjaelland – FK Partizan
Referee: Yigal Frid (ISR)
Assistant Referee 1: Matityahu Yakobov (ISR)
Assistant Referee 2: Omer Barbiro (ISR)
Fourth Official: Shalom Avraham (ISR)
VAR: Ziv Adler (ISR)
AVAR: Nati Dotan (ISR)
Referee Observer: David Malcolm (NIR)

Farul Constanța – HJK Helsinki
Referee: Philip Farrugia (MLT)
Assistant Referee 1: Alan Camilleri (MLT)
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Vella (MLT)
Fourth Official: Ishmael Barbara (MLT)
VAR: Michael Fabbri (ITA)
AVAR: Daniele Paterna (ITA)
Referee Observer: Georgios Bikas (GRE)

PFK Levski – Eintracht Frankfurt
Referee: Adam Ladebäck (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Mehmet Culum (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Yng (SWE)
Fourth Official: Victor Wolf (SWE)
VAR: Jonas Hansen (DEN)
AVAR Jens Maae (DEN)
Referee Observer: Augustus Constantin (ROU)

Sepsi Sf. Gheorghe – Bodo Glimt
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Aurélien Drouet (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Guillaume Debart (FRA)
Fourth Official: Bastien Dechepy (FRA)
VAR: Willy Delajod (FRA)
AVAR: Thomas Leonard (FRA)
Referee Observer: Lassin Isaksen (FRO)

Fenerbahçe – FC Twente
Referee: Andrew Madley (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Ian Hussin (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Cook (ENG)
Fourth Official: Michael Salisbury (ENG)
VAR: David Coote (ENG)
AVAR: James Mainwaring (ENG)
Referee Observer: Laszlo Vagner (HUN)

Dynamo Kyiv – Beşiktaş
Referee: Darren England (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Simon Bennett (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Robathan (ENG)
Fourth Official: John Brooks (ENG)
VAR: Jarred Gillett (ENG)
AVAR: Neil Davies (ENG)
Referee Observer: Shmuel Shteif (ISR)

Rapid Wien – ACF Fiorentina
Referee: Igor Pajač (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Ivan Mihalj (CRO)
Assistant Referee 2: Vedran Djurak (CRO)
Fourth Official: Dario Kulušić (CRO)
VAR: Duje Strukan (CRO)
AVAR: Fran Jović (CRO)
Referee Observer: Michael Ross (NIR)

Maccabi Tel Aviv – NK Celje
Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas (LTU)
Assistant Referee 1: Mangirdas Mirauskas (LTU)
Assistant Referee 2: Vytenis Kazlauskas (LTU)
Fourth Official: Mindaugas Jackus (LTU)
VAR: Pawel Pskit (POL)
AVAR: Pawel Raczkowski (POL)
Referee Observer: Antonio Damato (ITA)

Struga Trim Lum – Breidablik
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Bartosz Heinig (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz (POL)
Fourth Official: Pawel Malec (POL)
VAR: Piotr Lasyk (POL)
AVAR: Krzysztof Myrmus (POL)
Referee Observer: Cüneyt Çakir (TUR)

FC Midtjylland – Legia Warszawa
Referee: Mykola Balakin (UKR)
Assistant Referee 1: Dmytro Zaporozhenko (UKR)
Assistant Referee 2: Oleksandr Berkut (UKR)
Fourth Official: Vitaliy Romanov (UKR)
VAR: Viktor Kopiievskyi (UKR)
AVAR: Denys Shurman (UKR)
Referee Observer: Martin Hansson (SWE)

KAA Gent – Apoel
Referee: Sven Jablonski (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Lasse Koslowski (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Eduard Beitinger (GER)
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner (GER)
VAR: Sascha Stegemann (GER)
AVAR: Franziska Wildfeuer (GER)
Referee Observer: Stavros Tritsonis (GRE)

LOSC Lille – HNK Rijeka
Referee: Atilla Karaoglan (TUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Cevdet Kömürcüoğlu (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Mehmet Tugral (TUR)
Fourth Official: Çagdaş Altay (TUR)
VAR: Alper Ulusoy (TUR)
AVAR: Serkan Tokat (TUR)
Referee Observer: Howard Webb (ENG)

KRC Genk – Adana Demirspor
Referee: Antonio Nobre (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Ribeiro (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulo Bras (POR)
Fourth Official: Bruno Vieira (POR)
VAR: Helder Malheiro (POR)
AVAR: Hugo Miguel (POR)
Referee Observer: Kristinn Jakobsson (ISL)

FC Ballkani – Bate Borisov
Referee: Volen Chinkov (BUL)
Assistant Referee 1: Ivo Kolev (BUL)
Assistant Referee 2: Petar Mitrev (BUL)
Fourth Official: Nikola Popov (BUL)
VAR: Ivaylo Stoyanov (BUL)
AVAR: Vasimir El-Khatib (BUL)
Referee Observer: Neale Barry (ENG)

CA Osasuna – Club Brugge
Referee: Benoît Millot (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Zakrani (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Julien Aube (FRA)
Fourth Official: Jeremy Stinat (FRA)
VAR: Pierre Gaillouste (FRA)
AVAR: Maika Vanderstichel (FRA)
Referee Observer: Igor Pristovnik (CRO)

AZ Alkmaar – SK Brann
Referee: Evangelos Manouchos (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Tryfonas Petropoulos (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Konstantinos Nikolaidis (GRE)
Fourth Official: Anastasios Papapetrou (GRE)
VAR: Angelos Evangelou (GRE)
AVAR: Aristotelis Diamantopoulos (GRE)
Referee Observer: Pawel Gil (POL)

Heart of Midlothian – PAOK
Referee: Andris Treimanis (LVA)
Assistant Referee 1: Haralds Gudermanis (LVA)
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksejs Spasjonņikovs (LVA)
Fourth Official: Aleksandrs Golubevs (LVA)
VAR: Clay Ruperti (NED)
AVAR: Edwin Van De Graaf (NED)
Referee Observer: Bariş Şimşek (TUR)

UEFA Champions League 2023/2024 – Play-offs (First Leg)

22-23 August 2023

Rakow Czestochowa – FC Copenhagen
Referee: Irfan Peljto (BIH, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Davor Beljo (BIH)
Assistant Referee 2: Damir Lazić (BIH)
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigović (BIH)
VAR: Nejc Kajtazovič (SVN)
AVAR: Asmir Sagrkovič (SVN)
Referee Observer: Kyros Vassaras (GRE)

Royal Antwerp – AEK
Referee: François Letexier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alexis Auger (FRA)
Fourth Official: Lukas Fähndrich (SUI)
VAR: Fedayi San (SUI)
AVAR: Lionel Tschudi (SUI)
Referee Observer: Matteo Trefoloni (ITA)

