UEFA Women’s Champions League – Semi-finals (First Leg)

21 April 2019

Olympique Lyonnais – Chelsea FCW
Referee: Katalin Kulcsar (HUN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Katalin Török (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Katrin Rafalski (GER)
Fourth Official: Riem Hussein (GER)
Referee Observer: Snježana Fočić (CRO)

Bayern München – FC Barcelona
Referee: Jana Adamkova (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Lucie Ratajova (CZE)
Assistant Referee 2: Chrysoula Kourompylia (GRE)
Fourth Official: Ivana Martinčić (CRO)
Referee Observer: Caroline De Boeck (BEL)

UEFA VAR training in full swing

UEFA is continuing its intensive training courses for video assistant referees (VAR). Another group of European match officials has undertaken three days of work in Nyon – with UEFA aiming to have more VARs ready for assignments by this summer. The course, the latest in a series that began last autumn, featured 22 FIFA first and second category referees – two each from countries where the VAR system is already in operation. They were given expert guidance, and offered worthwhile feedback themselves, in theoretical and practical sessions led by UEFA Referees Committee chairman Roberto Rosetti, deputy chairman Hugh Dallas and UEFA refereeing officers Vlado Sajn and Marc Batta. 

The VAR system, incorporated into the Laws of the Game last year, sees a video assistant referee review decisions made by the referee in certain key match situations with the use of video footage and a headset for communication. The system was introduced by UEFA for the start of the UEFA Champions League knockout phase in February. A VAR team – a video assistant referee, an assistant video assistant referee and two video operators – has been located at each stadium to support the referee and help the match official take correct decisions. The team constantly checks for clear and obvious errors related to the following four match-changing situations: goals, penalty decisions, direct red card incidents and mistaken identity. 

In addition to the UEFA Champions League, VAR will be deployed at next month’s UEFA Europa League final in Baku, the UEFA Nations League Finals in Portugal in June, and the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final tournament in Italy in the same month. It will then be deployed at the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, and UEFA plans to subsequently extend the use of VAR to the UEFA EURO 2020 final tournament, as well as in the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League from the group stage onwards. “The real goal of the course,” said Rosetti, “has been to increase the number of VARs available for UEFA competitions. This season, we started with the UEFA Champions League knockout phase – but next season, for example, we will start from the Champions League playoff stage and continue through the group stage and knockout phase. So we would certainly require a larger number of VARs.” 

The Nyon course has given UEFA an ideal opportunity to test VARs in view of the forthcoming UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals. “The referees here for this course are all FIFA referees,” Rosetti explained. “We are in constant contact with VAR project leaders in countries where the system is in place, and they recommend the best VARs in their countries. For us, the under-21 finals are very important,” Rosetti added. “We will use nine selected referees who are already in our VAR project, and we will also use a pool of VARs from countries where the project is also in operation. The best VARs from this course will be appointed immediately for our tournament.” Rosetti emphasised that the VAR system was providing crucial help to referees in their decision-making. “We are trying to do our best for football,” he said, “by preventing clear and obvious [refereeing] mistakes.” 

Source: UEFA

CAF referees pre-selected for Africa Cup of Nations 2019

CAF selected 27 referees and 29 assistant referees for a preparatory course scheduled for 28 April to 5 May 2019 in Rabat, Morocco, as part of the build-up to the Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2019. The selected match officials, representing 33 Member Associations, will take part in the intensive eight-day training camp, to decide on the match officials for the final tournament scheduled for 21 June to 19 July in the Egyptian cities of Alexandria, Cairo, Ismailia and Suez. Whilst in Rabat, the officials will undergo medical and physical test besides theoretical and practical sessions under the supervision of experienced CAF Instructors. Also to be discussed are the amendments to the Laws of the Game, which takes effect 1 Jun 2019, and will be implemented during the tournament. A blend of youth and experience, Egypt and Tunisia have the biggest number of representatives – five (5), consisting of three referees and two assistant referees. (Source: CAF)

