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Turkish FIFA referee Cakir could move to Switzerland

A spectacular referee change is apparently in the offing in European football. Cuneyt Cakir could switch from the Turkish to the Swiss association. Former Turkish referee and long-time Cakir’s colleague Deniz Coban reported in his column for the newspaper Fanatik on Wednesday that UEFA elite referee Cakir had received an offer from the Swiss association. Consequently, the Turkish FA has received an official request to let Cakir referee games in the Swiss Super League this season. An answer from the TFF is still pending.
The background to the possible change of association is the referee earthquake in Turkey at the beginning of March. The Turkish FA suspended several top referees with immediate effect. Cuneyt Cakir was one of them. The referee committee of the association justified the process at the time with an upheaval that they wanted to initiate. There was no criminal background. Last week, the Turkish Federation’s Appeals Committee granted an appeal by the referees concerned and declared the suspension of the referees to be unlawful, so they can continue to do their job. But despite this verdict, referee chairman Ferhat Gündogdu insists on his point of view and does not want to use these referees. A senior board member of the Turkish association therefore resigned on Wednesday. The suspension is particularly bitter for Cakir. The experienced referee is about to take part in his sixth major tournament, having officiated at three European Championships and two World Cups and was also considered for the 2022 World Cup. Without appearances in the domestic league, participation in the World Cup is not possible. In Switzerland, Cakir could get the necessary assignments. In addition, his assistants, who have been suspended in Turkey, would also move to Switzerland. It is still unclear whether the Turkish FA will agree. (Source: All News Press)
Ukrainian FIFA assistant referee Maryna Striletska went to Switzerland and already had the opportunity to referee matches in the third division. “At the beginning of the war, I went to my sister in Switzerland, but later the leadership of the UAF Referee Committee in our social group tried to offer help to everyone. And I am very grateful to the chairman of the committee, Luciano Luci, who, knowing that I was in Basel, agreed that I could continue to work in my profession and retain the appropriate qualifications. There is no word "refugee" here, just people who came here because of the war and fall into the category of people with status S. Therefore, having completed all the documents, in two weeks you can get help to rent housing and get food. Since I haven't refereed matches for almost a month, there was a little excitement. But, as they say, everything started to work out with the starting whistle. The level of games corresponds to our second, and sometimes the first league. Mostly everyone here speaks German, which I do not speak. I can speak English. War helps, but colleagues often forget about it, and then correct themselves (smiles). I receive referee fees for each game, according to the local conditions. But this is not the main thing for me; it is important that I can continue to work. They all sympathize with our grief. But, because Switzerland is a neutral country, people are just learning to help the suffering. I know that there are many families here who have a room or two available, so they invite people to their place. All Swiss hope that the war will end soon, because there is nothing better than a peaceful sky overhead. I start every day with news from Ukraine, I really want to go home. My suitcase is always packed”, said Striletska. (Source: UAF)
On 20 March 2022, Kateryna Monzul refereed the match Inter – Sampdoria in the 17th round of the women's Serie A, at the initiative of the Italian Federation. Before the match, Monzul entered the field with the flag of Ukraine, drawing the attention of the world community to the terrible war in her country. Among the guests at the stadium were the chairman of the UAF Referees Committee Luciano Luci and the chief referee expert of the Ukrainian Football Association Nicola Rizzoli. Another Ukrainian former referee received a special invitation: Sergei Becker, who recently lost his father. In November 2018, Becker was appointed to the Nations League match between Greece and Estonia in Athens. Unfortunately, he had a stroke on the eve of the match. The doctors managed to save his life and Becker is currently working as an observer in the first division of the PFL. (Source: UAF)

UEFA Women’s Champions League 2021/22 – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

30 March 2022
FC Barcelona – Real Madrid
Referee: Stephanie Frappart (FRA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Elodie Coppola (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Camille Soriano (FRA)
Fourth Official: Sara Persson (SWE)
VAR: Benoît Millot (FRA)
AVAR: Maika Vanderstichel (FRA)
Referee Observer: Miroslava Migalova (SVK)

Paris St. Germain – Bayern München
Referee: Esther Staubli (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Susann Küng (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Sara Telek (AUT)
Fourth Official: Frida Nielsen (DEN)
VAR: Fedayi San (SUI)
AVAR: Lionel Tschudi (SUI)
Referee Observer: Teodora Albon (ROU)

31 March 2022
VfL Wolfsburg – Arsenal WFC
Referee: Ivana Projkovska (MKD)
Assistant Referee 1: Almira Spahić (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Polyxeni Irodotou (CYP)
Fourth Official: Tess Olofsson (SWE)
VAR: Pawel Raczkowski (POL)
AVAR: Marcin Borkowski (POL)
Referee Observer: Snježana Focić (CRO)

Olympique Lyonnais – Juventus
Referee: Riem Hussein (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Katrin Rafalski (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Chrysoula Kourompylia (GRE)
Fourth Official: Eleni Antoniou (GRE)
VAR: Felix Zwayer (GER)
AVAR: Mark Borsch (GER)
Referee Observer: Jenny Palmqvist (SWE)

UEFA Elite referee Hategan suffered a heart attack shortly after training

Top UEFA referee Ovidiu Hategan suffered a heart attack over the weekend, according to reports, leading to him being rushed to hospital in Romania for surgery which saw him fitted with a stent. Hategan, 41, has officiated in international competitions for a number of years, and most notably took charge of Manchester United's draw at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 last month. However, he is said to have complained of severe chest pain yesterday, a worrying situation which led to him being operated on by doctors. He will now remain under medical supervision until the end of the week.
Gazeta Sporturilor have claimed that Hategan was at his home in Arad when he began to feel the discomfort, which is thought to have come on shortly after his daily physical training. Sources have told the publication that Hategan decided to take himself to hospital in the city for a consultation, only for him to be told by medical experts after a check-up that he had indeed suffered a heart attack. As a result, he was rushed to Timisoara, where his stent procedure took place. Hategan is said to have spoken to his family and staff, though, and is described by the outlet as being 'fine'. He is expected to make a full recovery. Special Arad have also reported on Hategan's plight, claiming that, as a doctor, he noticed his symptoms and took himself to hospital alone. There, after an EKG was carried out, he was told that he had a clogged vein. His medical emergency came just days after he acted as the fourth official for Wales' victory over Austria in World Cup qualifying, meanwhile. Hategan took charge of two matches at Euro 2020: Poland vs Slovakia and Italy vs Wales. Both games were group stage ties. The last match he refereed in Liga 1 was a clash between FC Arges and FCSB on 3 March, while his last international game came in Manchester United's 1-1 draw in Madrid. He has also been included on the extended officials' list for the World Cup. A total of 20 referees and 16 VARs have made the shortlist, with Hategan included among them. However, only 10 will remain for the tournament. Hategan was able to officiate for at least another four years at European level due to his age, and he would also be able to continue to referee in Romania as long as he passed the mandatory physical tests. Now, it remains to be seen if he will be able to officiate another match in the future. (Source: Daily Mail)
"I feel well now, everything is fine, and I am still under medical supervision. I would like to thank the medical staff who took care of me and all those who sent me messages and their good wishes. I need peace at this time, so I ask that my privacy be respected", said Hategan on the Romanian FA website. (Source: FRF)

Cakir reinstated to continue refereeing

The Turkish Federation’s Appeals Committee recently revoked, by majority vote, the administrative decision of the Central Referees Committee dated 8 March 2022 and numbered 2022/7.
Referees Cüneyt Çakir, Abdulkadir Bitigen, Ali Palabiyik, Firat Aydinus, Hüseyin Göçek, Alper Ulusoy, Bahattin Şimşek, Burak Şeker, Caner Ak, Ibrahim Ceylan, Koray Gençerler, Kutluhan Bilgiç, Mert Güzenge, Murat Erdoğan, Mustafa Ögretmenoğlu, Ramazan Keleş, Serkan Tokat, Tugay Numanoglu, and referee observers Ali Uluyol, Süleyman Abay, Taner Gizlenci were removed from the first division matches by an administrative decision of the Central Referees Committee. Following the appeal, all referees and referee observers affected by that decision were reinstated and will be eligible to continue refereeing in Turkey’s top division.