Rangers FC – PSV Eindhoven
Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Erwan Finjean (FRA)
Fourth Official: Jeremie Pignard (FRA)
VAR: Jerôme Brisard (FRA)
AVAR: Eric Wattellier (FRA)
Referee Observer: Michael Riley (ENG)

Maccabi Haifa – BSC Young Boys
Referee: Davide Massa (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Stefano Alassio (ITA)
Fourth Official: Simone Sozza (ITA)
VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo (ITA)
AVAR: Valerio Marini (ITA)
Referee Observer: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (ESP)

Molde FK – Galatasaray
Referee: Anthony Taylor (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Lee Betts (ENG)
Fourth Official: Robert Jones (ENG)
VAR: Stuart Attwell (ENG)
AVAR: Peter Bankes (ENG)
Referee Observer: Kostas Capitanis (CYP)

SC Braga – Panathinaikos
Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Lupp (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Robert Kempter (GER)
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager (GER)
VAR: Christian Dingert (GER)
AVAR: Benjamin Brand (GER)
Referee Observer: Manuel Diaz Vega (ESP)

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2023 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

22-24 August 2023

Bolivar – Internacional
Referee: Dario Herrera (ARG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Ezequiel Brailovsky (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Chade (ARG)
Fourth Official: Andres Merlos (ARG)
VAR: German Delfino (ARG)
AVAR: Pablo Dovalo (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Marlon Escalante (VEN)
VAR Supervisor: Luis Vera (ECU)

Deportivo Pereira – Palmeiras
Referee: Facundo Tello (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Bonfa (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Cristian Navarro (ARG)
Fourth Official: Fernando Espinoza (ARG)
VAR: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
AVAR: Silvio Trucco (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Cesar Escano (PER)
VAR Supervisor: Juan Cardellino (URU)

Boca Juniors – Racing Club
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Manis (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Alves (BRA)
Fourth Official: Ramon Abatti (BRA)
VAR: Wagner Reway (BRA)
AVAR: Igor Benevenuto (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Hilton Moutinho (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Emerson De Carvalho (BRA)

Fluminense – Olimpia
Referee: Andres Matonte (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Martin Soppi (URU)
Fourth Official: Christian Ferreyra (URU)
VAR: Andres Cunha (URU)
AVAR: Leodan Gonzalez (URU)
Referee Assessor: Angel Sanchez (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Lamouroux (COL)

CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2023 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

22-24 August 2023

Corinthians – Estudiantes La Plata
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno (VEN)
Fourth Official: Yorman Delgado (VEN)
VAR: Angelo Hermosilla (CHI)
AVAR: Alejandro Molina (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Miguel Nievas (URU)
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Avila (ECU)

Botafogo – Defensa y Justicia
Referee: Gery Vargas (BOL)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Antelo (BOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Edwar Saavedra (BOL)
Fourth Official: Christian Aleman (BOL)
VAR: Carlos Orbe (ECU)
AVAR: Christian Lescano (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Jose Espinel (ECU)
VAR Supervisor: Barbra Bastias (CHI)

LDU Quito – Sao Paulo
Referee: John Ospina (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Dionisio Ruiz (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: John Leon (COL)
Fourth Official: John Hinestroza (COL)
VAR: John Perdomo (COL)
AVAR: Yadir Acuna (COL)
Referee Assessor: Pedro Saucedo (BOL)
VAR Supervisor: Claudio Rios (CHI)

America Mineiro – Fortaleza
Referee: Wilmar Roldan (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Wilmar Navarro (COL)
Fourth Official: Carlos Ortega (COL)
VAR: Juan Lara (CHI)
AVAR: Edson Cisternas (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Sabrina Lois (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Gustavo Rossi (ARG)

Concacaf Central American Cup 2023 – Group Stage (Matchday 4)

22-24 August 2023

CS Cartagines – Jocoro FC
Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauziere (CAN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Lyes Arfa (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Stefan Tanaka-Freundt (CAN)
Fourth Official: Nima Saghafi (USA)

CA Independiente – Real Esteli
Referee: David Gomez (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Vargas (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: William Chow (CRC)
Fourth Official: Ricardo Montero (CRC)

CD FAS – Olimpia
Referee: Julio Luna (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Ventura (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Humberto Panjoj (GUA)
Fourth Official: Ignacio Fuentes (GUA)

Olancho FC – Verdes FC
Referee: Oliver Vergara (PAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Mangandi (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Geovany Garcia (SLV)
Fourth Official: Waldir Garcia (SLV)

CD Universitario – Deportivo Saprissa
Referee: Ismael Cornejo (SLV)
Assistant Referee 1: Walter Lopez (HON)
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Ramirez (HON)
Fourth Official: Jefferson Escobar (HON)

CD Aguila – Comunicaciones FC
Referee: Keylor Herrera (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Fernandez (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Victor Ramirez (CRC)
Fourth Official: Josue Ugalde (CRC)

Sporting San Miguelito – LD Alajuelense
Referee: Selvin Brown (HON)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Ojeda (NCA)
Assistant Referee 2: Jorge Ordonez (GUA)
Fourth Official: Jose Valladares (HON)

Real Espana – Diriangen FC
Referee: Benjamin Pineda (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Ronald Bruna (PAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Alejandro Camarena (PAN)
Fourth Official: Fernando Moron (PAN)

Concacaf Caribbean Cup 2023 – Group Stage (Matchday 1)

23-24 August 2023

Cibao FC – CA Pantoja
Referee: Reon Radix (GRN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Graeme Browne (SKN)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Clenton (GRN)
Fourth Official: McManaman Bedeau (GRN)

Harbour View FC – Dunbeholden FC
Referee: Ken Pennyfeather (ATG)
Assistant Referee 1: Wasnah Barnarde (ATG)
Assistant Referee 2: Iroots Appleton (ATG)
Fourth Official: Benjamin Whitty (CAY)

Moca FC – AC Port of Spain
Referee: Steffon Dewar (JAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Melvin Reid (JAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Jermaine Yee-Sing (JAM)
Fourth Official: Christopher Mason (JAM)

Defence Force – Cavalier FC
Referee: Shavin Greene (GUY)
Assistant Referee 1: Kleon Lindey (GUY)
Assistant Referee 2: Jaden Rouse (SKN)
Fourth Official: Evens Julmis (BAH)

Penso: “Being a mother has made me a better referee”

Tori Penso watched the 2019 Women’s World Cup at home with her eight-month-old daughter in her arms. A mother to three young girls, Penso was dreaming that she would be on the field the next time the tournament came around in 2023. She wouldn’t be the leading goal scorer, or assistant manager, or team captain. She would be in the middle of it all – as the lead referee. Four years and countless professional matches later, Penso will proudly walk onto the pitch at Sydney’s Stadium Australia Sunday for the final match between England and Spain, having also refereed the semi-final match between Australia and the Lionesses on Wednesday. Penso will be accompanied by an all-female squad, with fellow American officials Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt as the assistant referees, and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita will serve as the fourth official. It’s the first time in history that US referees have been selected to officiate a senior World Cup final, according to the US Soccer Federation.