Referees

1. Mustapha Ghorbal (ALG) 

2. Helder Martins (ANG)

3. Joshua Bondo (BOT)

4. Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (BDI)

5. Alioum Alioum (CMR)

6. Ghead Grisha (EGY, photo)

7. Amin Omar (EGY)

8. Mahmoud Zakaria (EGY)

9. Bamlak Tessema (ETH)

10. Eric Otogo Castane (GAB)

11. Bakary Gassama (GAM)

12. Daniel Laryea (GHA)

13. Peter Waweru (KEN)

14. Mahamadou Keita (MLI)

15. Redouane Jiyed (MAR)

16. Noureddine El-Jaafari (MAR)

17. Jackson Pavaza (NAM)

18. Jean Ngambo (COD)

19. Louis Hakizimana (RWA)

20. Maguette N’Diaye (SEN)

21. Bernard Camille (SEY)

22. El-Fadil Mohamed (SDN)

23. Victor Gomes (RSA)

24. Sadok Selmi (TUN)

25. Youssef Essrayri (TUN)

26. Haithem Guirat (TUN)

27. Janny Sikazwe (ZAM)

Assistant Referees

1. Mokrane Gourari (ALG)

2. Abdelhak Etchiali (ALG)

3. Jerson Dos Santos (ANG)

4. Seydou Tiama (BFA)

5. Elvis Noupue (CMR)

6. Evarist Menkouande (CMR)

7. Issa Yaya (CHA)

8. Soulaimane Almadine (COM)

9. Tahssen Abo El Sadat (EGY)

10. Mahmoud Ahmed (EGY)

11. Berhe Tesfagiorghis (ERI)

12. Samuel Temesgin (ETH)

13. Sidibe Sidiki (GUI)

14. Gilbert Cheruiyot (KEN)

15. Souru Phatsoane (LES)

16. Attia Amsaaed (LBY)

17. Lionel Andrianantenaina (MAD)

18. Azgaou Lahcen (MAR)

19. Arsenio Marengula (MOZ)

20. Mahamadou Yahaya (NIG)

21. Baba Adel (NGA)

22. Oliver Safari (COD)

23. El Hadji Samba (SEN)

24. Djibril Camara (SEN)

25. Zakhele Siwela (RSA)

26. Mohammed Ibrahim (SDN)

27. Waleed Ahmed (SDN)

28. Yamen Mellouchi (TUN)

29. Anouar Hmila (TUN)

UEFA Europa League – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

18 April 2019

SSC Napoli – Arsenal FC
Referee: Ovidiu Hațegan (ROU, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Octavian Șovre (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Sebastian Gheorghe (ROU)
Fourth Official: Radu Ghinguleac (ROU)
Additional AR 1: Radu Petrescu (ROU)
Additional AR 2: Sebastian Colțescu (ROU)
Referee Observer: Markus Nobs (SUI)

Valencia – Villarreal
Referee: William Collum (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: David McGeachie (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Francis Connor (SCO)
Fourth Official: Graeme Stewart (SCO)
Additional AR 1: Robert Madden (SCO)
Additional AR 2: Nicolas Walsh (SCO)
Referee Observer: Vítor Melo Pereira (POR)

Eintracht Frankfurt – SL Benfica
Referee: Daniele Orsato (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Lorenzo Manganelli (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alessandro Costanzo (ITA)
Fourth Official: Fabiano Preti (ITA)
Additional AR 1: Marco Di Bello (ITA)
Additional AR 2: Daniele Doveri (ITA)
Referee Observer: Hans Reijgwart (NED)

Chelsea FC – Slavia Praha
Referee: Damir Skomina (SVN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Robert Vukan (SVN)
Fourth Official: Tomaž Klančnik (SVN)
Additional AR 1: Slavko Vinčič (SVN)
Additional AR 2: Matej Jug (SVN)
Referee Observer: Manuel Díaz Vega (ESP)