Source: TFF

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – UEFA (Round 2, Finals)

29 March 2022

Poland – Sweden
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: Marco Guida (ITA)
Referee Assessor: Vladimir Šajn (SVN)

Portugal – North Macedonia
Referee: Anthony Taylor (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn (ENG)
Fourth Official: Michael Oliver (ENG)
VAR: Christoper Kavanagh (ENG)
AVAR: Stuart Attwell (ENG)
Referee Assessor: Hugh Dallas (SCO)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – CONMEBOL (Matchday 18)

29 March 2022

Peru – Paraguay
Referee: Fernando Rapallini (ARG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Bonfa (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Maximiliano Del Yesso (ARG)
Fourth Official: Fernando Espinoza (ARG)
VAR: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
AVAR: Rodrigo Guarizo (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi (ARG)

Venezuela – Colombia
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Marcelo Van Gasse (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Bruno Boschilia (BRA)
Fourth Official: Flavio de Souza (BRA)
VAR: Rafael Traci (BRA)
AVAR: Pericles Bassols (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Luis Vera (ECU)

Chile – Uruguay
Referee: Patricio Loustau (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Belatti (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Ezequiel Brailovsky (ARG)
Fourth Official: Andres Merlos (ARG)
VAR: German Delfino (ARG)
AVAR: Juan Soto (VEN)
Referee Assessor: Sergio Correa (BRA)

Ecuador – Argentina
Referee: Raphael Claus (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Manis (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael SIlva (BRA)
Fourth Official: Bruno Arleu (BRA)
VAR: Nicolas Gallo (COL)
AVAR: Gery Vargas (BOL)
Referee Assessor: Jose Buitrago (COL)

Bolivia – Brazil
Referee: Eber Aquino (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Cardozo (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Milciades Saldivar (PAR)
Fourth Official: Jose Mendez (PAR)
VAR: Leodan Gonzalez (URU)
AVAR: Nicolas Taran (URU)
Referee Assessor: Luis Sanchez (VEN)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – CAF (Round 3, Second Leg)

29 March 2022

Senegal – Egypt
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (ALG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mokrane Gourari (ALG)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdelhak Etchiali (ALG)
Fourth Official: Lahlou Benbraham (ALG)
VAR: Bastian Dankert (GER)
AVAR: Sascha Stegemann (GER)

Nigeria – Ghana
Referee: Sadok Selmi (TUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Khalil Hassani (TUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Attia Amsaaed (LBY)
Fourth Official: Haythem Guirat (TUN)
VAR: Jerôme Brisard (FRA)
AVAR: Willy Delajod (FRA)

Tunisia – Mali
Referee: Maguette N’Diaye (SEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Djibril Camara (SEN)
Assistant Referee 2: El Hadji Samba (SEN)
Fourth Official: Issa Sy (SEN)
VAR: Paulus van Boekel (NED)
AVAR: Jochem Kamphuis (NED)

Algeria – Cameroon
Referee: Bakary Gassama (GAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Jerson Dos Santos (ANG)
Assistant Referee 2: Mahmoud Ahmed (EGY)
Fourth Official: Amin Omar (EGY)
VAR: Marco Fritz (GER)
AVAR: Christian Dingert (GER)

Morocco – Congo DR
Referee: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (BDI)
Assistant Referee 1: Elvis Noupue (CMR)
Assistant Referee 2: Seydou Tiama (BFA)
Fourth Official: Dahane Beida (MTN)
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
AVAR: Bartosz Frankowski (POL)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – Concacaf (Round 3, Matchday 14)

30 March 2022

Panama – Canada
Referee: Jair Marrufo (USA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Frank Anderson (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Kathryn Nesbitt (USA)
Fourth Official: Tori Penso (USA)
VAR: Timothy Ford (USA)
AVAR: Juan Rangel (MEX)

Costa Rica – USA
Referee: Drew Fischer (CAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Barwegen (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Christopher Wattam (CAN)
Fourth Official: Pierre-Luc Lauziere (CAN)
VAR: Cesar Ramos (MEX)
AVAR: Oscar Macias (MEX)

Mexico – El Salvador
Referee: Oshane Nation (JAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Ojay Duhaney (JAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Stephanie Yee Sing (JAM)
Fourth Official: Randy Encarnacion (DOM)
VAR: Chris Penso (USA)
AVAR: Rubiel Vazquez (USA)

Jamaica – Honduras
Referee: Keylor Herrera (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Mora (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: William Arrieta (CRC)
Fourth Official: Sergio Reyna (GUA)
VAR: Luis Santander (MEX)
AVAR: Arturo Cruz (MEX)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – AFC (Round 3, Matchday 10)

29 March 2022

Saudi Arabia – Australia
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (JOR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Ahmed Al Roalle (JOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Mohammad Al Kalaf (JOR)
Fourth Official: Ahmad Al Ali (KUW)
VAR: Hanna Hattab (SYR)
AVAR: Ali Al Qaysi (IRQ)

Japan – Vietnam
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (UZB)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrei Sapenko (UZB)
Assistant Referee 2: Timur Gainullin (UZB)
Fourth Official: Axrol Riskullaiev (UZB)
VAR: Abdulla Al Marri (QAT)
AVAR: Saoud Al Adba (QAT)

Oman – China
Referee: Ko Hyung-Jin (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Yoon Jae-Yeol (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Sabet Al Ali (UAE)
Fourth Official: Kim Woo-Sung (KOR)
VAR: Kim Jong-Hyeok (KOR)
AVAR: Kim Dae-Yong (KOR)

UAE – Korea
Referee: Ahmed Al Kaf (OMA)
Assistant Referee 1: Abu Al Amri (OMA)
Assistant Referee 2: Rashid Al Ghaithi (OMA)
Fourth Official: Dilan Perera (SRI)
VAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom (THA)
AVAR: Ahmed Al Ali (SRI)

Iran – Lebanon
Referee: Fu Ming (CHN)
Assistant Referee 1: Shi Xiang (CHN)
Assistant Referee 2: Cao Yi (CHN)
Fourth Official: Ma Ning (CHN)

Syria – Iraq
Referee: Ryuji Sato (JPN)
Assistant Referee 1: Hiroshi Yamauchi (JPN)
Assistant Referee 2: Jun Mihara (JPN)
Fourth Official: Yusuke Araki (JPN)
VAR: Hiroyuki Kimura (JPN)
AVAR: Jumpei Iida (JPN)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – OFC (Round 3, Final)

30 March 2022

Solomon Islands – New Zealand
Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (BHR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Tevita Makasini (TGA)
Assistant Referee 2: Philippe Revel (TAH)
Fourth Official: Norbert Hauata (TAH)
VAR: Salman Falahi (QAT)
AVAR: Abdulhadi Al-Ruaile (QAT)

UEFA Nations League 2021 –Play-Outs (Second Leg)

29 March 2022

Kazakhstan – Moldova
Referee: Ivan Kružliak (SVK, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Pozor (SVK)
Fourth Official: Filip Glova (SVK)
VAR: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
AVAR: Daniele Doveri (ITA)
Referee Observer: Orhan Erdemir (TUR)

Cyprus – Estonia
Referee: Artur Soares Dias (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Paulo Soares (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Rui Tavares (POR)
Fourth Official: Antonio Nobre (POR)
VAR: Joao Pinheiro (POR) 
AVAR: Tiago Martins (POR)
Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav (BIH)