Penso had been refereeing since she was 14 years old but never considered it her full-time career. She asked herself: “What if I gave it a shot? What if I tried making that stage in four years? Is it even possible?” She took a risk and left a steady job in advertising, a job that she loved, and two years later became the first and only full-time female referee in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional men’s soccer league in the US. “I didn’t have another job that was distracting me from my analysis and all the work it takes to be an elite referee, and so I was able to go all in on soccer,” Penso told CNN. Two years after that, Penso was selected by soccer’s world governing boy FIFA as one of six American referees to go to Australia and New Zealand for the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Before leaving, the 38-year-old Penso told CNN she couldn’t believe her dream was coming true. “If you told me six years ago that I would be here talking to you about to head to New Zealand and Australia for the Women’s World Cup I would have said no way,” she said. “To be here today is just an amazing experience and one I certainly don’t take for granted.”

“No success happens overnight,” reflected Penso, and like every journey hers had its ups and downs. “I’m a female referee in a men’s top division. There’s a lot of challenges that come with that,” she said. “We don’t just show up on a Saturday night at the fields with the lights shining. It takes a lot to get there. A lot of experience coming up through the ranks.” The job is physically demanding. As the players get faster, Penso has had to get faster too. Our training is very much like a player,” Penso said, “I do everything from sprint training to high intensity strength training two to three times a week… you’re looking at an hour and a half to two hours of training, six days a week.” Along with the physical aspect of officiating soccer games, professional refereeing takes a toll mentally due to the amount of travel involved, according to Penso. “Just like players, we’re doing sometimes three games in a 10-day span, and there’s travel that goes with that,” the Florida native said. “That could mean a six-hour flight for me from Florida to Portland for a game and back, and then maybe to New York for a midweek game.” Penso compared referees and players again, saying “behind every referee there’s a person that has worked incredible hard to get there… just like the players they’re competing for that next opportunity.”

Time away from her husband and daughters isn’t easy, Penso said, especially on holidays and weekends. “They’re my why. I know that even they don’t want to pick up a whistle and be a referee, there will be something… to see females in different capacities I think inspires girls to think of themselves in that role,” the mother of three said. “They love watching me. They really enjoy the games, they scream ‘mommy’ and point.” Her husband Chris is also a MLS referee, so Penso described their lives as “all soccer all the time,” though that mantra began when she was 10 years old and first started playing. “I grew up in a soccer family. All my bridesmaids I met in college on the soccer field. I live and breathe soccer, and I love the game.”

In 2020, Penso became the first full-time female referee in MLS. Women had refereed MLS games before, but none of them had done so on a full-time basis. Refereeing for both MLS and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Penso noted major differences between the way the male and female players interact with the referees. “I can tell you many times I had what felt like a stadium of 60,000 booing me for what was the correct decision on the field,” she said. “We have a saying in refereeing: you’re only as good as your last game,” she said with a cautious smile, “this game is not forgiving.” Penso said she’s relishing the challenge. Her selection for the Women’s World Cup, once her main goal, is now a stepping stone along her journey to the top of the women’s and men’s game. Ideally, Penso says there will come a day when women refereeing men’s games wouldn’t draw any attention. She wants to pave the way for that normalization to take place. “It’s the stereotypes that stop us from getting opportunities,” she said, “across the globe when we get opportunities, we’re more than ready for them, and we deliver.”

Penso says she drew inspiration from watching the coverage of the women referees at the 2019 tournament. “That was the first time I really got to see behind the scenes … many of them were mothers like me,” she said, “and to see them at that stage in that capacity as professionals and mothers was really inspiring for me.” Women bring a unique set of skills to refereeing that their male counterparts cannot, according to Penso, in the form of motherhood. “I think being a mother has made me frankly a better referee,” she said, adding that “empathy and understanding is something that is just nature and nurture for females. When we perform at the highest level, I think that helps people accept that we can have a role in this capacity on these fields and be a force to be reckoned with.” Penso’s goal is to motivate and inspire people to take risks that challenge the status quo. She wants to be a role model so young girls can see females on the field and know that anything is possible for them. She said her success has come largely thanks to the support of many, including mentors, to get where she is today and on to the next level. “While sometimes I may feel like I’m alone charging the path, I’m certainly not,” said Penso. “I’m arm-in-arm not just with the women that are taking the pitch in soccer and across the globe, but also with the women who came before me and helped pave the way so that my path was maybe a little easier,” she said. “And that’s what I hope to do for the next generation.”

Source: CNN

FIFA Women’s World Cup Final 2023: Penso (USA)

20 August 2023

Spain – England
Referee: Tori Penso (USA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Brooke Mayo (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Kathryn Nesbitt (USA)
Fourth Official: Yoshimi Yamashita (JPN)
Reserve AR: Mijensa Rensch (SUR)
VAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
AVAR: Pol van Boekel (NED)
OVAR: Ella De Vries (BEL)
SVAR: Armando Villarreal (USA)

Leagues Cup Final 2023: Elfath (USA)

19 August 2023

Final

Inter Miami – Nashville SC

Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA, photo)

Assistant Referee 1: Corey Parker (USA)

Assistant Referee 2: Kyle Atkins (USA)

Fourth Official: Pierre-Luc Lauziere (CAN)

VAR: Oscar Macias (MEX)

AVAR: Victor Rivas (USA)

Match for Third Place

Philadelphia Union – Monterrey

Referee: Juan Calderon (CRC)

Assistant Referee 1: William Arrieta (CRC)

Assistant Referee 2: Henri Pupiro (NCA)

Fourth Official: Ricardo Montero (CRC)

VAR: Daneon Parchment (JAM)

AVAR: Ismael Cornejo (SLV)

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – Match for Third Place

19 August 2023

Sweden – Australia
Referee: Cheryl Foster (WAL, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Michelle O'Neill (IRL)
Assistant Referee 2: Franca Overtoom (NED)
Fourth Official: Rebecca Welch (ENG)
Reserve AR: Natalie Aspinall (ENG)
VAR: Marco Fritz (GER)
AVAR: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP)
OVAR: Sian Massey-Ellis (ENG)
SVAR: Massimiliano Irrati (ITA)

Claudia Vasconcelos made history at the first Women’s World Cup

There are many things from the evening in which she made history that Claudia Vasconcelos remembers well, but 32 years on and it’s the atmosphere inside the stadium in Guangzhou, China, that is etched most vividly in her mind. “It was very surreal actually,” she recalls with a broad smile that never leaves her face. “It was a packed stadium… being in a stadium with that number of fans for women’s football was a great joy.”

