FIFA Video Support challenge system

FIFA has held the first trials of a new system of VAR which allows coaches to challenge a referee's decision, rather than the reviews only being undertaken by video officials. The new system, Football Video Support (VS), allows for the same situations to be challenged as in VAR - goals, penalties, red cards, and mistaken identity. Each team will be able to make two challenges per match. If the challenge is successful, the team keeps that review. The decision to request a review is the responsibility of the coach, who does so by twirling a finger in the air and giving the fourth official a card. The coach then says which kind of incident he wants to be reviewed. The players can recommend to the coach that a review is made but activating it will remain with the coach. A replay operator would ensure the correct footage is shown.

Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA Referees Committee, said the first tests held during the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup, a FIFA youth competition in Zurich last week, went well. "The outcome was very, very positive," Collina explained at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok. "Our aim is to continue to trial this new system, namely in our youth competitions. We hope to be able to give all of you who have indicated an interest in the possibility to implement this system in your competitions."

For now, the challenge system is an internal FIFA trial and there is no option for leagues or competitions to request to be part of it, and there are no plans to introduce it at the top of the game. VS is not intended to replace the version of VAR seen at the elite level, where there are the resources to have multiple cameras and officials working as video assistants. However, it will give hope to leagues who have requested to trial a challenge system but have been repeatedly turned down by FIFA. Serie A first made the request to implement challenges in 2020, believing it would be less intrusive in the game. If the trials prove successful and move through the levels to enter the Laws of the Game, there would be no reason why a league couldn't choose to implement Video Support over the full VAR system.

Source: ESPN

UEFA U-17 Euro 2024

Cyprus, 20 May - 5 June 2024

Referees

1. Jasper Vergoote BEL (photo)
2. Antoni Bandic BIH
3. Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
4. Ante Čulina CRO
5. Menelaos Antoniou CYP
6. Jan Petrik CZE
7. Jakob Sundberg DEN
8. Mohammed Al-Emara FIN
9. Pierre Gaillouste FRA
10. David Fuxman ISR
11. Miguel Nogueira POR
12. Nenad Minaković SRB

Assistant Referees
1. Martijn Tiesters BEL
2. Stefan Tešanovic BIH
3. Petar Mitrev BUL
4. Luka Pušic CRO
5. Kyriakos Sokratous CYP
6. Marek Podany CZE
7. Victor Skytte DEN
8. Turkka Valjakka FIN
9. Alexis Auger FRA
10. Rostislav Talis ISR
11. Nelson Pereira POR
12. Nikola Borović SRB

Turkish FA removes FIFA badge due to referee pregnancy

Turkish referee Betül Nur Yılmaz is preparing to take the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for its decision to remove her FIFA badge after learning about her pregnancy.

Yılmaz received an invitation from FIFA to referee a tournament to be held in Belgium in the summer of 2023, according to May 16 reporting by the daily BirGün. During training sessions in Belgium, Yılmaz felt unwell, and a medical examination revealed that she was pregnant. Yılmaz reported her condition to the Referee Affairs Directorate and requested to suspend her refereeing duties with the TFF due to her pregnancy. When the directorate informed FIFA about the situation, UEFA Referees Committee Chairman Roberto Rosetti sent Yılmaz a congratulatory email, expressing his desire to see her back on duty as soon as possible. However, the TFF decided that her pregnancy and responsibilities as a mother would make it difficult for her to continue as an active FIFA referee and did not include Yılmaz in the FIFA referees list prepared in January 2024.

Betül Nur Yılmaz objected to being removed from the FIFA referee list due to her pregnancy, noting that male referees could suspend their refereeing duties during military service. She appealed to the refereeing board, where three out of seven members voted in her favor, while four voted against her. The TFF denied the allegations regarding Yılmaz and maintained that their decision was based on the referee’s yearly performance. However, Yılmaz revealed that she had received scores above 8 (prolific performance) in all the matches she refereed in that year. In Europe, pregnant female referees can remain on the list for two years. Yılmaz shared that she suffered psychological problems after being ostracized from her profession due to her pregnancy. She felt as if she was being punished for being pregnant, said the referee.

Source: duvaR

UEFA Women’s U-17 Euro Final 2024: Pachtova (CZE)

18 May 2024

Final
England – Spain
Referee: Michaela Pachtova CZE (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Ainhoa Ruiz AND
Assistant Referee 2: Ivona Pejić CRO
Fourth Official: Lotta Vuorio FIN
Referee Observer: Rhona Coombes IRL

Match for Third Place
Poland – France
Referee: Martina Molinaro ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Nikolett Bizderi HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Roxana Ivanov ROU
Fourth Official: Miriama Bočkova SVK
Referee Observer: Dagmar Damkova CZE

CAF Champions League Final 2024 (Second Leg)

25 May 2024

Al Ahly – ES Tunis
Referee: Jean Ndala (COD, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Souru Phatsoane (LES)
Assistant Referee 2: Seydou Tiama (BFA)
Fourth Official: Mahamat Alhadji (CHA)
VAR: Lahlou Benbraham (ALG)
AVAR 1: Daniel Laryea (GHA)
AVAR 2: Mohamed Ibrahim (SDN)

CAF Confederation Cup Final 2024 (Second Leg)

19 May 2024

Zamalek – RS Berkane
Referee: Issa Sy (SEN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Djibril Camara (SEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Nouha Bangoura (SEN)
Fourth Official: Omar Artan (SOM)
VAR: Pierre Atcho (GAB)
AVAR 1: Maria Rivet (MRI)
AVAR 2: Khalil Hassani (TUN)

Referees set for Euro 2024 adventure

Match officials selected for duty at UEFA EURO 2024 are ready for action after a two-day workshop in Frankfurt. The event brought together the 19 selected referees and their assistants, as well as VARs and supporting officials, for an in-depth briefing a month ahead of the tournament, which runs from 14 June to 14 July. The workshop was the first gathering of all 89 EURO 2024 officials, and a perfect opportunity to familiarise themselves with their tournament base camp, a country hotel complex just outside Frankfurt, selected as a convenient central location for travel to each of the ten match venues across the country. The group, which also features a team of officials from Argentina thanks to UEFA's on-going collaboration with CONMEBOL, will spend more than one month together as they prepare for the 51 matches to come.

Such a high-profile tournament, the third-biggest sporting stage in the world, brings with it plenty of pressure to perform, but also represents a high point in officials' careers, a point Roberto Rosetti, UEFA's managing director of refereeing, was keen to emphasise. "Welcome to Germany and congratulations on being here. You are at one of the best tournaments in the world, so enjoy these moments. They are among the most important and beautiful moments in all your life. I am fully convinced that this is the best list of referees ever for a football tournament. We are so proud of the names on this list and you must be proud to be here too", said Rosetti. "I was very pleased to be selected for EURO 2024, it is a big achievement and was one of my personal goals, but I am also aware that it is a big responsibility and the most difficult part is still to come. This workshop is the best way to prepare, all here together to receive the same messages in a focused, friendly environment", said François Letexier.