UEFA U-21 Euro 2023 Qualifiers (Matchday 9)

29 March 2022

Greece – Portugal
Referee: Fabio Maresca (ITA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Marco Bresmes (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Davide Imperiale (ITA)
Fourth Official: Luca Massimi (ITA)
Referee Observer: Edgar Steinborn (GER)

Gibraltar – Moldova
Referee: Vitalijs Spasjonnikovs (LVA)
Assistant Referee 1: Raimonds Tatriks (LVA)
Assistant Referee 2: Martins Svipsts (LVA)
Fourth Official: Kristaps Ratnieks (LVA)
Referee Observer: Gunnar Jonsson (ISL)

Kazakhstan – Scotland
Referee: Dumitru Muntean (MDA)
Assistant Referee 1: Vlad Lifciu (MDA)
Assistant Referee 2: Vadim Vicol (MDA)
Fourth Official: Piotr Stoianov (MDA)
Referee Observer: Nicolae Grigorescu (ROU)

Cyprus – Iceland
Referee: Georgi Davidov (BUL)
Assistant Referee 1: Georgi Doynov (BUL)
Assistant Referee 2: Petar Mitrev (BUL)
Fourth Official: Dragomir Draganov (BUL)
Referee Observer: Ante Vučemilović-Šimunović (CRO)

Poland – Hungary
Referee: Kristoffer Hagenes (NOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Anders Dale (NOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Christer Jorgensen (NOR)
Fourth Official: Sivert Amland NOR)
Referee Observer: David Malcolm (NIR)

Malta – Lithuania
Referee: Thorvaldur Arnason (ISL)
Assistant Referee 1: Johann Gudmundsson (ISL)
Assistant Referee 2: Andri Vigfusson (ISL)
Fourth Official: Johann Jonsson (ISL)
Referee Observer: Igor Pristovnik (CRO)

Slovakia – Spain
Referee: Christopher Jager (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Maximilian Weiss (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Jasmin Sabanovic (AUT)
Fourth Official: Alan Kijas (AUT)
Referee Observer: Sascha Amhof (SUI)

Wales – Bulgaria
Referee: Pavel Orel (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Petr Caletka (CZE)
Assistant Referee 2: Dan Vodrazka (CZE)
Fourth Official: Jan Machalek (CZE)
Referee Observer: Hannes Kaasik (EST)

Slovenia – Kosovo
Referee: Ioannis Papadopoulos (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Konstantinos Nikolaidis (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Vasileios Nikolakakis (GRE)
Fourth Official: Eftathios Gkortsilas (GRE)
Referee Observer: Ian Stokes (WAL)

Serbia – Armenia
Referee: Gal Leibovitz (ISR)
Assistant Referee 1: Matityahu Yakobov (ISR)
Assistant Referee 2: Omer Barbiro (ISR)
Fourth Official: Idan Leiba (ISR)
Referee Observer: Nerijus Dunauskas (LTU)

Israel – Germany
Referee: Jeremie Pignard (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Aurelien Drouet (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mikael Berchebru (FRA)
Fourth Official: Jeremie Stinat (FRA)
Referee Observer: Martin Hansson (SWE)

Italy – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Referee: Nicolas Laforge (BEL)
Assistant Referee 1: Ruben Wyns (BEL)
Assistant Referee 2: Vito Di Vincenzo (BEL)
Fourth Official: Jasper Vergoote (BEL)
Referee Observer: Georgios Bikas (GRE)

Austria – Norway
Referee: Morten Krogh (DEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jesper Dahl (DEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Victor Skytte (DEN)
Fourth Official: Jens Maae (DEN)
Referee Observer: Michalis Argyrou (CYP)

Sweden – Ireland
Referee: Vitor Ferreira (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Paulo Bras (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Luis Costa (POR)
Fourth Official: Helder Malheiro (POR)
Referee Observer: Thomas Einwaller (AUT)

Andorra – Czech Republic
Referee: Matthew De Gabriele (MLT)
Assistant Referee 1: Jurgen Spiteri (MLT)
Assistant Referee 2: Mitchell Scerri (MLT)
Fourth Official: Alex Johnson (MLT)
Referee Observer: William Young (SCO)

North Macedonia – Faroe Islands
Referee: Daniyar Sakhi (KAZ)
Assistant Referee 1: Yuri Tikhonyuk (KAZ)
Assistant Referee 2: Samat Tergeussizov (KAZ)
Fourth Official: Bulat Sariyev (KAZ)
Referee Observer: Erol Ersoy (TUR)

Croatia – Finland
Referee: Adam Farkas (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Peter Kobor (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Gergo Vigh-Tarsonyi (HUN)
Fourth Official: Mihaly Kapraly (HUN)
Referee Observer: Calum Murray (SCO)

Netherlands – Switzerland
Referee: Rohit Saggi (NOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Geir Isaksen (NOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Morten Jensen (NOR)
Fourth Official: Marius Hansen (NOR)
Referee Observer: Carlos Clos Gomez (ESP)

Denmark – Belgium
Referee: Urs Schnyder (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Marco Zürcher (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Köbeli (SUI)
Fourth Official: Sven Wolfensberger (SUI)
Referee Observer: Bariş Şimşek (TUR)

San Marino – Latvia
Referee: Luis Teixeira (AND)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Parente (AND)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Serra (AND)
Fourth Official: Rui De Queiros (AND)
Referee Observer: Christopher Lautier (MLT)
 
Albania – England
Referee: Kaspar Sjöberg (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Niklas Nyberg (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Max Wilde (SWE)
Fourth Official: Fredrik Klitte (SWE)
Referee Observer: Rudy Bossen (NED)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – Concacaf (Round 3, Matchday 13)

27 March 2022

USA – Panama
Referee: Ivan Barton (SLV, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: David Moran (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Zachari Zeegelaar (SUR)
Fourth Official: Jaime Herrera (SLV)
VAR: Marco Ortiz (MEX)
AVAR: Ismael Cornejo (SLV)

Honduras – Mexico
Referee: Armando Villarreal (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Ian Anderson (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Logan Brown (USA)
Fourth Official: Walter Lopez (GUA)
VAR: Allen Chapman (USA)
AVAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)

El Salvador – Costa Rica
Referee: Daneon Parchment (JAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicholas Anderson (JAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Jassett Kerr (JAM)
Fourth Official: Reon Radix (GRN)
VAR: Erick Miranda (MEX)
AVAR: Tristley Bassue (SKN)

Canada – Jamaica
Referee: Fernando Guerrero (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Alberto Morin (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Hernandez (MEX)
Fourth Official: Jose Torres (PUR)
VAR: Eduardo Galvan (MEX)
AVAR: Carlos Ayala (MEX)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – OFC (Round 3, Semi-finals)

27 March 2022

Solomon Islands – Papua New Guinea
Referee: Abdulla Mohammed (UAE, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Folio Moeaki (TGA)
Assistant Referee 2: Bertrand Brial (NCL)
Fourth Official: Joel Hopkken (VAN)
VAR: Khamis Al Marri (QAT)
AVAR: Mohammed Al-Shammari (QAT)

New Zealand – Tahiti
Referee: Abdulrahman Al Jassim (QAT)
Assistant Referee 1: Tevita Makasini (TGA)
Assistant Referee 2: Taleb Al Marri (QAT)
Fourth Official: Mederic Lacour (NCL)
VAR: Salman Falahi (QAT)
AVAR: Abdulhadi Al-Ruaile (QAT)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – UEFA (Round 2, Semi-finals)

24 March 2022

Wales – Austria
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL)
Fourth Official: Ovidiu Hategan (ROU)
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
AVAR: Bartosz Frankowski (POL)
Referee Assessor: Gianluca Rocchi (ITA)