On 29 November 1991, Vasconcelos became the first female referee to officiate an official FIFA World Cup match, taking charge of the Women’s World Cup third-place match between Sweden and Germany at the Guangdong Provincial Stadium. Her historic achievement wouldn’t be recognized until sometime afterwards, however, as FIFA was reluctant to brand the tournament as a ‘World Cup’ over fears it wouldn’t be a success, initially calling it the not-quite-so-catchy ‘1st FIFA World Championship for Women’s Football for the M&M’s Cup.’ The world governing body’s hesitancy to fully commit was also reflected in the referee uniforms worn by Vasconcelos and her assistants, none of which had FIFA branding, instead displaying only the emblems of their own federations. But the tournament quickly proved to be a roaring success and became a seminal moment for women’s soccer – in more ways than one.

In total, six female officials were appointed to games throughout the World Cup, including an all-female team for the third-place match comprised of Brazil’s Vasconcelos, Zuo Xiudi of China and New Zealand’s Linda Black. With the trio lined up in the center circle ahead of kick off, Vasconcelos made sure to savor the moment. She looked up at the swathes of fans in the stand in front of her and let the sights and sounds of the occasion wash over her. “It was very beautiful,” the Brazilian tells CNN Sport. But, she says, she made sure not to forget why she was there. While the enormity of the occasion and her accomplishment remained at the forefront of her mind, she above all wanted to give the best possible account of herself as a referee. Once she crossed the white line and blew her whistle, the emotion – which Vasconcelos say she felt with her “whole body” – quickly passed. “I’ve always treated football refereeing in my games as if I were coming in to referee a World Cup final,” she says. “The excitement was cool before the ball rolled, but once the game starts, for me it’s a game like any other. It’s a game that I’m going into with complete seriousness, with all my attention, all my focus.” That unwavering focus is evident in the pre-match photo taken of Vasconcelos, a steely determination etched on her face. Though they start the match in the center of the pitch, the last thing any good referee wants to be is the center of attention – and Vasconcelos and her assistants got through the match without a single moment of controversy.

In 1941, the Brazilian government pushed through a decree that said females would not be allowed to practice sports “incompatible with the conditions of their nature”. Vasconcelos says she decided she wanted to become a referee in 1983, just four years after the ban on women playing soccer in Brazil was lifted. That same year, an organized women’s league in her home city of Rio de Janeiro was launched. A year later, she was officiating in the league’s matches. Vasconcelos was soon taking charge of men’s youth matches and eventually senior men’s matches, and by the time the 1991 World Cup rolled around she was the preeminent female official in Brazil. Initially, Vasconcelos recalls, there was no indication that she or the other five female officials who had been called up to the tournament as lineswomen would get the chance to referee one of the matches. It wasn’t until after the opening match, in which she and an assistant from Mexico took part, that FIFA informed her she would be leading an all-female team for the third-place match. “It was a very big surprise,” she says, sounding no less excited at the prospect over three decades later. “We didn’t expect this to happen.” Seated in the dressing room in the bowels of the Guangdong Provincial Stadium, everything Vasconcelos had gone through to get to this historic occasion played over in her head. The journey had been far from easy.

The now 60-year-old says she faced discrimination and a lack of support from within Brazilian football, which she says later contributed to her retirement from refereeing at the age of 37. “I had my career very damaged by that,” she says, highlighting a lack of opportunities to officiate the biggest teams. She also bemoaned bans she would receive for speaking out against local corruption in what she says was a deliberate attempt to stifle her career development. Had the importance of the evening not sunk in yet for Vasconcelos, a member of FIFA’s referee committee made sure it did. “He entered the dressing room to wish us a good game and asked me if I was aware that the game, that match, that my refereeing, would be the future of female refereeing,” she recalls him telling her. “It was a lot of pressure because you’re going to enter the pitch and someone says to you: ‘Look, if you referee the game well, women’s refereeing will be successful. If you referee badly, you might not have it.’” Vasconcelos’ performance caught the eye of those at the top of the sport and it wasn’t long before the adulation came flooding in. She stayed in China until the final, where then FIFA president João Havelange, also a Brazilian, and Brazil great Pelé congratulated her in person. “He [Pelé] watched the game and later, on the day of the final, he came to congratulate me and said that I had done an excellent job refereeing,” she recalled.

That night helped accelerate the progress of female officials. At the 1995 World Cup in Sweden, just four years later, seven of the 12 officials designated to the tournament were women and Sweden’s Ingrid Jonsson, a lineswoman in the 1991 World Cup final, became the first female official chosen to referee a final. By 1999, all the officials chosen for the World Cup in the USA were women. Fast forward to this day and the likes of Stephanie Frappart, or the now retired Bibiana Steinhaus, have taken charge of men’s games, while Premier League assistant Sian Massey-Ellis is a common sight in the English top-flight. Though the landscape of women’s refereeing has changed markedly in the 32 years since Vasconcelos made history in China, the trailblazer says the requirements needed to be a competent referee have remained the same. “I think what matters is not the sex of the person, you know? What matters is competence.”

Source: CNN

UEFA Europa League 2023/2024 – Third Qualifying Round (Second Leg)

17 August 2023

HJK Helsinki – Qarabag FK
Referee: Willy Delajod (FRA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Erwan Finjean (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Philippe Jeanne (FRA)
Fourth Official: Thomas Leonard (FRA)
VAR: Benoît Millot (FRA)
AVAR: Pierre Gaillouste (FRA)
Referee Observer: Ichko Lozev (BUL)

BK Häcken – Zalgiris Vilnius
Referee: Antonio Nobre (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Ribeiro (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulo Bras (POR)
Fourth Official: Helder Malheiro (POR)
VAR: Tiago Martins (POR)
AVAR: Andre Narciso (POR)
Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili (GEO)

Breidablik – HSK Zrinjski
Referee: Anastasios Papapetrou (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Tryfonas Petropoulos (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Iordanis Aptosoglou (GRE)
Fourth Official: Andreas Gamaris (GRE)
VAR: Angelos Evangelou (GRE)
AVAR: Spyridon Zampalas (GRE)
Referee Observer: Rien Koopman (NED)

Bate Borisov – Sheriff Tiraspol
Referee: Tamas Bognar (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Balazs Buzas (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Peter Kobor (HUN)
Fourth Official: Adam Farkas (HUN)
VAR: Dennis Johan Higler (NED)
AVAR: Clay Ruperti (NED)
Referee Observer: Drago Kos (SVN)

PFK Ludogorets – Astana FK
Referee: Anthony Taylor (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Constantine Hatzidakis (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Neil Davies (ENG)
Fourth Official: Jarred Gillett (ENG)
VAR: Darren England (ENG)
AVAR: Tony Harrington (ENG)
Referee Observer: Frank De Bleeckere (BEL)