During the workshop, the referees received wide-ranging updates around match organisation, medical, technology and integrity matters, but the main focus was on their roles across the all-important 90 minutes. One of the key points on the agenda was how referees should manage player and coach behaviour during matches. Rosetti published an open letter earlier this week detailing the importance of working with teams to present a positive image and set the right example for younger players and supporters. It was a topic also discussed with team coaches at the recent finalists' briefing in Düsseldorf and with UEFA's Football Board, and presented once more to officials here in Frankfurt. "We are talking about the image of the game. Players and coaches must respect our job and if they don’t, we will take action," Rosetti explained. To encourage respect and fair play, UEFA has issued a new directive for EURO 2024, whereby referees will speak directly with team captains to explain key decisions on the pitch. The directive will be discussed in detail with each of the 24 participating teams at their base camps ahead of the tournament.

It is not just players that need to be in peak condition for EURO 2024. Match officials must also be ready for action at the highest level, prepared to run up to 13 kilometres per match at high intensity while making split-second decisions. UEFA monitors officials' fitness throughout the season, providing bespoke training programmes and testing to ensure optimal performance. In Frankfurt, they were put through their paces by specialist fitness coaches with a series of drills aiming to keep them sharp ahead of the tournament. "Referees and assistant referees have no choice. You need to be injury free, fresh and fit when you come to the tournament. Training quality has been very high and we are very confident that you are doing a good job", said Werner Helsen, UEFA referee fitness coach

Rosetti and UEFA's refereeing team presented different match situations to the officials, discussing the occasions when interventions should take place. UEFA's approach during the tournament will mirror that in our club competitions. VAR will not overrule referees' on-field decisions unless the video reviews shows evidence of a clear and obvious mistake, with the final call always being made by the referee. It is a message Rosetti shared with team coaches in Düsseldorf last month, where he emphasised "minimum interference for maximum benefit", with referees urged to trust their judgment and make strong decisions on the field. With this encouragement and confidence from UEFA's refereeing leaders ringing in their ears, officials now return home to complete their domestic, and in some cases, European club seasons, before they reconvene in Germany in early June. The countdown is well and truly on!

Source: UEFA

Orsato: "My referee career will end after Euro"

At the Media Day of the Euro 2024 referees, Daniele Orsato announced his retirement in the interview with Lorenzo Fontani: “I will end my career as a referee after Euro. I thank all the instructors and assigners who have taught me so much in these years”. The role of referee assigner, however, does not seem to be in his plans: "I want to dedicate myself only to my family and my children. I hope that my last whistle will be that of the Euro final, but it's okay if Italy wins".

- Being here is a gratification, perhaps even more exciting...

- For me it’s always an emotion and a pride to represent Italian referees; it’s a huge responsibility. We are more of a family than a team, so it was exciting.

- Can we say that your career will end after Euro?

- Yes, it will end a beautiful experience, and I am proud of it, both for me and my family.

- Who would you want to thank?

- All the refereeing technicians who have accompanied my growth, from Claudio Pieri to Maurizio Mattei to Stefano Farina, as well as Collina, Rosetti, Braschi, Rizzoli and Rocchi. All of them were examples that I admired and tried to learn from. The most formative experience for me was the one as additional assistant referee (AAR) with Rizzoli at the 2016 European Championship, where I understood the things and the details that are needed on the field in the important games to be accepted. It was an incredible experience.

- Have you thought about what you are going to do after the last whistle?

- I think I will blow the whistle with the usual grit that has always distinguished me. I will do it all, I am really proud of what I have done, and I will give my best until the end.”

- We do not wish anything bad to Spalletti's Italy, but how nice it would be if the last whistle was that of the final?

- Of course, we all hope Italy will win. I would be proud and happy if the last Euro whistle would be mine, but if Italy wins, it’s okay.

- Did you set yourself a target for Euro 2024?

- I have never set myself long-term goals; I always think only about the last game. When we are in the locker room with my team, we never know whether we just refereed the last game of the competition or if we will have another one. Let’s think step-by-step to do the best.

- Here with you is also Marco Guida. What advice would you give him?

- I just congratulated Marco, because he followed a complicated path. He had a serious injury that put him out for a long time, but he worked hard, he is a serious referee, and this Euro will represent the beginning of a long career in UEFA for him.

- The Italian referees say that often abroad they relax, forgetting the pressure of Serie A. Is it the same for you?

- I wouldn’t say you relax, but you don’t get the same dissent from players and you have fewer problems on the field; in Europe they know you less and you lose less time. In Italy, you know more players and dialogues are longer, the protests are more significant. If you make a mistake in Europe, you feel sorry the same way as in Serie A.

- Is there a role of referee assigner for you in the future?

- No, there is only my family, my wife, and my kids. I don’t see anything else beyond them.

Source: SkySport

Zwayer: “Be prepared to adapt to new developments”

German referees Felix Zwayer and Daniel Siebert attended the Media Day for Euro 2024, where they shared their thoughts.

Zwayer: "The tension was high. We knew in advance when the referee team would be announced, but everyone who made it was only invited to the video call five minutes before 10 o'clock. You then wait and constantly check your emails. Of course, you hope that you'll be allowed to be there - but when the time really comes, it's something else. Managing (international) top matches was never a goal for me when I started out. I was simply interested and found the task of refereeing exciting, and then it always developed further. I kept taking steps forwards, but also backwards at times. You must draw the right conclusions from the less enjoyable moments and stick to your guns. In the end, anything goes if you are prepared to adapt to new developments in football. We worked on this together; without my assistants this nomination would not have been possible. Stefan Lupp has been nominated for a major tournament for the fifth time and that says it all. Marco Achmüller fought his way back from injury, which was impressive. All Euro referees form a team, where Daniel and I, together with our assistants and the three video assistants, represent German refereeing. We each referee our own games, but we still stick together as referees".

Siebert: "My way of refereeing matches and my performances have led me to where I am now. It would be wrong to suddenly change everything before the tournament. My coach as a player always told me: 'You shouldn't do anything special before special matches'. That applies well to refereeing. Every Euro match is great. In the team with Jan and Rafael, we are simply grateful to be part of this Euro and will approach the tournament with anticipation and humility. I just want to do my best and referee the games I get in the best possible way. During my first Euro, I had an experienced colleague, Felix Brych, at my side, which helped me a lot".

Source: SkySport

Collum appointed as new Head of Scottish Refereeing

Willie Collum has been appointed Head of Refereeing at the Scottish FA following an extensive recruitment process. The vastly experienced Category One referee will take up his duties in early July after resigning as a local authority Education Officer. He will end almost 30 years of refereeing – 20 of which were spent as a Category One match official and FIFA Referee – with immediate effect to replace the outgoing Crawford Allan, who leaves the role at the end of the season.