Sweden – Czech Republic
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Simon Bennett (ENG)
Fourth Official: Artur Soares Dias (POR)
VAR: Christopher Kavanagh (ENG)
AVAR: Craig Pawson (ENG)
Referee Assessor: Vitor Melo Pereira (POR)

Italy – North Macedonia
Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Cyril Gringore (FRA)
Fourth Official: Benoît Bastien (FRA)
VAR: Jerôme Brisard (FRA)
AVAR: Willy Delajod (FRA)
Referee Assessor: Michael Riley (ENG)

Portugal – Turkey
Referee: Daniel Siebert (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn (GER)
Fourth Official: Sandro Schärer (SUI)
VAR: Marco Fritz (GER)
AVAR: Bastian Dankert (GER)
Referee Assessor: Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – CONMEBOL (Matchday 17)

24-25 March 2022

Uruguay – Peru
Referee: Anderson Daronco (BRA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Pires (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Kleber Gil (BRA)
Fourth Official: Luiz Oliveira (BRA)
VAR: Wagner Reway (BRA)
AVAR: Rodrigo D'Alonso (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Hernan Maidana (ARG)

Brazil – Chile
Referee: Dario Herrera (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Gabriel Chade (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Facundo Rodrigues (ARG)
Fourth Official: Nicolas Lamolina (ARG)
VAR: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
AVAR: Jose Cuevas (PAR)
Referee Assessor: Ubaldo Aquino (PAR)

Colombia – Bolivia
Referee: Facundo Tello (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Belatti (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Cristian Navarro (ARG)
Fourth Official: Fernando Echenique (ARG)
VAR: German Delfino (ARG)
AVAR: Derlis Lopez (PAR)
Referee Assessor: Roberto Perassi (BRA)

Paraguay – Ecuador
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno (VEN)
Fourth Official: Jose Argote (VEN)
VAR: Rodolpho Toski (BRA)
AVAR: Braulio Machado (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Oscar Ruiz (COL)

Argentina – Venezuela
Referee: Kevin Ortega (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Orue (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Jesus Sanchez (PER)
Fourth Official: Augusto Menendez (PER)
VAR: Victor Carrillo (PER)
AVAR: Jonny Bossio (PER)
Referee Assessor: Jorge Larrionda (URU)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – CAF (Round 3, First Leg)

24 March 2022

Egypt – Senegal
Referee: Jean Ndala Ngambo (COD, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Olivier Safari (COD)
Assistant Referee 2: Soulaimane Amaldine (COM)
Fourth Official: Boubou Traore (MLI)
VAR: Marco Di Bello (ITA)
AVAR: Paolo Valeri (ITA)

Mali – Tunisia
Referee: Bamlak Tessema (ETH)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammed Ibrahim (SDN)
Assistant Referee 2: Samuel Pwadutakam (NGA)
Fourth Official: Ahmad Heeralall (MRI)
VAR: Jose Sanchez Martinez (ESP)
AVAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez (ESP)

Congo DR – Morocco
Referee: Victor Gomes (RSA)
Assistant Referee 1: Zakhele Siwela (RSA)
Assistant Referee 2: Souru Pathsoane (LES)
Fourth Official: Daniel Laryea (GHA)
VAR: Francois Letexier (FRA)
AVAR: Benoit Millot (FRA)

Cameroon – Algeria
Referee: Joshua Bondo (BOT)
Assistant Referee 1: Issa Yaya (CHA)
Assistant Referee 2: Arsenio Marengula (MOZ)
Fourth Official: Bernard Camille (SEY)
VAR: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP)
AVAR: Jose Munuera Montero (ESP)

Nigeria – Ghana
Referee: Redouane Jiyed (MAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Lahcen Azgaou (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Mustapha Akarkad (MAR)
Fourth Official: Samir Guezzaz (MAR)
VAR: Kevin Blom (NED)
AVAR: Rob Dieperink (NED)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – Concacaf (Round 3, Matchday 12)

24 March 2022

Mexico – USA
Referee: Mario Escobar (GUA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Caleb Wales (TRI)
Assistant Referee 2: Henri Pupiro (NCA)
Fourth Official: Bryan Lopez (GUA)
VAR: Carol Anne Chenard (CAN)
AVAR: Benjamin Pineda (CRC)

Costa Rica – Canada
Referee: Said Martinez (HON)
Assistant Referee 1: Walter Lopez (HON)
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Ramirez (HON)
Fourth Official: Melvin Matamoros (HON)
VAR: Angel Monroy (MEX)
AVAR: Adonai Escobedo (MEX)

Panama – Honduras
Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Corey Parker (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Kyle Atkins (USA)
Fourth Official: Nima Saghafi (USA)
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic (USA)
AVAR: Ricardo Montero (CRC)

Jamaica – El Salvador
Referee: Fernando Hernandez (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Espinosa (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Karen Diaz (MEX)
Fourth Official: Diego Montano (MEX)
VAR: Jorge Perez (MEX)
AVAR: Juan Calderon (CRC)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – AFC (Round 3, Matchday 9)

24 March 2022

Australia – Japan
Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (BHR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Abdulla Al-Rowaimi (BHR)
Assistant Referee 2: Faisal Alawi (BHR)
Fourth Official: Hettikamkanamge Perera (SRI)
VAR: Khamis Al Marri (QAT)
AVAR: Ahmed Al Ali (JOR)

Korea – Iran
Referee: Christopher Beath (AUS)
Assistant Referee 1: Anton Shchetinin (AUS)
Assistant Referee 2: Ronnie Min Koh (SIN)
Fourth Official: Jonathan Barreiro (AUS)
VAR: Shaun Evans (AUS)
AVAR: Hiroyuki Kimura (JPN)

Vietnam – Oman
Referee: Hanna Hattab (SYR)
Assistant Referee 1: Ali Ahmad (SYR)
Assistant Referee 2: Mazen Zazfoun (SYR)
Fourth Official: Mohanad Sarray (IRQ)
VAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom (THA)
AVAR: Ali Al Qaysi (IRQ)

Lebanon – Syria
Referee: Abdulrahman Al Jassim (QAT)
Assistant Referee 1: Taleb Al Marri (QAT)
Assistant Referee 2: Saoud Al-Maqaleh (QAT)
Fourth Official: Salman Falahi (QAT)
VAR: Abdulla Al Marri (QAT)
AVAR: Saoud Al Adba (QAT)

China – Saudi Arabia
Referee: Abdulla Mohammed (UAE)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohamed Al-Hammadi (UAE)
Assistant Referee 2: Hasan Al-Mahri (UAE)
Fourth Official: Adel Al-Naqbi (UAE)
VAR: Ammar Al-Jneibi (UAE)
AVAR: Omar Al Ali (UAE)

Iraq – UAE
Referee: Ma Ning (CHN)
Assistant Referee 1: Shi Xiang (CHN)
Assistant Referee 2: Cao Yi (CHN)
Fourth Official: Ahmad Al Ali (KUW)
VAR: Fu Ming (CHN)
AVAR: Adham Makhadmeh (JOR)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – OFC (Round 2, Matchday 3)

24 March 2022

New Zealand – New Caledonia
Referee: Norbert Hauata (TAH, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Philippe Revel (TAH)
Assistant Referee 2: Tevita Makasini (TGA)
Fourth Official: Joel Hopkken (VAN)

Fiji – Papua New Guinea
Referee: Abdulhadi Al-Ruaile (QAT)
Assistant Referee 1: Folio Moeaki (TGA)
Assistant Referee 2: Jeremy Garae (VAN)
Fourth Official: Mohamed Al-Shammari (QAT)