KRC Genk – Olympiakos SFP
Referee: Tobias Stieler (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Gittelmann (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Mark Borsch (GER)
Fourth Official: Harm Osmers (GER)
VAR: Bastian Dankert (GER)
AVAR: Sören Storks (GER)
Referee Observer: Uno Tutk (EST)

SK Dnipro – Slavia Praha
Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Angel Nevado Rodriguez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Javier Martínez Nicolas (ESP)
Fourth Official: Miguel Ortiz Arias (ESP)
VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez (ESP)
AVAR: Francisco Hernandez Maeso (ESP)
Referee Observer: Jorn-West Larsen (DEN)

UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 – Third Qualifying Round (Second Leg)

17 August 2023

Aqtobe FK – Sepsi Sf. Gheorghe
Referee: Daniele Chiffi (ITA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Giuseppe Perrotti (ITA)
Fourth Official: Rosario Abisso (ITA)
Referee Observer: Sascha Amhof (SUI)

Lincoln Red Imps – FC Ballkani
Referee: Kristoffer Hagenes (NOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Anders Dale (NOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Oystein Ytterland (NOR)
Fourth Official: Daniel Higraff (NOR)
Referee Observer: Luc Wouters (BEL)

Pogon Szczecin – KAA Gent
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Aurelien Drouet (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Guillaume Debart (FRA)
Fourth Official: Bastien Dechepy (FRA)
Referee Observer: Chrístos Nikolaidis (CYP)

FA Pyunik – Bodo Glimt
Referee: Helgi Jonasson (ISL)
Assistant Referee 1: Egill Gudlaugsson (ISL)
Assistant Referee 2: Johann Gudmundsson (ISL)
Fourth Official: Johann Jonsson (ISL)
Referee Observer: Stefano Podeschi (SMR)

Nordsjaelland – FCSB
Referee: Genc Nuza (KOS)
Assistant Referee 1: Fatlum Berisha (KOS)
Assistant Referee 2: Arbnor Bullatovci (KOS)
Fourth Official: Dardan Çaka (KOS)
Referee Observer: Gylfi Orrason (ISL)

Ferencvarosi TC – Hamrun Spartans
Referee: Georgi Davidov (BUL)
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Venev (BUL)
Assistant Referee 2: Petar Mitrev (BUL)
Fourth Official: Georgi Ginchev (BUL)
Referee Observer: Michaíl Koukoulakis (GRE)

Maccabi Tel Aviv – AEK Larnaca
Referee: Fran Jović (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Hrvoje Radić (CRO)
Assistant Referee 2: Luka Pušić (CRO)
Fourth Official: Ante Čulina (CRO)
Referee Observer: Giorgi Vadachkoria (GEO)

Beşiktaş – Neftçi
Referee: Julian Weinberger (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Witschnigg (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Sara Telek (AUT)
Fourth Official: Stefan Ebner (AUT)
Referee Observer: Kostadin Gerginov (BUL)

Dynamo Kyiv – Aris
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Riedel (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Santino Schreiner (AUT)
Fourth Official: Walter Altmann (AUT)
Referee Observer: Albano Janku (ALB)

Austria Wien – Legia Warszawa
Referee: Istvan Vad (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Vencel Toth (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Istvan Albert (HUN)
Fourth Official: Balazs Berke (HUN)
Referee Observer: Sergejus Slyva (LTU)

PFK Levski – Hapoel Beer Sheva
Referee: Dumitru Muntean (MDA)
Assistant Referee 1: Vlad Lifciu (MDA)
Assistant Referee 2: Victor Mardari (MDA)
Fourth Official: Ion Orlic (MDA)
Referee Observer: Andrejs Sipailo (LVA)

Gzira United – Viktoria Plzen
Referee: Denys Shurman (UKR)
Assistant Referee 1: Semen Shlonchak (UKR)
Assistant Referee 2: Volodymyr Vysotskyy (UKR)
Fourth Official: Dmytro Panchyshyn (UKR)
Referee Observer: Jens Larsen (DEN)

SK Brann – FC Arouca
Referee: Bram Van Driessche (BEL)
Assistant Referee 1: Yves De Neve (BEL)
Assistant Referee 2: Jo De Weirdt (BEL)
Fourth Official: Kevin Van Damme (BEL)
Referee Observer: Calum Murray (SCO)

Riga FC – FC Twente
Referee: Chrysovalandis Theoulí (CYP)
Assistant Referee 1: Omiros Tziortzis (CYP)
Assistant Referee 2: Petros Petrou (CYP)
Fourth Official: Ioannis Christodoulou (CYP)
Referee Observer: Martin Atkinson (ENG)

Apoel – Dila Gori
Referee: Robert Jenkins (WAL)
Assistant Referee 1: Lewiss Edwards (WAL)
Assistant Referee 2: Johnathon Bryant (WAL)
Fourth Official: Bryn Markham-Jones (WAL)
Referee Observer: Sokol Jareci (ALB)

PAOK – Hajduk Split
Referee: Sascha Stegemann (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Dominik Schaal (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Christof Günsch (GER)
Fourth Official: Robert Schröder (GER)
Referee Observer: Jouni Hyytia (FIN)

FC Midtjylland – Omonia Nicosia
Referee: Ian McNabb (NIR)
Assistant Referee 1: Paul Robinson (NIR)
Assistant Referee 2: Stephen Bell (NIR)
Fourth Official: Christopher Morrison (NIR)
Referee Observer: Nenad Djokić (SRB)

FK Partizani – Valmiera FC
Referee: Sandi Putros (DEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Ole Kronlykke (DEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Jakob Mastrup (DEN)
Fourth Official: Jacob Karlsen (DEN)
Referee Observer: Mark Whitby (WAL)

Swift Hesper – Struga Trim Lum
Referee: Matthew De Gabriele (MLT)
Assistant Referee 1: Mitchell Scerri (MLT)
Assistant Referee 2: Duncan Sultana (MLT)
Fourth Official: Trustin Farrugia Cann (MLT)
Referee Observer: Salustia Cipres (AND)

Nioman Hrodna – NK Celje
Referee: Ferenc Karako (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Balazs Szalai (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Gergő Vígh-Tarsonyi (HUN)
Fourth Official: Csaba Pinter (HUN)
Referee Observer: Pavle Radovanović (MNE)

NK Osijek – Adana Demirspor
Referee: John Brooks (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Lee Betts (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Akil Howson (ENG)
Fourth Official: Michael Salisbury (ENG)
Referee Observer: Ladislav Gadoši (SVK)

KA Akureyri – Club Brugge
Referee: Michael Fabbri (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Giorgio Peretti (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Domenico Palermo (ITA)
Fourth Official: Juan Sacchi (ITA)
Referee Observer: Robert Sedlacek (AUT)