The Scottish FA and global sports recruitment experts Elevate Talent compiled a list of experienced applicants from four different continents. Willie’s experience, leadership responsibilities within the Scottish education system, understanding of the Scottish football landscape and resilience made him the outstanding candidate. He has refereed at UEFA Euro 2016, the 2015 UEFA Super Cup, in four Scottish Cup finals, two League Cup finals, and in over 250 FIFA and UEFA club and international competitions including the Champions League and Europa League, World Cup and European Qualifiers. The 45-year-old believes the time is right to help current and future referees maximise their potential. “I am proud and honoured to be appointed the Scottish FA’s Head of Refereeing,” said the 45-year-old. “It’s well-known that I took up refereeing at the age of 14 and today’s announcement is the culmination of some of the greatest experiences of my career. It’s my strong view that the role of Head of Refereeing is responsible to all of Scottish football, not just the association, as I am fully aware of the passion and expectations from clubs, players, supporters and match officials themselves. I wouldn’t have achieved half of what I have as a referee without the support of my colleagues and team-mates within refereeing and my immediate priority is to galvanise the current network of match officials from Category One to those taking the field for the first time. I’ve been in their shoes at every level and want to help others fulfil their potential by overcoming the challenges along the way and seizing the opportunities. I will outline my plan in detail when I start officially but I was emphatic throughout the interview process that I want to improve, with consultation and consensus, the operation and delivery of VAR for all concerned. I want to use my experience to alleviate the unsustainable burden on our match officials and improve relations and mutual respect between match officials, club officials, players, coaches and fans. I would like to thank Crawford for leading the implementation of VAR and I know I can count on him for advice during the handover period and along the way. I look forward to getting started.”

Ian Maxwell, Scottish FA Chief Executive: “When we announced that Crawford was leaving at the end of the season the board and senior team were clear that we would leave no stone unturned in getting the best candidate for a job that has become significantly more demanding with the arrival of VAR. We had applications from experienced candidates across the UK, Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. It is to Willie’s great credit that he emerged as the outstanding candidate from such a strong international field. Willie has had a unique refereeing career, which started in his early teens. He has gone on to become one of our most experienced and decorated match officials and has amassed the practical knowledge and experience to make a significant contribution as Head of Refereeing. He spoke with passion and purpose on how he sees the role of Head of Refereeing. We look forward to him implementing his plan and I would like to reiterate my thanks to Crawford Allan for his contribution over the last four years, not least leading on the feasibility and implementation of VAR. I know he will be on hand to support Willie during the handover period as required.”

Source: SFA

Referees for 2024 UEFA finals

The UEFA Referees Committee has announced the referee team appointments for the 2024 UEFA club competition finals which, with Slavko Vinčić, Istvan Kovacs and Artur Soares Dias, also features three of the referees nominated for UEFA Euro 2024.

The UEFA Referees Committee has appointed Slavko Vinčić from Slovenia to referee the 2024 UEFA Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid CF, which takes place at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on Saturday 1 June at 21:00 CEST (20:00 local time). The 44-year-old, an international referee since 2010, will be officiating his second UEFA club competition final after his appointment as the referee for the 2022 UEFA Europa League final in Seville, Spain, between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers FC. He has refereed seven UEFA Champions League matches this season, including the quarter-final second leg between Borussia Dortmund and Club Atlético de Madrid.

1 June 2024

Borussia Dortmund – Real Madrid

Referee: Slavko Vinčić (SVN)

Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik (SVN)

Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič (SVN)

Fourth Official: François Letexier (FRA)

Reserve AR: Cyril Mugnier (FRA)

VAR: Nejc Kajtazović (SVN)

AVAR: Rade Obrenović (SVN)

SVAR: Massimiliano Irrati (ITA)

Referee Observer: Roberto Rosetti (ITA)

Istvan Kovacs will referee the 2024 UEFA Europa League final between Atalanta BC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen, to be played at Dublin Arena in the Republic of Ireland, on Wednesday 22 May at 21:00 CEST (20:00 local time). An international referee since 2010, the 39-year-old Romanian has taken charge of eight UEFA Champions League matches and one UEFA Europa League match this season. This will be his second European club competition final as a referee after having officiated AS Roma against Feyenoord in the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League final in Tirana, Albania.

22 May 2024

Atalanta – Bayer Leverkusen

Referee: Istvan Kovacs (ROU)

Assistant Referee 1: Vasile Marinescu (ROU)

Assistant Referee 2: Ovidiu Artene (ROU)

Fourth Official: Ivan Kruzliak (SVK)

Reserve AR: Branislav Hancko (SVK)

VAR: Pol van Boekel (NED)

AVAR: Catalin Popa (ROU)

SVAR: Rob Dieperink (NED)

Referee Observer: Vladimir Sajn (SVN)

The UEFA Referees Committee has revealed that Artur Soares Dias of Portugal will referee the 2024 UEFA Europa Conference League final between Olympiakos FC and ACF Fiorentina, to be played at the AEK Arena in Athens, Greece on Wednesday 29 May at 21:00 CEST (22:00 local time). The Portuguese has been an international referee since 2010 and will be taking charge of his first UEFA club competition final. This season the 44-year-old has officiated four UEFA Champions League matches and two UEFA Europa League matches, including the UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and West Ham United FC.

29 May 2024

Olympiakos FC – ACF Fiorentina

Referee: Artur Soares Dias (POR)

Assistant Referee 1: Paulo Soares (POR)

Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Ribeiro (POR)

Fourth Official: Glenn Nyberg (SWE)

Reserve AR: Mahbod Beigi (SWE)

VAR: Tiago Martins (POR)

AVAR: Christian Dingert (GER)

SVAR: Marco Fritz (GER)

Referee Observer: Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP)

The UEFA Referees Committee has also announced that Rebecca Welch will referee the 2024 UEFA Women’s Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Olympique Lyonnais, to be played at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, on Saturday 25 May at 18:00 CEST. An international referee since 2015, the 40-year-old, from England, will take charge of her first UEFA Women’s Champions League final. This season, she has refereed six UEFA Women’s Champions League matches, including the quarter-final second leg between Paris Saint-Germain and BK Häcken FF. She was also appointed as 4th official at last season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League final between FC Barcelona and VfL Wolfsburg in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

25 May 2024

FC Barcelona – Olympique Lyonnais

Referee: Rebecca Welch (ENG)

Assistant Referee 1: Natalie Aspinall (ENG)

Assistant Referee 2: Emily Carney (ENG)

Fourth Official: Ivana Martinčić (CRO)

Reserve AR: Sanja Rodjak-Karšić (CRO)

VAR: Stuart Attwell (ENG)