Solomon Islands – Tahiti
Referee: Matthew Conger (NZL)
Assistant Referee 1: Mark Rule (NZL)
Assistant Referee 2: Isaac Trevis (NZL)
Fourth Official: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (NZL)

UEFA Nations League 2021 – Play-Outs (First Leg)

24 March 2022

Moldova – Kazakhstan
Referee: Anastasios Sidiropoulos (GRE, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Polychronis Kostaras (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Lazaros Dimitriadis (GRE)
Fourth Official: Vassilis Fotias (GRE)
VAR: Juan Martinez Munuera (ESP)
AVAR: Angelos Evangelou (GRE)
Referee Observer: Karel Vidlak (CZE)

Estonia – Cyprus
Referee: William Collum (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: David McGeachie (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Francis Connor (SCO)
Fourth Official: Nicholas Walsh (SCO)
VAR: Darren England (ENG)
AVAR: Lee Betts (ENG)
Referee Observer: Jouni Hyytiä (FIN)

UEFA U-21 Euro 2023 Qualifiers (Matchday 8)

24-26 March 2022

Israel – Poland
Referee: Bram Van Driessche (BEL, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Kevin Monteny (BEL)
Assistant Referee 2: Romain Devillers (BEL)
Fourth Official: Kevin Van Damme (BEL)
Referee Observer: Matteo Trefoloni (ITA)

Hungary – San Marino
Referee: Irakli Kvirikashvili (GEO)
Assistant Referee 1: Davit Gabisonia (GEO)
Assistant Referee 2: David Chigogidze (GEO)
Fourth Official: Davit Kharitonashvili (GEO)
Referee Observer: Albano Janku (ALB)

Serbia – North Macedonia
Referee: Michal Ocenaš (SVK)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Polacek (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Tomaš Vorel (SVK)
Fourth Official: Martin Dohal (SVK)
Referee Observer: Alon Yefet (ISR)

France – Faroe Islands
Referee: Luka Bilbija (BIH)
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandar Smiljanić (BIH)
Assistant Referee 2: Damir Lazić (BIH)
Fourth Official: Antoni Bandić (BIH)
Referee Observer: Alan Sant (MLT)

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Luxembourg
Referee: Helgi Jonasson (ISL)
Assistant Referee 1: Gylfi Sigurdsson (ISL)
Assistant Referee 2: Eysteinn Hrafnkelsson (ISL)
Fourth Official: Vilhjalmur Thorarinsson (ISL)
Referee Observer: Gevorg Hovhannisyan (ARM)

Azerbaijan – Estonia
Referee: David Munro (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: Sean Carr (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Douglas Potter (SCO)
Fourth Official: Grant Irvine (SCO)
Referee Observer: Vladimir Medved (SVK)

Slovakia – Northern Ireland
Referee: Visar Kastrati (KOS)
Assistant Referee 1: Granit Hyseni (KOS)
Assistant Referee 2: Elvis Bicaj (KOS)
Fourth Official: Dardan Caka (KOS)
Referee Observer: Nuno Castro (POR)

Greece – Liechtenstein
Referee: Rauf Jabarov (AZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Namik Huseynov (AZE)
Assistant Referee 2: Yusifov Javanshir (AZE)
Fourth Official: Kamal Umudlu (AZE)
Referee Observer: Jens Larsen (DEN)

Kosovo – Slovenia
Referee: Ian McNabb (NIR)
Assistant Referee 1: Paul Robinson (NIR)
Assistant Referee 2: Georgios Argyropoulos (NIR)
Fourth Official: Lee Tavinder (NIR)
Referee Observer: Pavle Radovanović (MNE)

Croatia – Austria
Referee: Manfredas Lukjancukas (LTU)
Assistant Referee 1: Vitenis Kazlauskas (LTU)
Assistant Referee 2: Mangirdas Mirauskas (LTU)
Fourth Official: Mindaugas Jackus (LTU)
Referee Observer: Azim Khudiyev (AZE)

Germany – Latvia
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja (ALB)
Assistant Referee 1: Denis Rexha (ALB)
Assistant Referee 2: Rexhino Mersinasi (ALB)
Fourth Official: Adrian Beqiri (ALB)
Referee Observer: Kostadin Gerginov (BUL)

Montenegro – Italy
Referee: Balazs Berke (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Balazs Buzas (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Theodoros Georgiou (HUN)
Fourth Official: Bence Csonka (HUN)
Referee Observer: Alain Sars (FRA)

Bulgaria – Netherlands
Referee: Sandi Putros (DEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Dennis Rasmussen (DEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Steffen Bramsen (DEN)
Fourth Official: Jorgen Burchardt (DEN)
Referee Observer: Robert Schörgenhofer (AUT)

Switzerland – Wales
Referee: Ferenc Karako (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Vencel Toth (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Istvan Albert (HUN)
Fourth Official: Gergö Bogar (HUN)
Referee Observer: Michal Beneš (CZE)

Albania – Czech Republic
Referee: Antonio Nobre (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Ribeiro (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Nelson Pereira (POR)
Fourth Official: Fabio Melo (POR)
Referee Observer: Jan Carlsen (DEN)

Spain – Lithuania
Referee: Joni Hyytiä (FIN)
Assistant Referee 1: Sami Nykänen (FIN)
Assistant Referee 2: Veli-Matti Leppänen (FIN)
Fourth Official: Jari Järvinen (FIN)
Referee Observer: Michael Ross (NIR)

Scotland – Turkey
Referee: Andrei Chivulete (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Vladimir Urzică (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Andrei Constantinescu (ROU)
Fourth Official: Sebastian Coltescu (ROU)
Referee Observer: Luc Wouters (BEL)

England – Andorra
Referee: Jasmin Sabotic (LUX)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Da Costa (LUX)
Assistant Referee 2: Tom Hansen (LUX)
Fourth Official: Ricardo Morais (LUX)
Referee Observer: Vencel Toth (HUN)

Portugal – Iceland

Referee: Miloš Milanović (SRB)
Assistant Referee 1: Svetozar Živin (SRB)
Assistant Referee 2: Nemanja Petrović (SRB)
Fourth Official: Aleksandar Živković (SRB)
Referee Observer: Markus Strömbergsson (SWE)

Cyprus – Belarus
Referee: Joonas Jaanovits (EST)
Assistant Referee 1: Aron Härsing (EST)
Assistant Referee 2: Neeme Neemlaid (EST)
Fourth Official: Kristo Külljastinen (EST)
Referee Observer: Kevin Parry (WAL)

UEFA Women’s Champions League 2021/22 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

22 March 2022
Bayern München – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Marta Huerta de Aza (ESP, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Francesca Di Monte (ITA)
Fourth Official: Iuliana Demetrescu (ROU)
VAR: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetchea (ESP)
AVAR: Eliana Fernandez Gonzalez (ESP)
Referee Observer: Gitte Holm (DEN)

Real Madrid – FC Barcelona
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara (FIN)
Assistant Referee 1: Karolin Kaivoja (EST)
Assistant Referee 2: Maria Sukenikova (SVK)
Fourth Official: Sandra Braz Bastos (POR)
VAR: Joao Pinheiro (POR)
AVAR: Tiago Martins (POR)
Referee Observer: Christine Frai (GER)

23 March 2022
Juventus – Olympique Lyonnais
Referee: Cheryl Foster (WAL)
Assistant Referee 1: Michelle O'Neill (IRL)
Assistant Referee 2: Lisa Rashid (ENG)
Fourth Official: Rebecca Welch (ENG)
VAR: Paul Tierney (ENG)
AVAR: Sian Massey-Ellis (ENG)
Referee Observer: Dagmar Damkova (CZE)