Spartak Trnava – Lech Poznan
Referee: Cesar Soto Grado (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrian Devís (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Alvarez Fernandez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Alejandro Muniz Ruiz (ESP)
Referee Observer: John Ferry (NIR)

HNK Rijeka – B36 Torshavn
Referee: Oleksiy Derevinskyy (UKR)
Assistant Referee 1: Andriy Skrypka (UKR)
Assistant Referee 2: Viktor Matyash (UKR)
Fourth Official: Dmytro Kryvushkin (UKR)
Referee Observer: Alain Sars (FRA)

NK Maribor – Fenerbahçe
Referee: Fábio Veríssimo (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Martins (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Mota (POR)
Fourth Official: Hélder Carvalho (POR)
Referee Observer: Niklas a Lídarenda (FRO)

AZ Alkmaar – Santa Coloma
Referee: Henrik Nalbandyan (ARM)
Assistant Referee 1: Mesrop Ghazaryan (ARM)
Assistant Referee 2: Khachatur Hovhannisyan (ARM)
Fourth Official: Vardan Manukyan (ARM)
Referee Observer: Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP)

FC Luzern – Hibernian FC
Referee: Aristotelis Diamantopoulos (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Konstantinos Psarris (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Meindanas (GRE)
Fourth Official: Evangelos Manouchos (GRE)
Referee Observer: Ferenc Szekely (HUN)

Heart of Midlothian – Rosenborg BK
Referee: David Fuxman (ISR)
Assistant Referee 1: Omer Barbiro (ISR)
Assistant Referee 2: Yossi Babayoff (ISR)
Fourth Official: Nael Odeh (ISR)
Referee Observer: David Fernandez Borbalan (ESP)

Derry City – Tobyl FK
Referee: Peter Kralovič (SVK)
Assistant Referee 1: Milan Štrbo (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: František Ferenc (SVK)
Fourth Official: Michal Očenaš (SVK)
Referee Observer: Clayton Pisani (MLT)

FK Partizan – Sabah FK
Referee: Bartosz Frankowski (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Marcin Boniek (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Jakub Winkler (POL)
Fourth Official: Patryk Gryckiewicz (POL)
Referee Observer: Mika Peltola (FIN)

Debreceni VSC – Rapid Wien
Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (MKD)
Assistant Referee 1: Dejan Kostadinov (MKD)
Assistant Referee 2: Kuštrim Lika (MKD)
Fourth Official: Jovan Kačevski (MKD)
Referee Observer: Aleh Chykun (BLR)

UEFA Champions League 2023/2024 – Third Qualifying Round (Second Leg)

15 August 2023

Aris Limassol – Rakow Czestochowa
Referee: Matej Jug (SVN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Matej Žunič (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Manuel Vidali (SVN)
Fourth Official: David Šmajc (SVN)
VAR: Nejc Kajtazovič (SVN)
AVAR: Rade Obrenovič (SVN)
Referee Observer: Jon Skjervold (NOR)

Maccabi Haifa – Slovan Bratislava
Referee: Craig Pawson (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Simon Bennett (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Ian Hussin (ENG)
Fourth Official: Robert Jones (ENG)
VAR: David Coote (ENG)
AVAR: Jarred Gillett (ENG)
Referee Observer: Cyril Zimmermann (SUI)

Sparta Praha – FC Copenhagen
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Erwin Zeinstra (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Johan Balder (NED)
Fourth Official: Jeroen Manschot (NED)
VAR: Dennis Johan Higler (NED)
AVAR: Clay Ruperti (NED)
Referee Observer: Michael Riley (ENG)

Molde FK – KI Klaksvik
Referee: Nikola Dabanović (MNE)
Assistant Referee 1: Vladan Todorović (MNE)
Assistant Referee 2: Srdjan Jovanović (MNE)
Fourth Official: Miloš Bošković (MNE)
VAR: Ivan Bebek (CRO)
AVAR: Mario Zebec (CRO)
Referee Observer: Marian Ružbarsky (SVK)

GNK Dinamo – AEK
Referee: Joao Pinheiro (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia (POR)
Fourth Official: Claudio Pereira (POR)
VAR: Tiago Martins (POR)
AVAR: Hugo Miguel (POR)
Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson (SWE)

Galatasaray – Olimpija Ljubljana
Referee: Marco Guida (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Ciro Carbone (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alessio Berti (ITA)
Fourth Official: Matteo Marcenaro (ITA)
VAR: Marco Di Bello (ITA)
AVAR: Luca Pairetto (ITA)
Referee Observer: Milorad Mažić (SRB)

Bačka Topola – SC Braga
Referee: Jakob Kehlet (DEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Lars Hummelgaard (DEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Victor Skytte (DEN)
Fourth Official: Aydin Uslu (DEN)
VAR: Rob Dieperink (NED)
AVAR: Jonas Hansen (DEN)
Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin (SVN)

Servette FC – Rangers FC
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Alessandro Giallatini (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alessandro Lo Cicero (ITA)
Fourth Official: Andrea Colombo (ITA)
VAR: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
AVAR: Aleandro Di Paolo (ITA)
Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan (ARM)

Sturm Graz – PSV Eindhoven
Referee: Srdjan Jovanović (SRB)
Assistant Referee 1: Uroš Stojković (SRB)
Assistant Referee 2: Milan Mihajlović (SRB)
Fourth Official: Momčilo Marković (SRB)
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
AVAR: Piotr Lasyk (POL)
Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas (SCO)

Olympique de Marseille – Panathinaikos
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Cook (ENG)
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley (ENG)
VAR: Stuart Attwell (ENG)
AVAR: Peter Bankes (ENG)
Referee Observer: Joao Ferreira (POR)

Concacaf Central American Cup 2023 – Group Stage (Matchday 3)

15-17 August 2023

CD Universitario – Jocoro FC
Referee: Bryan Lopez (GUA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Tipaz (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Azcel Perez (GUA)
Fourth Official: Julio Luna (GUA)

Coban Imperial – CS Cartagines
Referee: Fernando Hernandez (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Leonardo Castillo (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Michel Espinoza (MEX)
Fourth Official: Diego Montano (MEX)

CD FAS – Real Esteli
Referee: Raul Castro (HON)
Assistant Referee 1: Roney Salinas (HON)
Assistant Referee 2: Jesus Tabora (HON)
Fourth Official: Jorge Leira (PAN)

Sporting San Miguelito – Verdes FC
Referee: Juan Calderon (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: William Arrieta (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Henri Pupiro (CRC)
Fourth Official: Felix Mojica (NCA)

CS Herediano – Real Espana
Referee: Mario Escobar (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Ventura (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Humberto Panjoj (GUA)
Fourth Official: Jaime Herrera (SLV)