AVAR: Katrin Rafalski (GER)

SVAR: Katalin Kulcsar (HUN)

Referee Observer: Dagmar Damkova (CZE)

Football technologies at Euro 2024

Video Assistant Referees (VAR)

There will be a VAR, together with two assistant video assistant referees (AVAR) and three video operators at all UEFA European Football Championship games. Four Video Operations Rooms (VOR) have been built in the Football Technologies HUB (FTECH HUB) at the International Broadcast Centre in Leipzig to service this. The VAR team will check all match-changing situations but will only intervene for clear and obvious mistakes. The referee can hold up play while a decision is being reviewed. If the VAR review provides clear evidence of what appears to be a serious mistake in a game-changing situation, the VAR can then ask the referee to conduct an on-field review. The final decision can only be taken by the referee. The VAR is also able to consider any infringement that could have taken place in the immediate build-up to the incident (the attacking phase of play). For 'factual' decisions (e.g. offsides, fouls in or outside the penalty area), the VAR can simply inform the referee of those facts and the on-field view screen isn't needed, but it is always the referee who takes the final decision. The information of the review process will be communicated within the stadium using the stadium screens.

Connected Ball Technology

For the first time at the UEFA European Football Championship, the official match ball will feature adidas Connected Ball Technology - which sends precise ball data to video match officials in real time. Combining player position data with AI, the innovation contributes to UEFA’s semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) and will be key to supporting faster in-match decisions. Connected Ball Technology can also help VAR officials to identify every individual touch of the ball, reducing time spent resolving handball and penalty incidents.

Semi-automated offside technology (SAOT)

SAOT enables VAR teams to determine offside situations quickly and more accurately, thanks to ten specialised cameras installed at the stadium which track 29 different body points per player. Introduced to the UEFA Champions League in 2022, the system integrates with the EURO Connected Ball to immediately identify the point of ball contact for the offside situations analysed.

Goal-line technology (GLT)

UEFA has installed the Goal-Line Technology (GLT) system in all the venues in use for the tournament. The system, in use in UEFA's elite club and national team competitions since 2016, deploys seven cameras per goal, using control software to track the ball within the goal area. Using vision-processing techniques and software, the GLT indicates if a goal was scored within one second of the action courtesy of a vibration and visual signal on each match official's watch.

The Football Technologies HUB

The FTECH HUB is the epicentre of all technological operations for EURO 2024. Video match officials (VARs and AVARs) will be present and operational for all matches from the four VORs inside the FTECH HUB. The HUB receives and collates all the data collected by the various technologies via optical cameras (Goal Line Technology and Electronic Performance Tracking System) or sensors (Connected Ball). All the data is quality controlled live and distributed to the different applications (e.g. SAOT, Performance Analysis portal, etc.).

Source: UEFA

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2024 – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

14-16 May 2024

Talleres – Cobresal
Referee: Augusto Menendez (PER, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Leonard Soto (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Coty Carrera (PER)
Fourth Official: Michael Espinoza (PER)
VAR: Milagros Arruela (PER)
AVAR: Jonny Bossio (PER)
Referee Assessor: Ricardo Casas (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Emerson de Carvalho (BRA)

Liga de Quito – Junior
Referee: Esteban Ostojich (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Agustin Berisso (URU)
Fourth Official: Jose Burgos (URU)
VAR: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
AVAR: Lucas Novelli (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Jose Lara (ECU)
VAR Supervisor: Juan Cardellino (URU)

Penarol – Atletico Mineiro
Referee: Wilmar Roldan (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: John Gallego (COL)
Fourth Official: Carlos Betancur (COL)
VAR: Leonard Mosquera (COL)
AVAR: John Leon (COL)
Referee Assessor: Roberto Silvera (URU)
VAR Supervisor: Barbra Bastias (CHI)

River Plate – Libertad
Referee: Piero Maza (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Claudia Urrutia (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Rocha (CHI)
Fourth Official: Manuel Vergara (CHI)
VAR: Yadir Acuna (COL)
AVAR: Edson Cisternas (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Victor Carrillo (PER)

Millonarios – Palestino
Referee: Nicolas Ramirez (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Paulo Gonzalez (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Gisela Trucco (ARG)
Fourth Official: Paulo Echavarria (ARG)
VAR: German Delfino (ARG)
AVAR: Paulo Dovalo (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Luzmila Gonzalez (COL)
VAR Supervisor: Pericles Cortes (BRA)

The Strongest – Huachipato
Referee: Gustavo Tejera (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Soppi (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulo Llarena (URU)
Fourth Official: Alberto Feres (URU)
VAR: Andres Cunha (URU)
AVAR: Santiago Fernandez (URU)
Referee Assessor: Oscar Maldonado (BOL)
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Avila (ECU)

Deportivo Tachira – Nacional
Referee: John Ospina (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Richard Ortiz (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Mary Blanco (COL)
Fourth Official: Bismarks Santiago (COL)
VAR: David Rodriguez (COL)
AVAR: Mauricio Perez (COL)
Referee Assessor: Candelario Andarcia (VEN)
VAR Supervisor: Rodney Aquino (PAR)

Alianza Lima – Colo Colo
Referee: Yael Falcon (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Belatti (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Savorani (ARG)
Fourth Official: Andres Merlos (ARG)
VAR: Cristian Ferreyra (URU)
AVAR: Richard Trinidad (URU)
Referee Assessor: Ana Perez (URU)
VAR Supervisor: Gustavo Rossi (ARG)

Flamengo – Bolivar
Referee: Andres Matonte (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Barreiro (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Horacio Ferreiro (URU)
Fourth Official: Anahi Fernandez (URU)
VAR: Carlos Orbe (ECU)
AVAR: Juan Andrade (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Giulliano Bozzano (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Luis Vera (ECU)

Palmeiras – Independiente del Valle
Referee: Alexis Herrera (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Lubin Torrealba (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Ponte (VEN)
Fourth Official: Yender Herrera (VEN)
VAR: Fernando Vejar (CHI)
AVAR: Benjamin Saravia (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Silvia Regina (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Patricio Polic (CHI)

Rosario Central – Caracas
Referee: Roberto Perez (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Orue (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Enrique Pinto (PER)
Fourth Official: Manuel Vergara (CHI)
VAR: Francisco Gilabert (CHI)
AVAR: Juan Sepulveda (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Angel Sanchez (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Lamouroux (COL)

Fluminense – Cerro Porteno
Referee: Dario Herrera (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Cristian Navarro (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Maximiliano Del Yesso (ARG)
Fourth Official: Leandro Rey (ARG)
VAR: Silvio Trucco (ARG)
AVAR: Hector Paletta (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Hilton Moutinho (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Luis Vera (ECU)