UEFA Champions League – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

16-17 April 2019

FC Barcelona – Manchester United
Referee: Felix Brych (GER, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mark Borsch (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Stefan Lupp (GER)
Fourth Official: Pavel Královec (CZE)
VAR: Bastian Dankert (GER)
AVAR: Marco Fritz (GER)
Referee Observer: Patrick Kelly (IRL)

Juventus – AFC Ajax
Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Cyril Gringore (FRA)
Fourth Official: Benoît Bastien (FRA)
VAR: Nicolas Rainville (FRA)
AVAR: François Letexier (FRA)
Referee Observer: Nikolai Levnikov (RUS)

Manchester City – Tottenham Hotspur
Referee: Cüneyt Çakır (TUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Bahattin Duran (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Tarık Ongun (TUR)
Fourth Official: Artur Soares Dias (POR)
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati (ITA)
AVAR: Marco Guida (ITA)
Referee Observer: Domenico Messina (ITA)

FC Porto – Liverpool
Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Mario Diks (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Hessel Steegstra (NED)
Fourth Official: Anastasios Sidiropoulos (GRE)
VAR: Pol van Boekel (NED)
AVAR: Jochem Kamphuis (NED)
Referee Observer: Alain Hamer (LUX)

CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

23-25 April 2019

Libertad – Gremio
Referee: Alexis Herrera (VEN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno (VEN)
Fourth Official: Marlon Escalante (VEN)
Referee Assessor: Wilson Lamouroux (COL)

Universidad Concepcion – Olimpia
Referee: Wilmar Roldan (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Leon (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Dionisio Ruiz (COL)
Fourth Official: Gustavo Murillo (COL)
Referee Assessor: Juan Lugones (BOL)

Huracan – Emelec
Referee: Arnando Samaniego (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Milciades Saldivar (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Canete (PAR)
Fourth Official: Ulises Mereles (PAR)
Referee Assessor: Roberto Silvera (URU)

Godoy Cruz – Sporting Cristal
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Lopez (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Franchescoly Chacon (VEN)
Fourth Official: Angel Arteaga (VEN)
Referee Assessor: Enrique Caceres (PAR)

Atletico Mineiro – Nacional
Referee: Fernando Rapallini (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Bonfa (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Chade (ARG)
Fourth Official: Silvio Trucco (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Patricio Polic (CHI)

Deportivo Lara – Cruzeiro
Referee: Gery Vargas (BOL)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Antelo (BOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Edwar Saavedra (BOL)
Fourth Official: Ivo Mendez (BOL)
Referee Assessor: Candelario Andarcia (VEN)

Palestino – River Plate
Referee: Andres Rojas (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Wilmar Navarro (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Alexander Guzman (COL)
Fourth Official: Carlos Herrera (COL)
Referee Assessor: Martin Vazquez (URU)

Jorge Wilstermann – Athletic Paranaense
Referee: Mario Diaz de Vivar (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Cardozo (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Dario Gaona (PAR)
Fourth Official: Derlis Lopez (PAR)
Referee Assessor: Jorge Jaimes (PER)

Rosario Central – Universidad Católica
Referee: Esteban Ostojich (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Nievas (URU)
Fourth Official: Christian Ferreyra (URU)
Referee Assessor: Cesar Escano (PER)

Deportes Tolima – Boca Juniors
Referee: Victor Carrillo (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Jonny Bossio (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Victor Raez (PER)
Fourth Official: Miguel Santivanez (PER)
Referee Assessor: Mauricio Espinoza (URU)

Alianza Lima – Internacional
Referee: Raul Orosco (BOL)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Montano (BOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Ariel Guizada (BOL)
Fourth Official: Luis Yrusta (BOL)
Referee Assessor: Carlos Herrera (ECU)

San Jose – Penarol
Referee: German Delfino (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Ezequiel Brailovsky (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Cristian Navarro (ARG)
Fourth Official: Fernando Echenique (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Manuel Bernal (PAR)