CSD Xelaju – CA Independiente
Referee: Said Martinez (HON)
Assistant Referee 1: Walter Lopez (HON)
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Ramirez (HON)
Fourth Official: Jose Valladares (HON)

CD Aguila – Diriangen FC
Referee: Sergio Reyna (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Alejandro Camarena (PAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Andres Vargas (PAN)
Fourth Official: Christopher Corado (GUA)

FC Motagua – Olancho FC
Referee: Randy Encarnacion (DOM)
Assistant Referee 1: Walter Cid (DOM)
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Bare (DOM)
Fourth Official: Adonis Carrasco (DOM)

Leagues Cup 2023 – Semi-finals

15 August 2023

Philadelphia Union – Inter Miami
Referee: Daniel Quintero (MEX, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Martinez (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Pablo Hernandez (MEX)
Fourth Official: Victor Caceres (MEX)
VAR: Oscar Macias (MEX)
AVAR: Daneon Parchment (JAM)

Monterrey – Nashville SC
Referee: Walter Lopez (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Keytzel Corrales (NCA)
Assistant Referee 2: Raymundo Feliz (DOM)
Fourth Official: Nelson Salgado (HON)
VAR: Ismael Cornejo (SLV)
AVAR: Ricardo Montero (CRC)

UEFA Super Cup 2023: Letexier (FRA)

16 August 2023

Manchester City – Sevilla FC
Referee: François Letexier (FRA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni (FRA)
Fourth Official: Espen Eskas (NOR)
VAR: Jerôme Brisard (FRA)
AVAR 1: Eric Wattellier (FRA)
AVAR 2: Fedayi San (SUI)
Referee Observer: Roberto Rosetti (ITA)

Landline phone used to communicate with VAR in Leagues Cup

During the recent Leagues Cup quarter-final between Los Angeles and Monterrey, the referee and fourth official communicated with VAR using a traditional landline phone.

Said Martinez (HON) awarded a penalty kick to Los Angeles after only 18 seconds played in the match, without any VAR intervention. However, in the second half, VAR Ismael Cornejo (SLV) wanted to invite the referee to an on-field review for a possible penalty kick. Due to technical issues with the HawkEye system at the venue, the video assistant referee had to call fourth official Raul Castro (HON) using a landline phone. Following the review, referee Martinez awarded a penalty kick to Monterrey, who eventually won 3-2 and advanced to the semi-finals.

Source: Leagues Cup

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – Semi-finals

15 August 2023 

Spain – Sweden
Referee: Edina Alves (BRA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Neuza Back (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Leila Moreira (BRA)
Fourth Official: Melissa Borjas (HON)
Reserve AR: Sandra Ramirez (MEX)
VAR: Nicolas Gallo (COL)
AVAR: Armando Villarreal (USA)
OVAR: Felisha Mariscal (USA)
SVAR: Juan Soto (VEN)

16 August 2023
Australia – England
Referee: Tori Penso (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Brooke Mayo (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mijensa Rensch (SUR)
Fourth Official: Tess Olofsson (SWE)
Reserve AR: Lucie Ratajova (CZE)
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati (ITA)
AVAR: Carol Anne Chenard (CAN)
OVAR: Kathryn Nesbitt (USA)
SVAR: Drew Fischer (CAN)

Arab Club Champions Cup Final 2023: Jiyed (MAR)

12 August 2023

Al Hilal – Al Nassr
Referee: Redouane Jiyed (MAR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Lahcen Azgaou (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Mustapha Akerkad (MAR)
Fourth Official: Mahmoud El-Banna (EGY)
VAR: Samir Guezzaz (MAR)
AVAR: Mokrane Gourari (ALG)

Leagues Cup 2023 – Quarter-finals

11 August 2023

Inter Miami – Charlotte FC
Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Corey Parker (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Kyle Atkins (USA)
Fourth Official: Rubiel Vazquez (USA)
VAR: Allen Chapman (USA)
AVAR: Fabio Tovar (USA)

Philadelphia Union – Queretaro
Referee: Mario Escobar (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Ventura (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Humberto Panjoj (GUA)
Fourth Official: Julio Luna (GUA)
VAR: Benjamin Pineda (CRC)
AVAR: Ricardo Montero (CRC)

Nashville SC – Minnesota United
Referee: Juan Calderon (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: William Arrieta (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Henri Pupiro (NCA)
Fourth Official: David Gomez (CRC)
VAR: Diego Montano (MEX)
AVAR: Oscar Macias (MEX)

Los Angeles FC – Monterrey
Referee: Said Martinez (HON)
Assistant Referee 1: Walter Lopez (HON)
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Ramirez (HON)
Fourth Official: Raul Castro (HON)
VAR: Ismael Cornejo (SLV)
AVAR: Daneon Parchment (JAM)

Mateu Lahoz: from World Cup referee to TV commentator

Former two-time World Cup referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz, who was forced to abandon his activity on the field at the end of last season, will be the new referee commentator on Movistar+. He will do his new job in the Champions League matches with Carlos Martínez and Alvaro Benito and also, depending on his schedule, he will collaborate with some pre- and post-match analysis and will be present on programs such as El día después.

After rejecting great offers from other important media such as Cope, as well as one to referee in Saudi Arabia, Mateu Lahoz will start with this new project in his life. When Mateu Lahoz refereed his last game on the pitch last June, the only thing confirmed was that he would not continue refereeing in Spain. He was not even prepared as future VAR, since although he could have continued to be linked to refereeing in this way, Medina Cantalejo's will was not to renew his contract. Now the referee will join as a commentator with a TV channel with which he found enough confidence to open up, when he was still active, and with which he recorded an extensive documentary about his career. There was no referee commentator on Movistar+ since Joaquín Ramos Marcos left.

Mateu retired from the top of refereeing, having been part of the UEFA Elite group and the only Spanish referee present on the pitch at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Possibly the only reason that his followers and detractors agreed upon was his capacity for dialogue, which made him the protagonist of numerous news in the media. His dialogues during the matches with the players ranged from passion to comedy, always marked by a colloquial and especially close tone. Recently, Gerard Piqué, former player and president of the Kings League, publicly commented in one of his direct broadcasts that: "Mateu is unbearable, in a good way, Cristiano came up against him and he was asking him about his brother." Mateu changes roles but it will not be surprising that he maintains his naturalness, his vehemence and that, despite this decision, he does not rule out that we might see him referee abroad again.