San Lorenzo – Liverpool
Referee: Angel Arteaga (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno (VEN)
Fourth Official: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN)
VAR: Juan Soto (VEN)
AVAR: Carlos Lopez (VEN)
Referee Assessor: Sergio Viola (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Joel Ruiz (PAR)

Sao Paulo – Barcelona
Referee: Kevin Ortega (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Stephen Atoche (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Jesus Sanchez (PER)
Fourth Official: Edwin Ordonez (PER)
VAR: Heider Castro (COL)
AVAR: Kenner Jimenez (COL)
Referee Assessor: Marcelo Rogerio (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Patricio Polic (CHI)

Universitario – Botafogo
Referee: Cristian Garay (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Alejandro Molina (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Ureta (CHI)
Fourth Official: Andres Merlos (ARG)
VAR: Cristian Ferreyra (URU)
AVAR: Richard Trinidad (URU)
Referee Assessor: Cesar Mongrut (PER)
VAR Supervisor: Gustavo Rossi (ARG)

CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2024 – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

14-16 May 2024

Racing – Nacional
Referee: Gery Vargas (BOL, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Antelo (BOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Montano (BOL)
Fourth Official: Adriana Farfan (BOL)
VAR: Miguel Araos (CHI)
AVAR: Marcia Castillo (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Marcelo de Leon (URU)
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Lamouroux (COL)

Defensa y Justicia – Independiente Medellin
Referee: Braulio Machado (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Boschilia (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Fabricio Vilarinho (BRA)
Fourth Official: Edina Alves (BRA)
VAR: Daiane Muniz (BRA)
AVAR: Rodrigo Guarizo (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Sergio Viola (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Joel Ruiz (PAR)

Sportivo Ameliano – Rayo Zuliano
Referee: Joel Alarcon (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Alberth Alarcon (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Castillo (PER)
Fourth Official: Jesus Cartagena (PER)
VAR: Franklin Congo (ECU)
AVAR: Jefferson Macias (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Ubaldo Aquino (PAR)
VAR Supervisor: Oswaldo Segura (ECU)

Corinthians – Argentinos Juniors
Referee: Felipe Gonzalez (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Retamal (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Poblete (CHI)
Fourth Official: Edwin Ordonez (PER)
VAR: Fernando Vejar (CHI)
AVAR: Benjamin Saravia (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Ednilson Corona (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Carlos Pastorino (URU)

Nacional Potosi – Sportivo Trinidense
Referee: Bryan Loayza (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: David Vacacela (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Monica Amboya (ECU)
Fourth Official: Guillermo Guerrero (ECU)
VAR: Mathias de Armas (URU)
AVAR: Hector Bergalo (URU)
Referee Assessor: Pedro Saucedo (BOL)
VAR Supervisor: Cesar Escano (PER)

Lanus – Metropolitanos
Referee: John Hinestroza (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Miguel Roldan (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Mayra Sanchez (COL)
Fourth Official: Andres Rojas (COL)
VAR: Nicolas Gallo (COL)
AVAR: Jenny Arias (COL)
Referee Assessor: Sabrina Lois (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Jorge Mercado (PAR)

Belgrano – Real Tomayapo
Referee: Michael Espinoza (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Leonard Soto (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Coty Carrera (PER)
Fourth Official: Augusto Menendez (PER)
VAR: Milagros Arruela (PER)
AVAR: Jonny Bossio (PER)
Referee Assessor: Ricardo Casas (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Emerson de Carvalho (BRA)

Athletico Paranaense – Danubio
Referee: Carlos Ortega (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: David Fuentes (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Javier Patino (COL)
Fourth Official: Robert Cabrera (ECU)
VAR: Susanna Corella (ECU)
AVAR: Edson Vasquez (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Cleidy Riveiro (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Claudio Rios (CHI)

Cuiaba – Deportivo Garcilaso
Referee: Juan Lara (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Serrano (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Alan Sandoval (CHI)
Fourth Official: Dione Rissios (CHI)
VAR: Jose Cabero (CHI)
AVAR: Leslie Vazquez (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Paulo Conceicao (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Juan Lugones (BOL)

Boca Juniors – Fortaleza
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno (VEN)
Fourth Official: Angel Arteaga (VEN)
VAR: Juan Soto (VEN)
AVAR: Carlos Lopez (VEN)
Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Victor Carrillo (PER)

Universidad Cesar Vallejo – Always Ready
Referee: Raphael Claus (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Manis (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Bruno Pires (BRA)
Fourth Official: Bruno Arleu (BRA)
VAR: Charly Straud (BRA)
AVAR: Diego Pombo (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Jorge Jaimes (PER)
VAR Supervisor: Sandra Zambrano (ECU)

Racing Club – Coquimbo Unido
Referee: Andres Rojas (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Miguel Roldan (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Mayra Sanchez (COL)
Fourth Official: John Hinestroza (COL)
VAR: Nicolas Gallo (COL)
AVAR: Jenny Arias (COL)
Referee Assessor: Sabrina Lois (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Victor Martinez (PAR)

Sportivo Luqueno – Red Bull Bragantino
Referee: Augusto Aragon (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Lescano (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Ricardo Baren (ECU)
Fourth Official: Antoni Diaz (ECU)
VAR: Franklin Congo (ECU)
AVAR: Jefferson Macias (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Manuel Bernal (PAR)
VAR Supervisor: Oswaldo Segura (ECU)

Cruzeiro – Union La Calera
Referee: Ivo Mendez (BOL)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Tapia (BOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Roger Orellana (BOL)
Fourth Official: Cristian Aleman (BOL)
VAR: Jorge Balino (ARG)
AVAR: Nicolas Lamolina (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Ricardo Marques (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Carlos Pastorino (URU)

Universidad Catolica – Alianza
Referee: Fernando Espinoza (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Sebastian Raineri (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Mariana de Almeida (ARG)
Fourth Official: Sebastian Zunino (ARG)
VAR: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
AVAR: Lucas Novelli (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Jose Carpio (ECU)
VAR Supervisor: Juan Cardellino (URU)

CAF Champions League Final 2024 (First Leg)

18 May 2024

ES Tunis – Al Ahly
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (ALG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mokrane Gourari (ALG)
Assistant Referee 2: Abbas Zerhouni (ALG)
Fourth Official: Mutaz Ibrahim (LBY)
VAR: Dahane Beida (MTN)
AVAR 1: Salima Mukansanga (RWA)
AVAR 2: Jerson Dos Santos (ANG)

CAF Confederation Cup Final 2024 (First Leg)

12 May 2024

RS Berkane – Zamalek
Referee: Peter Waweru (KEN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Gilbert Cheruiyot (KEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Stephen Onyango (KEN)
Fourth Official: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (BDI)
VAR: Haythem Guirat (TUN)
AVAR 1: Abongile Tom (RSA)
AVAR 2: Diana Chikotesha (ZAM) 

Referee Assessor: Ali Ahmed (SOM)

Referee Orsato in tears after UCL semi-final PSG – Borussia

Borussia Dortmund defeated Paris SG (1-0) in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final for the 2023/24 season, securing their spot in the final for the third time in their history. After the final whistle, Italian referee Daniele Orsato was unable to hold back tears, surprising many people. Later, it became known that this was Orsato's last match in the UEFA Champions League, as the renowned 48-year-old referee plans to retire after Euro 2024.