Arsenal WFC – VfL Wolfsbug
Referee: Jana Adamkova (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Lucie Ratajova (CZE)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulina Baranowska (POL)
Fourth Official: Monika Mularczyk (POL)
VAR: Maurizio Mariani (ITA)
AVAR: Daniele Doveri (ITA)
Referee Observer: Esther Azzopardi Farrugia (MLT)

International Friendly Matches – March 2022

23-29 March 2022

Norway – Slovakia
Referee: Mattias Gestranius (FIN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jan-Peter Aravirta (FIN)
Assistant Referee 2: Mikko Alakare (FIN)
Fourth Official: Kaarlo Hämäläinen (FIN)

Gibraltar – Granada
Referee: Paul McLaughlin (IRL)
Assistant Referee 1: Dermot Broughton (IRL)
Assistant Referee 2: Christopher Campbell (IRL)

Armenia – Montenegro
Referee: Andris Treimanis (LVA)
Assistant Referee 1: Haralds Gudermanis (LVA)
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksejs Spasjoņņikovs (LVA)

Kosovo – Burkina Faso
Referee: Eldorian Hamiti (ALB)
Assistant Referee 1: Rejdi Avdo (ALB)
Assistant Referee 2: Nertil Bregasi (ALB)
Fourth Official: Genc Nuza (KOS)

Scotland – Poland
Referee: Robert Hennessy (IRL)
Assistant Referee 1: Allen Lynch (IRL)
Assistant Referee 2: Emmet Dynan (IRL)
Fourth Official: Neil Doyle (IRL)

Andorra – St. Kitts and Nevis
Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Barbero Sevilla (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Raul Cabanero Martinez (ESP)

Luxembourg – Northern Ireland
Referee: Daniel Schlager (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Gittelmann (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Robert Kempter (GER)
Fourth Official: Laurent Kopriwa (LUX)

Malta – Azerbaijan
Referee: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Naranjo Perez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Angel Nevado Rodriguez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Cesar Soto Grado (ESP)

Romania – Greece
Referee: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetchea (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Yuste Jimenez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Iker De Francisco Grijalba (ESP)

San Marino – Lithuania
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Dietz (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Dominik Schaal (GER)
Fourth Official: Luca Zani (SMR)

Finland – Iceland
Referee: Fedayi San (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Marco Zürcher (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Pascal Hirzel (SUI)
Fourth Official: Lionel Tschudi (SUI)

Ireland – Belgium
Referee: Nicholas Walsh (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: Graeme Stewart (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Calum Spence (SCO)
Fourth Official: Neil Doyle (IRL)

Spain – Albania
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann (MLT)
Assistant Referee 1: Luke Portelli (MLT)
Assistant Referee 2: Edward Spiteri (MLT)
Fourth Official: Fyodor Zammit (MLT)

San Marino – Cape Verde
Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Alonso Fernandez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Raul Cabanero Martinez (ESP)

Denmark – Serbia
Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Lupp (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller (GER)
Fourth Official: Sven Jablonski (GER)

Finland – Slovakia
Referee: Espen Eskas (NOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Kim Haglund (NOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Engan (NOR)
Fourth Official: Svein Moen (NOR)

Israel – Romania
Referee: Daniel Stefanski (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Dawid Golis (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Marek Arys (POL)

Northern Ireland – Hungary
Referee: Robert Harvey (IRL)
Assistant Referee 1: Dermot Broughton (IRL)
Assistant Referee 2: Darragh Keegan (IRL)
Fourth Official: Neil Doyle (IRL)

Norway – Armenia
Referee: Mads-Kristoffer Kristoffersen (DEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Ole Kronlykke (DEN)
Assistant Referee 2:
Fourth Official: Jakob Sundberg (DEN)

Ireland – Lithuania
Referee: Bram Van Driessche (BEL)
Assistant Referee 1: Yves De Neve (BEL)
Assistant Referee 2: Romain Devillers (BEL)
Fourth Official: Paul Mclaughlin (IRL)

Spain – Iceland
Referee: Horatiu Fesnic (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Valentin Avram (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Alexandru Cerei (ROU)
Fourth Official: Andrei Chivulete (ROU)

CAF Confederation Cup 2021/2022 – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

20 March 2022

USGN – RS Berkane
Referee: Ahmed Ghandour (EGY, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Ahmed Tawfik (EGY)
Assistant Referee 2: Hany Abdelfattah (EGY)
Fourth Official: Mohamed El Sayed (EGY)

Zanaco – CS Sfaxien
Referee: Chelanget Sabila (UGA)
Assistant Referee 1: Ronald Katenya (UGA)
Assistant Referee 2: Emmanuel Okudra (UGA)
Fourth Official: Mashood Ssali (UGA)

Al Ahli – Pyramids
Referee: Mohamed Moussa (NIG)
Assistant Referee 1: Mahamadou Yahaya (NIG)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdoul Yacouba (NIG)
Fourth Official: Moussa Alou (NIG)

Al Ittihad – Royal Leopards
Referee: Fabricio Duarte (CPV)
Assistant Referee 1: Helio Semedo (CPV)
Assistant Referee 2: Jorge Fernandes (CPV)
Fourth Official: Antonio Rodrigues (CPV)

JS Saoura – Orlando Pirates
Referee: Mahamadou Keita (MLI)
Assistant Referee 1: Sidiki Sidibe (GUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Eric Ayimavo (BEN)
Fourth Official: Sekou Ahmed Touré (GUI)

Al Masry – Coton Sport
Referee: Jalal Jayed (MAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Hamza El Fariq (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdessamad Abertoune (MAR)
Fourth Official: Karim Sabry (MAR)

AS Otoho – TP Mazembe
Referee: Mahamat Allaou (CHA)
Assistant Referee 1: Issa Yaya (CHA)
Assistant Referee 2: Bogola Issa (CHA)
Fourth Official: Alfred Pousri (CHA)

Mimosas – Simba
Referee: Ahmed Abdulrazg (LBY)
Assistant Referee 1: Attia Amsaaed (LBY)
Assistant Referee 2: Wahed Al Jaahawe (LBY)
Fourth Official: Abdulwahid Huraywidah (LBY)

CAF Champions League 2021/2022 – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

18-19 March 2022

Al Hilal – Mamelodi Sundowns
Referee: Bakary Gassama (GAM, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Abdul Jawo (GAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Nfally Jarju (GAM)
Fourth Official: Omar Sallah (GAM)

El Merreikh – Al Ahly
Referee: Maguette N’Diaye (SEN)
Assistant Referee 1: El Hadji Samba (SEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Nouha Bangoura (SEN)
Fourth Official: Issa Sy (SEN)

AmaZulu – Raja Casablanca
Referee: Joshua Bondo (BOT)
Assistant Referee 1: Souru Phatsoane (LES)
Assistant Referee 2: Bernadettar Kwimbira (MWI)
Fourth Official: Retselisitsoe Molise (LES)

ES Setif – Horoya AC
Referee: Youssef Essrairi (TUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohamed Bakir (TUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Youssef Jemi (TUN)
Fourth Official: Amir Loussif (TUN)

Jwaneng Galaxy – ES Tunis
Referee: Pierre Atcho (GAB)
Assistant Referee 1:: Boris Ditsoga (GAB)
Assistant Referee 2: Felix Eyaga (GAB)
Fourth Official: Tanguy Mebiame (GAB)

CR Belouizdad – ES Sahel
Referee: Redouane Jiyed (MAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Lahcen Azgaou (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Mostafa Akarkad (MAR)
Fourth Official: Bouchra Karboubi (MAR)

Sagrada Esperanca – Wydad AC
Referee: Mahmood Ismail (SDN)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammed Ibrahim (SDN)
Assistant Referee 2: Mohamed Abdelgabar (SDN)
Fourth Official: Sabri Fadul (SDN)