Source: Relevo

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – Quarter-finals (Matches 59-60)

12 August 2023

Australia – France
Referee: Maria Carvajal (CHI, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Leslie Vasquez (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Monica Amboya (ECU)
Fourth Official: Laura Fortunato (ARG)
Reserve AR: Daiana Milone (ARG)
VAR: Nicolas Gallo (COL)
AVAR: Juan Soto (VEN)
OVAR: Mariana De Almeida (ARG)
SVAR: Juan Martinez Munuera (ESP)
SAVAR: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP)

England – Colombia
Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Kathryn Nesbitt (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Felisha Mariscal (USA)
Fourth Official: Oh Hyeon-Jeon (KOR)
Reserve AR: Ramina Tsoi (KGZ)
VAR: Carol Anne Chenard (CAN)
AVAR: Armando Villarreal (USA)
OVAR: Chantal Boudreau (CAN)
SVAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari (SIN)
SAVAR: Pol van Boekel (NED)

Cakir new Head of Referees in Georgia

Former FIFA referee Cuneyt Cakir, who was on the international list from 2006 to 2022, will head the referee department of the Georgian Football Federation. The experienced ex-referee was presented by the General Secretary of the GFF at a meeting with the referees of the National League. "First of all, I would like to thank the SFF leadership in general. We have had excellent communication since I was offered this position. The SFF management shared with me their vision, plans and opinions regarding refereeing. This positive attitude is the main reason why I am here today. In my career I have participated in many big matches and tournaments. My main goal has always been to achieve sustainable success. Our first goal will be to take steps towards sustainable success. We will introduce international standards in the training of referees and will try to involve more Georgian referees in international matches. We respect all clubs, players and coaches, and we expect the same respect on the field in return. Our goal is to prepare all the referees in the best possible way for the national championship games, so that only the quality of football shown on the field will be the talking point. We are neighbours and I want stronger ties between our countries to be formed during my stay here", said Cakir.

The general secretary of the SFF, Davit Mujir, thanked the former head of the referees' department, Mikheil Maziashvili, who has been in charge of this direction since 2021. "The referee department of the Georgian Football Federation will be headed by Cuneyt Cakir, an experienced ex-FIFA referee. It should be noted that the Turkish specialist will live in Georgia and will be at the head of all the projects that are being implemented for the development of referees of the SFF. Of course, in the near future we will inform you about the innovations that will be introduced. I am satisfied that the experience he has accumulated over the years in the international arena will be beneficial for the development of refereeing in Georgia. Cuneyt Cakir already held the first meeting with the referees of the top division today. From August 14, a 5-day training session will be held with an expanded composition. As you know, since last year, we introduced a video referee system in the national championship. After the September training break, all National League matches will be played with a video assistant referee. At the mentioned gathering, the current referees of the national championship will undergo another training together with Mr. Cakir and get acquainted with the news”, explained Davit Mujir.

A well-known Turkish referee, Cakir has been regularly refereeing high-level matches held under the auspices of UEFA and FIFA, such as the 2012 Euro semi-final Spain – Portugal, 2012 FIFA Club World Cup final Corinthians – Chelsea, 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-final Netherlands – Argentina, 2015 Champions League final Barcelona – Juventus, 2018 FIFA World Cup semi-final Croatia – England. Following his 204 international matches and 385 games refereed in the Turkish Super League between 2001-2022, Cakir became a FIFA and UEFA instructor and observer.

Source: GFF

Ligue 1 released full dialogue between VAR, referee and players

French Ligue 1 released the video of a penalty kick initially awarded by referee Clement Turpin and then reversed after an on-field review initiated by the video assistant referee. The video is from a Ligue 1 game played in the last matchday of the 2022-2023 season and contains the full dialogue between the referee and players and then the conversation with the VAR.

It was a just an experiment run by the French League, with the aim to make all participants on the pitch accountable of their behaviour/speech, since some players were accusing referees of talking badly and vice-versa. Also, Ligue 1 would like to improve its relationship with the fans by explaining what’s going on during a VAR review, allowing viewers to understand the referee’s philosophy within the context of the game.

Source: Ligue 1

Arab Club Champions Cup 2023 – Semi-finals

9 August 2023

Al Shorta – Al Nassr
Referee: Adel Al Naqbi (UAE, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jasem Al Ali (UAE)
Assistant Referee 2: Ali Al Nuaimi (UAE)
Fourth Official: Ahmad Al Ali (KUW)
VAR: Ammar Al Jneibi (UAE)
AVAR: Abdulhadi Manea (KUW)

Al Hilal – Al Shabab
Referee: Amin Omar (EGY)
Assistant Referee 1: Mahmoud El Regal (EGY)
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed El Din (EGY)
Fourth Official: Dahane Beida (MTN)
VAR: Mahmoud Ashour (EGY)
AVAR: Mohammed Ibrahim (SDN)

Borbalan replaces Kassai in Bulgaria

Former Spanish referee David Fernandez Borbalan is the new chairman of the Refereeing Committee of the Bulgarian Football Union. The invitation came personally from the president of the BFU, Borislav Mihailov, and the two signed a contract for a period of two competition seasons, reported the BFS.

Fernandez Borbalan is one of the most prominent names in Spanish refereeing, with many years of experience in La Liga. He was part of UEFA Elite category and refereed about 300 matches in the Spanish championship and European club tournaments. Borbalan has been the Vice-President of the Spanish Refereeing Committee for 3 years, while for the last 5 seasons he has been a leading referee instructor for UEFA and FIFA, enjoying a huge authority on the international stage. In February of this year, he was already in Bulgaria for the traditional winter seminar of national referees.

“The appointment of a specialist of such rank is another proof of the respect enjoyed by Bulgarian football in Europe. I am convinced that with his experience and expertise, Bulgarian refereeing will develop in a positive direction. I sincerely wish him success, because good results in his work will benefit the entire Bulgarian football,” said Borislav Mihailov. The 50-year-old specialist in football refereeing was born in Almería, and he was an international referee from 2010 to 2018, with 18 matches in Champions League, 20 in Europa League and 6 World Cup qualifiers. He replaces Hungarian Viktor Kassai, who moved to a similar position in Austria. Mihailov’s choice of Fernandez Borbalan was also due to his excellent preparation for working with the VAR system.

Source: Bulgaria Posts

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – Quarter-finals (Match 57-58)

11 August 2023

Spain – Netherlands
Referee: Stephanie Frappart (FRA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Manuela Nicolosi (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Elodie Coppola (FRA)
Fourth Official: Maria Ferrieri Caputi (ITA)
Reserve AR: Francesca Di Monte (ITA)
VAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
AVAR: Marco Fritz (GER)
OVAR: Ella De Vries (BEL)
SVAR: Abdulla Al-Marri (QAT)
SAVAR: Adil Zourak (MAR)

Japan – Sweden 

Referee: Esther Staubli (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Katrin Rafalski (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Susanne Küng (SUI)
Fourth Official: Katia Garcia (MEX)
Reserve AR: Karen Diaz (MEX)
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati (ITA)
AVAR: Drew Fischer (CAN)
OVAR: Neuza Back (BRA)
SVAR: Salome Di Iorio (ARG)
SAVAR: Daiane Muniz (BRA)