Throughout his career, Orsato refereed 55 UEFA Champions League matches, including the final of the 2019/20 season between PSG and Bayern Munich. He also refereed at the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2020.

AFC Champions League Final 2024 (First Leg)

11 May 2024

Yokohama Marinos – Al Ain
Referee: Salman Falahi (QAT, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Ramzan Al-Naemi (QAT)
Assistant Referee 2: Majid Al-Shammari (QAT)
Fourth Official: Mohamad Al-Shammari (QAT)
VAR: Khamis Al-Marri (QAT)
AVAR: Abdulla Al-Marri (QAT)

Olympic Games 2024 – Men’s Qualifiers Play-offs (AFC/CAF)

9 May 2024

Indonesia – Guinea
Referee: François Letexier FRA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Pierre Gaillouste FRA
Referee Observer: Markus Nobs SUI

Bayern's offside 'goal' vs. Real Madrid

Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week across Europe, and it even crops up in the Champions League. On Wednesday night, in the second leg of the semifinal between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga club were desperately searching for an equaliser. Real Madrid led 2-1, giving them a 3-2 aggregate lead, in the 13th minute of added time (only nine had been signalled). Bayern had to score, but they were thwarted by the offside flag and the referee blew his whistle. Bayern lost 2-1 and were eliminated.

Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel was raging, calling it a "a disastrous decision from the linesman and the referee." So, what happened, who was to blame, and how does this all work with VAR? The ball was played into the Real Madrid area, with Noussair Mazraoui challenging Ferland Mendy. The Los Blancos defender headed the ball away, and as the ball dropped into open space in the area, the assistant, Tomasz Listkiewicz, raised his flag. Referee Szymon Marciniak immediately blew the whistle. Thomas Müller nodded the ball to Matthijs de Ligt, and he fired into net past Andriy Lunin - though the goalkeeper made no attempt to make a save because of the whistle, so you cannot say Bayern were denied a goal. The Real Madrid defenders may have been affected, too. Play stopped at the whistle, so there was nothing the VAR could do. This is all about how and when the play should end from a delayed flag. As no goal was scored, there's no VAR offside situation to judged. So we won't get the semiautomated offside visualisation for this, and we will never know for certain. But it looks exceptionally close, and Mazraoui may well have been marginally onside to the boot of Antonio Rüdiger. Mazraoui's act of challenging Mendy for the aerial ball is an offside offence, even though he didn't touch it.

Assistants are told to keep the flag down on close offsides and only raise it when a goal is scored or at the end of the attacking move. Indeed, Real Madrid's winning goal in the 91st minute came through this route. Joselu scored from a pass by Rüdiger, and as soon as the ball crossed the line the flag went up. The goal was awarded through a VAR review, as the striker was behind the ball. That Bayern lost to a delayed flag when they were denied by a premature flag only adds to their frustration. The VAR Handbook states that the assistant "should delay the flag if an attacking player has a 'free run' or is in a very good scoring position moving directly to, or within, the penalty area." For Listkiewicz, Bayern never gained possession from the original pass. It's headed away by Mendy and the offside Mazraoui failed to continue the attack. Had Mazraoui collected the pass, or headed it to a teammate himself, the assistant may not have been so ready to raise the flag. So, the assistant has done nothing wrong here? Technically no, but in a game of such magnitude and at such a crucial stage, it would have made much more sense for Listkiewicz just to hold the flag for a little longer to see what developed. We see so many delayed flag situations that seem to be completely needless - for instance, when a player is running to the corner or is offside by a large margin. This is a Champions League semifinal, one of the biggest games of the season. You've got VAR, so just wait a few more seconds. However, Listkiewicz's flag doesn't control the game.

Does the referee share any of the blame? Absolutely. He is in charge of when the game is halted, so ultimately, the buck stops with Marciniak. We will see a number of examples across a season of an assistant raising the flag too early, and the referee takes the decision to hold the whistle just in case anything develops. Regardless of the flag, Marciniak should not have stopped the play when the ball first fell to Müller. It should have been clear to him there was still an attacking situation. The VAR Handbook says: "If the assistant flags for a tight/unclear offside and a player is about to score a goal, the referee should delay the whistle until the goal results so that if the AR has made a 'clear and obvious error' the goal can be allowed." Marciniak's role is about allowing the attacking phase to complete, not to judge how close the offside may have been. This is on Marciniak. It's not been a stellar season for Marciniak, who refereed the 2022 World Cup final and the 2023 Champions League final. Listkiewicz was also the assistant for both showpiece games. The delayed flag and the attacking phase (which the VAR can review) are two different considerations. If the assistant has identified an offside, the flag should go up at the quickest point when there's no clear attacking momentum. However, if the assistant doesn't spot an offside, the VAR can go back through the whole phase. A defender heading the ball away and it dropping to an opposition player doesn't count as a reset of the reviewable VAR phase.

Source: ESPN

UEFA Europa League 2023/2024 – Semi-finals (Second Leg)

9 May 2024

Bayer Leverkusen – AS Roma
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Serdar Gözübüyük NED
VAR: Rob Dieperink NED
AVAR: Pol van Boekel NED
Referee Observer: Dejan Filipović SRB

Atalanta BC – Olympique de Marseille
Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Barbero Sevilla ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Angel Nevado Rodriguez ESP
Fourth Official: Mykola Balakin UKR
VAR: Juan Martinez Munuera ESP
AVAR: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez ESP
Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan ARM

UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 – Semi-finals (Second Leg)

8 May 2024

Club Brugge – ACF Fiorentina
Referee: Halil Meler TUR (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mustafa Eyisoy TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Kerem Ersoy TUR
Fourth Official: Irfan Peljto BIH
VAR: Marco Fritz GER
AVAR: Alper Ulusoy TUR
Referee Observer: Bernardino Gonzalez Vazquez ESP

9 May 2024
Olympiakos – Aston Villa
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Lupp GER
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller GER
Fourth Official: Glenn Nyberg SWE
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Tiago Martins POR
Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen NOR

UEFA Champions League 2023/2024 – Semi-finals (Second Leg)

7 May 2024

Paris St. Germain – Borussia Dortmund
Referee: Daniele Orsato ITA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Ciro Carbone ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alessandro Giallatini ITA
Fourth Official: Davide Massa ITA
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati ITA
AVAR: Paolo Valeri ITA
Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine NIR