LDU Quito – Flamengo
Referee: Nestor Pitana (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Hernan Maidana (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Belatti (ARG)
Fourth Official: Fernando Espinoza (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Jorge Osorio (CHI)

Zamora – Cerro Porteno
Referee: Guillermo Guerrero (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Lescano (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Luis Vera (ECU)
Fourth Official: Roddy Zambrano (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Miguel Buitrago (VEN)

Junior – San Lorenzo
Referee: Leodan Gonzalez (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Richard Trinidad (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Martin Soppi (URU)
Fourth Official: Andres Matonte (URU)
Referee Assessor: Jose Carpio (ECU)

Melgar – Palmeiras
Referee: Carlos Orbe (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: Byron Romero (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Ricardo Baren (ECU)
Fourth Official: Franklin Congo (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Joel Ruiz (PAR)

CONMEBOL Copa Sudamericana – First Round (Second Leg, III)

16-18 April 2019

Zulia – Nacional Potosi
Referee: Juan Benitez (PAR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Cardozo (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Caceres (PAR)
Fourth Official: Ulises Mereles (PAR)
Referee Assessor: Jose Buitrago (COL)

La Equidad – Independiente
Referee: Angel Arteaga (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Lubin Torrealba (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Ponte (VEN)
Fourth Official: Orlando Bracamonte (VEN)
Referee Assessor: Cesar Escano (PER)

Colon – Deportivo Municipal
Referee: Luis Quiroz (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: Edwin Bravo (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Flavio Nall (ECU)
Fourth Official: Guillermo Guerrero (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Carlos Pastorino (URU)

Independiente del Valle – Union
Referee: Cristian Garay (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Retamal (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Alejandro Molina (CHI)
Fourth Official: Felipe Gonzalez (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Freddy Arellanos (PER)

Oriente Petrolero – Rio Negro
Referee: Joel Alarcon (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Orue (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Stephen Atoche (PER)
Fourth Official: Luis Garay (PER)
Referee Assessor: Claudio Puga (CHI)

Mushuc Runa – Union Espanola
Referee: Ivo Mendez (BOL)
Assistant Referee 1: Ariel Guizada (BOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Reluy Vallejos (BOL)
Fourth Official: Juan Garcia (BOL)
Referee Assessor: Ubaldo Aquino (PAR)

Sport Huancayo – Montevideo Wanderers
Referee: Nicolas Gallo (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Sebastian Vela (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: John Gallego (COL)
Fourth Official: Carlo Herrera (COL)
Referee Assessor: Juan Corozo (ECU)

Former World Cup Final referee Rizzoli offered contract in China

Italian referee designator Nicola Rizzoli has reportedly been offered a lucrative deal to work in China. Il Sole 24 Ore writes that Rizzoli will earn a $1 million (€887,000) salary if he makes the move, although it is not yet clear which role he would take up in China. 

After refereeing the World Cup final in 2014, the 47-year-old retired from officiating in the summer of 2017 to become Serie A’s designator of referees. However, he was criticized for his handling of perceived refereeing errors in Juventus-Milan and Lazio-Sassuolo last weekend. Rizzoli currently receives €200,000 a year for his role with Serie A. 

Source: Football Italia

Steinhaus: Europe's leading female referee in a male-dominated world

Like a modern-day Samson, Bundesliga referee Bibiana Steinhaus draws strength from the length of her hair. The pioneering 40-year-old, the first woman in Europe to take regular charge of top-tier men's matches, describes how abandoning her short-cropped hairstyle was the moment she unburdened herself of the desire to fit in with the male-dominated norm.