Petro de Luanda – Zamalek SC
Referee: Blaise Ngwa (CMR)
Assistant Referee 1: Elvis Noupue (CMR)
Assistant Referee 2: Carine Atezambong (CMR)
Fourth Official: Franck Bito (CMR)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – OFC (Round 2, Matchday 2)

20-21 March 2022

Cook Islands – Tahiti
Referee: Mederic Lacour (NCL, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Bertrand Brial (NCL)
Assistant Referee 2: Noah Kusunan (PNG)
Fourth Official: Matthew Conger (NZL)

Solomon Islands – Vanuatu
Referee: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (NZL)
Assistant Referee 1: Isaac Trevis (NZL)
Assistant Referee 2: Avinesh Narayan (FIJ)
Fourth Official: David Yareboinen (PNG)

Papua New Guinea – New Caledonia
Referee: Joel Hopken (VAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jeremy Garae (VAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Hilmon Sese (VAN)
Fourth Official: Saoud Al-Abda (QAT)

New Zealand – Fiji
Referee: Salman Falahi (QAT)
Assistant Referee 1: Tevita Makasini (TGA)
Assistant Referee 2: Folio Moeaki (TGA)
Fourth Official: Norbert Hauata (TAH)

Bundesliga match abandoned after AR Gittelmann struck by beer cup

The Bundesliga game between VfL Bochum and Borussia Monchengladbach was called off on Friday after an assistant referee was struck in the back of the head by a plastic beer cup thrown by someone from the crowd.
The match was already noteworthy for being the league's first to be played between teams without coaches as Bochum's Thomas Reis and Gladbach counterpart Adi Hutter have coronavirus infections. Gladbach were leading 2-0 through second-half goals from Alassane Plea and Breel Embolo with around 20 minutes remaining, when assistant referee Christian Gittelmann was hit from behind by the beer cup. Gittelman picked the beaker up and threw it aside. He kneeled on the field and rubbed the back of his head, signaling to referee Benjamin Cortus that he was OK, but the match officials all left the field. Meanwhile, Bochum players remonstrated angrily with their supporters. After several minutes the stadium announcer said the restart of the game was delayed due to an object thrown from the crowd. Some 15 minutes after the object was thrown, the Gladbach team emerged back onto the field to salute their traveling supporters. Then the stadium announcer said the game was called off and asked for fans to leave the ground. (Source: ESPN)
"A comprehensive zero-tolerance policy, with a clearly defined penalty that is known to everyone in advance, should be worked out," Gittelmann told the German FA website. He was recovering at home Saturday after being treated in hospital for whiplash and a bruised skull. "This is the only way to end such acts of violence, and especially the acts of violence against our referee colleagues on amateur pitches," he added. Match referee Benjamin Cortus said he was left with "no alternative" other than to abandon Friday's game with Gittelmann dazed and needing medical attention. "It really got to me, especially since it unexpectedly hit me in the head with full force," Gittelmann added. The German Football Association are investigating. Bochum have said they will take action against the offender with "a stadium ban, exclusion from the club or confiscation of the season ticket" as well as "claims for damages". (Source: Barrons)

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – OFC (Round 2, Matchday 1)

17-18 March 2022

Cook Islands – Solomon Islands
Referee: David Yareboinen (PNG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Avinesh Narayan (FIJ)
Assistant Referee 2: Noah Kusunan (PNG)
Fourth Official: Mederic Lacour (NCL)

Tahiti – Vanuatu
Referee: Matthew Conger (NZL)
Assistant Referee 1: Mark Rule (NZL)
Assistant Referee 2: Isaac Trevis (NZL)
Fourth Official: Campbell-Kirk Waugh (NZL)

Papua New Guinea – New Zealand
Referee: Saoud Al-Abda (QAT)
Assistant Referee 1: Tevita Makasini (TGA)
Assistant Referee 2: Jeremy Garae VAN
Fourth Official: Joel Hopkken (VAN)

New Caledonia – Fiji
Referee: Mohammed Al-Shammari (QAT)
Assistant Referee 1: Philippe Revel (TAH)
Assistant Referee 2: Hilmon Sese (VAN)
Fourth Official: Norbert Hauata (TAH)

VAR operator sought in Scotland

Referees, including John Beaton, gave a presentation and demonstration on the technology to the press recently and the increasing noise around decisions has only strengthened the case for its introduction. A feature on Sky Sports saw Beaton show how VAR worked with the example of an incident of serious foul play from a Premier League match. The official talked angles, how the communication works with the referee and the general process.
Part of that process was Sam, the replay operator, introduced as having an equally, if not more important role. “We’re just here to make sure that the referees get to see what they need to see to make their decision,” he said. “Whether we are picking the right angles or slowing the video down to the right points, making sure they get the points of contact for offsides or serious foul play challenges. It’s making sure they can do their job to the best of their abilities by helping them see what they need to see.” In a fast-moving environment with a game going ahead as normal but clips and angles having to be collated for any potential review, perhaps with Andrew Dallas screaming at you, it will likely be a demanding role in the VOR (Video Operations Room). And it can be yours! That's right, Hawk-Eye, who will deliver the technology to the Scottish FA, are hiring and are looking for a ‘Football Replay Operator’. The starting salary is £22,280 per annum, as well as a bonus of up to 10 per cent, plus benefits. Some of the key responsibilities: liaising with support staff, match officials and supervisors on-site, operating the systems during the match, monitoring hardware and software performances, being able to troubleshoot and report encountered issues, taking full responsibility for the system on-site and being an ambassador for Hawk-Eye, during the off-season, building and maintaining the hardware and equipment. It is a fascinating role within Scottish football at a fascinating time. There is intrigue and suspicion within equal measure as to how much of a positive impact on the game and how it is refereed in this country. The job puts the person at the forefront of that, working with the top referees, seeing how they operate and first-hand how difficult their job is. In time it could lead to opportunities in European competitions and even the World Cup.

Source: The Scotsman

Monzul to continue refereeing in Italy

Italy opens its doors to referee Kateryna Monzul and on Sunday she will be on the pitch to referee the women's Serie A match Inter-Sampdoria. Italian football is united against the war and continues its relentless activity in favor of the Ukrainian population and its Federation by welcoming one of the best female referees in Europe to Italy. Like Stephanie Frappart, Monzul has already refereed several Europa League matches and other major competitions, both men and women. She will now be able to continue her refereeing activity in Italy. The synergy between UEFA, FIGC and AIA created the conditions to allow Monzul to continue her career, leaving behind the logistical difficulties caused by the conflict but, certainly, not the pain and suffering. Her debut in Italy is expected in the women’s Serie A and then evaluating the possibility of any further appointments.
"The European football family has a big heart and the Italian one is at the forefront in helping the Ukrainian population”, says FIGC President Gabriele Gravina. “The FIGC immediately showed responsibility by making itself available to the Ukrainian Federation for any need and taking charge the costs of membership and insurance coverage for young people fleeing the war who wish to play football in Italy. Thanks to UEFA, to President Čeferin and to Roberto Rosetti, who showed extraordinary sensitivity, and to the AIA, who immediately reacted, we organized ourselves to send another important message in favor of peace by welcoming Monzul to our team to allow her to continue to carry out her profession at a high level".
"The doors of the Italian Referees Association are always open to offer solidarity and help to those living in difficult times”, declares AIA president Alfredo Trentalange. “We are proud this time to give hospitality to Kateryna Monzul who comes from a territory whose population is experiencing a terrible war. We are talking about one of the most famous female referees in the world: a true model. We are happy to have her refereeing in our championships in the hope that, in the shortest possible time, she will be able to return to her country along with her loved ones".
“I am moved by the level of assistance that our Italian friends from the FIGC are showing us in such difficult times”, states the president of the Ukrainian Football Association Andriy Pavelko. “For Ukraine it is extremely important that our football can progress in some way even under dramatic circumstances. Kateryna is an exceptional referee who fully deserves this opportunity. I am sure she will perform well in Italian football. Thank you to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and FIGC President Gabriele Gravina for their invaluable support”.