8 May 2024
Real Madrid – Bayern München
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Ivan Kružliak SVK
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
AVAR: Bartosz Frankowski POL
Referee Observer: Michael Riley ENG

AFC Cup Final 2024: Al-Ali (UAE)

5 May 2024

Al Ahed – Central Coast Mariners
Referee: Omar Al-Ali (UAE, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohamed Al-Hammadi (UAE)
Assistant Referee 2: Jasem Al-Ali (UAE)
Fourth Official: Sultan Al-Hammadi (UAE)
VAR: Adel Al-Naqbi (UAE)
AVAR: Ahmed Darwish (UAE)

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2024 – Group Stage (Matchday 4)

7-9 May 2024

Caracas – Penarol
Referee: Mario Diaz de Vivar (PAR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Cardozo (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Canete (PAR)
Fourth Official: Blas Romero (PAR)
VAR: Ulises Mereles (PAR)
AVAR: Jose Cuevas (PAR)
Referee Assessor: Candelario Andarcia (VEN)
VAR Supervisor: Victor Martinez (PAR)

Rosario Central – Atletico Mineiro
Referee: Piero Maza (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Claudio Urrutia (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Serrano (CHI)
Fourth Official: Felipe Gonzalez (CHI)
VAR: Juan Lara (CHI)
AVAR: Edson Cisternas (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Sergio Viola (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Carlos Pastorino (URU)

Nacional – River Plate
Referee: Anderson Daronco (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Manis (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Bruno Boschilia (BRA)
Fourth Official: Edina Alves (BRA)
VAR: Wagner Reway (BRA)
AVAR: Rodrigo D’Alonso (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Juan Cardellino (URU)
VAR Supervisor: Pericles Cortes (BRA)

Palestino – Flamengo
Referee: Esteban Ostojich (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Martin Soppi (URU)
Fourth Official: Jose Burgos (URU)
VAR: Andres Cunha (URU)
AVAR: Agustin Berisso (URU)
Referee Assessor: Christian Schiemann (CHI)
VAR Supervisor: Oscar Viera (PAR)

Deportivo Tachira – Libertad
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Pires (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alex Ribeiro (BRA)
Fourth Official: Braulio Machado (BRA)
VAR: Pablo Goncalves (BRA)
AVAR: Diego Pombo (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Marlon Escalante (VEN)
VAR Supervisor: Ricardo Casas (ARG)

Universitario – Junior
Referee: Alexis Herrera (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Lubin Torrealba (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno (VEN)
Fourth Official: Yorman Delgado (VEN)
VAR: Silvio Trucco (ARG)
AVAR: Paulo Dovalo (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Jorge Jaimes (PER)
VAR Supervisor: Angel Sanchez (ARG)

Huachipato – Gremio
Referee: John Ospina (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Richard Ortiz (COL)
Fourth Official: Wilmar Roldan (COL)
VAR: Leonard Mosquera (COL)
AVAR: John Leon (COL)
Referee Assessor: Julio Bascunan (CHI)
VAR Supervisor: Roberto Silvera (URU)

Talleres – Barcelona
Referee: Gustavo Tejera (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Barreiro (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulo Llarena (URU)
Fourth Official: Leodan Gonzalez (URU)
VAR: Christian Ferreyra (URU)
AVAR: Richard Trinidad (URU)
Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Rodney Aquino (PAR)

Alianza Lima – Cerro Porteno
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno (VEN)
Fourth Official: Alexis Herrera (VEN)
VAR: Juan Soto (VEN)
AVAR: Carlos Lopez (VEN)
Referee Assessor: Luis Sanchez (VEN)
VAR Supervisor: Angel Sanchez (ARG)

Botafogo – LDU Quito
Referee: Dario Herrera (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Facundo Rodriguez (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Ezequiel Brailovsky (ARG)
Fourth Official: Paulo Echavarria (ARG)
VAR: Hernan Mastrangelo (ARG)
AVAR: Cristian Navarro (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Giulliano Bozzano (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Gustavo Rossi (ARG)

Cobresal – Sao Paulo
Referee: Juan Lopez (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Britos (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Villagra (PAR)
Fourth Official: Zulma Quinonez (PAR)
VAR: Andres Cunha (URU)
AVAR: Agustin Berisso (URU)
Referee Assessor: Carlos Ulloa (CHI)
VAR Supervisor: Miryam Melgarejo (PAR)

Millonarios – Bolivar
Referee: Yael Falcon (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Belatti (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Sebastian Rainieri (ARG)
Fourth Official: Fernando Espinoza (ARG)
VAR: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
AVAR: Salome Di Iorio (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Oscar Ruiz (COL)
VAR Supervisor: Hernan Maidana (ARG)

San Lorenzo – Independiente Del Valle
Referee: Felipe Gonzalez (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Claudio Urrutia (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Serrano (CHI)
Fourth Official: Piero Maza (CHI)
VAR: Juan Lara (CHI)
AVAR: Edson Cisternas (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Sabrina Lois (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Carlos Pastorino (URU)

Liverpool – Palmeiras
Referee: Andres Rojas (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: John Gallego (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Padilla (COL)
Fourth Official: Carlos Betancur (COL)
VAR: David Rodriguez (COL)
AVAR: Mauricio Perez (COL)
Referee Assessor: Fernando Falce (URU)
VAR Supervisor: Cesar Escano (PER)

Colo Colo – Fluminense
Referee: Wilmar Roldan (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Richard Ortiz (COL)
Fourth Official: John Ospina (COL)
VAR: Leonard Mosquera (COL)
AVAR: John Leon (COL)
Referee Assessor: Julio Bascunan (CHI)
VAR Supervisor: Roberto Silvera (URU)

The Strongest – Estudiantes
Referee: Roberto Perez (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Stephen Atoche (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Jaimes (PER)
Fourth Official: Edwin Ordonez (PER)
VAR: Diego Haro (PER)
AVAR: Johnny Bossio (PER)
Referee Assessor: Jorge Antequera (BOL)
VAR Supervisor: Marcio Santiago (BRA)

CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2024 – Group Stage (Matchday 4)

7-9 May 2024

Racing – Argentinos Juniors
Referee: Carlos Betancur (COL, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: John Gallego (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Padilla (COL)
Fourth Official: Andres Rojas (COL)
VAR: David Rodriguez (COL)
AVAR: Mauricio Perez (COL)
Referee Assessor: Miguel Nievas (URU)
VAR Supervisor: Cesar Escano (PER)

Nacional – Corinthians
Referee: Angel Arteaga (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Alberto Ponte (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Freiker Colmenares (VEN)
Fourth Official: Yender Herrera (VEN)
VAR: Carlos Orbe (ECU)
AVAR: Dennys Guerrero (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Ubaldo Aquino (PAR)
VAR Supervisor: Victor Carrillo (PER)