"It was a recognition that you can never hide," she tells Telegraph Sport. Having resisted the urge to let her hair grow for more than a decade as she progressed through the German league pyramid, she declared months before her Bundesliga debut: "You know what, love me, hate me, you do whatever". She says: "You must recognise that, no matter what you do, you cannot hide. Your skin colour, your whatever, stands out. The moment you recognise it. The moment you are fine with it, you find your own middle, and you think, 'you know what, this is what it is'. This is the moment where is really lifts you up to the next level." Steinhaus insists her progression to marshalling the elite has been "smooth". The first time she had officiated a Bayern Munich game in 2017, Franck Ribéry, while putting the ball on the ground to prepare to take a free‑kick, bent over and undid her laces. Some questioned whether he would have pulled the same prank on a male referee. However, Steinhaus, is confident the players have completely accepted her authority. It is the wider world, she says, that may perceive her as a novelty. "When you have a role model, and you put this person in place, everybody is looking. Is it going to work? How is it going to work? What are the issues? People you work with, it doesn't make a difference. In the dressing room, on the field, with all the players, and for me, being around almost 20 years, it doesn't make a difference. However, for the media, for the outside world, it's a big thing for one day, two, then it's old news."

Steinhaus is dating the former Premier League referee Howard Webb and says the stage is now set to see women taking regular charge in England's elite game. Twenty years ago Gordon Strachan criticised "PC decisions about promoting ladies" as he questioned the performance of Wendy Toms as an assistant to Steve Dunn, and still the Premier League is yet to select a woman to take charge of a game. For Steinhaus, the talent is there for the picking. "I think you have a lot of girls, women who perform really well. I'm sure if they are given the opportunities which have been given to me, I'm 100 per cent sure that they will go their way. I won't put a date on it because so many circumstances play, but I think if you have the people able to do the job, and if you have people willing and able to support diversity in our game, giving opportunities, being aware of them and giving them, they will be successful. I'm convinced that even if you take a shirt in a larger size, you will grow into it. You will grow." The referee still works part-time as a police officer, a chief inspector in Langenhagen, in her hometown in Lower Saxony. "I cannot handle it full time," she says of her policing work. "I know we have a lot of professional referees and if I see how much time I invest it is pretty much a full-time job but on other hand personally, I like… I love my police job, this is why I decided to become a police officer because I really like what I am doing there. It is pretty much like refereeing – somebody else did the laws but you have to take care that everybody is behaving according to them."

Steinhaus, who was a speaker at Wembley last week for UEFA's Equal Game conference, said a "passion for the sport" had driven her to refereeing at the highest level. "I played a few years, not very successful, therefore I changed the spot," she said. "No-matter where you find your role, as long as you have the passion, the drive, you want to make it the best, this sport is so beautiful, you have plenty of possibilities to find your own spot. I like to promote women’s refereeing. It is not a question of what gender you are. It is a question of if you can fulfil the role and the expectations people have of you. I am not really a fan of this ‘women’s’ and ‘men’s’ – it comes down to performance. Whatever background you have if you perform right and treat people right, they treat you in same way so that is the first thing – performance." It is "performance", she says, which will decide how soon a woman takes charge of a Champions League final. Footballers are getting faster, referees are getting fitter, and the competition gets stiffer by the year, she says - but Steinhaus is confident it will happen. "I'm looking for the younger generation who loves the diversity of the sport and want to grow the sport itself," she adds. "This is my focus. It has been quite smooth. The players want to be treated in a fair manner. They want to be respected, they want to speak to you, they want to communicate, and if you do that in a normal way, in a decent way, they accept."

Source: The Telegraph

Romanian AR proposes to fellow AR on pitch before kick-off

The Romanian fourth division clash between CA Oradea and CS Diosig got off to an unorthodox start at the weekend when two of the match officials got engaged to one another. 

Assistant referee Marius Matica, 22, sprang a surprise proposal on girlfriend Gyorgi Duma, 20, as the two officials lined up for the pre-match formalities. The decision went to VAR but thankfully the call was eventually accepted by a shocked Duma, as both sets of players and the fans in the stand applauded. According to local reports, the couple have been together for almost three years and both work as assistant referees in Bihor, north-western Romania. "I did not expect it", Gyorgi told Bihor Online. "It was an extraordinarily pleasant surprise". How thoroughly lovely. 

Source: ESPN