Universidad Cesar Vallejo – Independiente Medellin
Referee: Paulo Zanovelli (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Rafael Alves (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Luanderson Lima (BRA)
Fourth Official: Ramon Abatti (BRA)
VAR: Rodolpho Toski (BRA)
AVAR: Jose Rocha (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Cesar Mongrut (PER)
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Avila (ECU)

Real Tomayapo – Internacional
Referee: Mathias De Armas (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Andres Nievas (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Horacio Ferreiro (URU)
Fourth Official: Javier Feres (URU)
VAR: Joel Alarcon (PER)
AVAR: Coty Carrera (PER)
Referee Assessor: Pedro Saucedo (BOL)
VAR Supervisor: Joel Ruiz (PAR)

Alianza – Cruzeiro
Referee: Andres Merlos (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Miguel Savorani (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulo Acevedo (ARG)
Fourth Official: Nasareno Arasa (ARG)
VAR: German Delfino (ARG)
AVAR: Nicolas Lamolina (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Abraham Gonzalez (COL)
VAR Supervisor: Juan Lugones (BOL)

Sportivo Ameliano – Danubio
Referee: Jose Cabero (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Retamal (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Rocha (CHI)
Fourth Official: Cristian Garay (CHI)
VAR: Yadir Acuna (COL)
AVAR: Heider Castro (COL)
Referee Assessor: Manuel Bernal (PAR)
VAR Supervisor: Sandra Zambrano (ECU)

Always Ready – Defensa y Justicia
Referee: Rafael Klein (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Guilherme Camilo (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Nailton Sousa (BRA)
Fourth Official: Rodrigo Pereira (BRA)
VAR: Daniel Nobre (BRA)
AVAR: Rodrigo Guarizo (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Jorge Antequera (BOL)
VAR Supervisor: Marcio Santiago (BRA)

Rayo Zuliano – Athletico Paranaense
Referee: Bryan Loayza (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Lescano (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: David Vacacela (ECU)
Fourth Official: Yerson Zambrano (ECU)
VAR: Jorge Balino (ARG)
AVAR: Lucas Novelli (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Jairo Romero (VEN)
VAR Supervisor: Victor Martinez (PAR)

Sportivo Luqueno – Coquimbo Unido
Referee: Yender Herrera (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Alberto Ponte (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Freiker Colmenares (VEN)
Fourth Official: Angel Arteaga (VEN)
VAR: Carlos Orbe (ECU)
AVAR: Dennys Guerrero (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Cynthia Franco (PAR)
VAR Supervisor: Sandra Zambrano (ECU)

Nacional Potosi – Fortaleza
Referee: Alex Cajas (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: Danny Avila (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Mauricio Lozada (ECU)
Fourth Official: Robert Cabrera (ECU)
VAR: Juan Andrade (ECU)
AVAR: Edson Vasquez (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Oscar Madonado (BOL)
VAR Supervisor: Patricio Polic (CHI)

Cuiaba – Metropolitanos
Referee: Derlis Lopez (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Milciades Saldivar (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Nadia Weiler (PAR)
Fourth Official: Giancarlo Juliadoza (PAR)
VAR: Antonio Garcia (URU)
AVAR: Santiago Fernandez (URU)
Referee Assessor: Cleydi Riveiro (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Lamouroux (COL)

Sportivo Trinidense – Boca Juniors
Referee: Cristian Garay (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Retamal (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Rocha (CHI)
Fourth Official: Jose Cabero (CHI)
VAR: Yadir Acuna (COL)
AVAR: Heider Castro (COL)
Referee Assessor: Manuel Bernal (PAR)
VAR Supervisor: Victor Carrillo (PER)

Belgrano – Delfin
Referee: Leodan Gonzalez (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Barreiro (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulo Llarena (URU)
Fourth Official: Gustavo Tejera (URU)
VAR: Christian Ferreyra (URU)
AVAR: Richard Trinidad (URU)
Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Rodney Aquino (PAR)

Red Bull Bragantino – Racing Club
Referee: Kevin Ortega (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Orue (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Jesus Sanchez (PER)
Fourth Official: Jesus Cartagena (PER)
VAR: Augusto Menendez (PER)
AVAR: Milagros Arruela (PER)
Referee Assessor: Ednilson Corona (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Claudio Rios (CHI)

Deportivo Garcilaso – Lanus
Referee: Gery Vargas (BOL)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Tapia (BOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Edwar Saavedra (BOL)
Fourth Official: Hostin Prado (BOL)
VAR: Francisco Gilabert (CHI)
AVAR: Alejandro Molina (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Jorge Jaimes (PER)
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Avila (ECU)

Universidad Catolica – Union La Calera
Referee: Facundo Tello (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Gabriel Chade (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Maximiliano Del Yesso (ARG)
Fourth Official: Laura Fortunato (ARG)
VAR: Hector Paletta (ARG)
AVAR: Paulo Gonzalez (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Jose Carpio (ECU)
VAR Supervisor: Jorge Mercado (PAR)

UEFA Women’s U-17 Euro 2024

Sweden, 5-18 May 2024

Referees
1. Michaela Pachtova CZE
2. Lotta Vuorio FIN
3. Fabienne Michel GER (photo)
4. Martina Molinaro ITA
5. Oxana Cruc MDA
6. Deborah Anex SUI
7. Miriama Bočkova SVK
8. Cansu Tiryaki TUR

Assistant Referees
1. Edjena Kapxhiu ALB
2. Ainhoa Fernandez AND
3. Ivona Pejić CRO
4. Katrine Stensholm DEN
5. Daniela Göttlinger GER
6. Nikolett Bizderi HUN
7. Ana Ciobotaru MDA
8. Martina Boer NED
9. Roxana Ivanov ROU

CONMEBOL Libertadores Futsal 2024

Argentina, 19-26 May 2024

Referees

1. Andres Pena (ARG)
2. Estefania Pinto (ARG, photo)
3. Lautaro Romero (ARG)
4. Alfredo Gutierrez (BOL)
5. Henry Gutierrez (BOL)
6. Ricardo Messa (BRA)
7. Anelize Schultz (BRA)
8. Alfredo Wagner (BRA)
9. Christian Espindola (CHI)
10. Valeria Palma (CHI)
11. Yuri Garcia (COL)
12. Daniel Manrique (COL)
13. Jonathan Herbas (ECU)
14. Jaime Jativa (ECU)
15. Bill Villalba (PAR)
16. Feliciano Farina (PAR)
17. Rolly Rojas (PER)
18. Ulises Ureta (PER)
19. Federico Picardo (URU)
20. Daniel Rodriguez (URU)
21. Felix Rumbos (VEN)
22. Oriana Zambrano (VEN)

Referee Assessors
1. Leandro Lorenzo (ARG)
2. Renata Leite (BRA)
3. Nestor Valiente (PAR)
4. Cesar Figueredo (URU)