Source: FIGC

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – OFC (Round 2)

Qatar, 17-30 March 2022

Referees
1. Matthew Conger (NZL, photo)
2. Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (NZL)
3. David Yareboinen (PNG)
4. Norbert Hauata (TAH)
5. Mederic Lacour (NCL)
6. Joel Hopken (VAN)
7. Saoud Al-Abda (QAT)
8. Abdulhadi Al-Ruaile (QAT)
9. Mohammed Al-Shammari (QAT)
10. Salman Falahi (QAT)

Assistant Referees
1. Mark Rule (NZL)
2. Isaac Trevis (NZL)
3. Tevita Makasini (TGA)
4. Folio Moeaki (TGA)
5. Avinesh Narayan (FIJ)
6. Brial Bertrand (NCL)
7. Noah Kusunan (PNG)
8. Philippe Revel (TAH)
9. Jeremy Garae (VAN)
10. Hilmon Sese (VAN)

AFC Champions League 2022 – Qualifying Play-offs

15 March 2022

Ulsan Hyundai – Port FC
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (JOR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Ahmed Al Roalle (JOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Mohammad Al Kalaf (JOR)
Fourth Official: Mohammad Arafah (JOR)

Vissel Kobe – Melbourne Victory
Referee: Hanna Hattab (SYR)
Assistant Referee 1: Ali Ahmad (SYR)
Assistant Referee 2: Mazen Zazfoun (SYR)
Fourth Official: Masoud Tufaylieh (SYR)

Daegu FC – Buriram United
Referee: Bijan Heidari (IRN)
Assistant Referee 1: Alireza Ildorom (IRN)
Assistant Referee 2: Arman Assadi (IRN)
Fourth Official: Vahid Kazemi (IRN)

Al Taawoun – Al Jaish
Referee: Sivakorn Pu-Udom (THA)
Assistant Referee 1: Rawut Nakrit (THA)
Assistant Referee 2: Tanate Chuchuen (THA)
Fourth Official: Mongkolchai Pechsri (THA)

Sharjah FC – Al Zawraa
Referee: Kim Dae-Yong (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Kwak Seungs-Soon (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Ali Al Jardani (OMA)
Fourth Official: Chae Sangh-Yeop (KOR)

Baniyas Club – FC Nasaf
Referee: Ali Al Qaysi (IRQ)
Assistant Referee 1: Hayder Ali (IRQ)
Assistant Referee 2: Ameer Hussein (IRQ)
Fourth Official: Zaid Mohammed (IRQ)

UEFA Europa League 2021/2022 – Round of 16 (Second Leg)

17 March 2022

Crvena Zvezda – Rangers FC
Referee: Istvan Kovacs (ROU, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Vasile Marinescu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Ovidiu Artene (ROU)
Fourth Official: Horațiu Feșnic (ROU)
VAR: Christian Dingert (GER)
AVAR: Harm Osmers (GER)
Referee Observer: Frank De Bleeckere (BEL)

AS Monaco – SC Braga
Referee: Andreas Ekberg (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Mehmet Culum (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Fredrik Klyver (SWE)
Fourth Official: Mohammed Al-Hakim (SWE)
VAR: Jochem Kamphuis (NED)
AVAR: Kevin Blom (NED)
Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman (NED)

Galatasaray AS – FC Barcelona
Referee: Daniele Orsato (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Alessandro Giallatini (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Fabiano Preti (ITA)
Fourth Official: Daniele Chiffi (ITA)
VAR: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
AVAR: Daniele Doveri (ITA)
Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine (NIR)

Bayer Leverkusen – Atalanta BC
Referee: François Letexier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni (FRA)
Fourth Official: Jeremie Pignard (FRA)
VAR: Jerôme Brisard (FRA)
AVAR: Willy Delajod (FRA)
Referee Observer: Kyros Vassaras (GRE)

Olympique Lyonnais – FC Porto
Referee: Ovidiu Hațegan (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Mircea Grigoriu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Sebastian Gheorghe (ROU)
Fourth Official: Fabio Maresca (ITA)
VAR: Marco Di Bello (ITA)
AVAR: Marco Guida (ITA)
Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin (SVN)

West Ham United – Sevilla FC
Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Cyril Gringore (FRA)
Fourth Official: Ruddy Buquet (FRA)
VAR: Pol van Boekel (NED)
AVAR: Benoît Millot (FRA)
Referee Observer: Jon Skjervold (NOR)

Eintracht Frankfurt – Real Betis
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Simon Bennett (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Cook (ENG)
Fourth Official: David Coote (ENG)
VAR: Christopher Kavanagh (ENG)
AVAR: Paul Tierney (ENG)
Referee Observer: Lucilio Batista (POR)

UEFA Europa Conference League 2021/22 – Round of 16 (Second Leg)

17 March 2022

FC Basel – Olympique de Marseille
Referee: Artur Soares Dias (POR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Rui Tavares (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulo Soares (POR)
Fourth Official: Tiago Martins (POR)
Referee Observer: Neale Barry (ENG)

Stade Rennais – Leicester City
Referee: Anastasios Sidiropoulos (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Polychronis Kostaras (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Lazaros Dimitriadis (GRE)
Fourth Official: Aristotelis Diamantopoulos (GRE)
Referee Observer: Stefano Podeschi (SMR)

FC Copenhagen – PSV Eindhoven
Referee: William Collum (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: David McGeachie (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Francis Connor (SCO)
Fourth Official: Nicholas Walsh (SCO)
Referee Observer: Miroslav Tulinger (CZE)

AZ Alkmaar – Bodo Glimt
Referee: Ivan Kružliak (SVK)
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Pozor (SVK)
Fourth Official: Peter Kralović (SVK)
Referee Observer: Peter Sippel (GER)

Feyenoord – Partizan
Referee: Anthony Taylor (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn (ENG)
Fourth Official: Darren England (ENG)
Referee Observer: Robert Sedlacek (AUT)

LASK – Slavia Praha
Referee: Lawrence Visser (BEL)
Assistant Referee 1: Rien Vanyzere (BEL)
Assistant Referee 2: Thibaud Nijssen (BEL)
Fourth Official: Bram Van Driessche (BEL)
Referee Observer: Erol Ersoy (TUR)

KAA Gent – PAOK FC
Referee: Daniel Siebert (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn (GER)
Fourth Official: Sven Jablonski (GER)
Referee Observer: Miroslav Liba (CZE)

AS Roma – Vitesse
Referee: Radu Petrescu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Radu Ghinguleac (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Mihai Marica (ROU)
Fourth Official: Marcel Bîrsan (ROU)
Referee Observer: Orhan Erdemir (TUR)

Concacaf Champions League 2022 – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

15-17 March 2022

Comunicaciones – New York City FC
Referee: Ricardo Montero (CRC, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Mora (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Victor Ramirez (CRC)
Fourth Official: David Gomez (CRC)
VAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
AVAR: Selvin Brown (HON)

CF Montreal – Cruz Azul
Referee: Keylor Herrera (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: William Arrieta (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Caleb Wales (TRI)
Fourth Official: Mario Escobar (GUA)
VAR: Benjamin Pineda (CRC)
AVAR: Benjamin Whitty (CAY)

Pumas FC – New England Revolution
Referee: Ivan Barton (SLV)
Assistant Referee 1: David Moran (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Geovany Garcia (SLV)
Fourth Official: Jaime Herrera (SLV)
VAR: Drew Fischer (CAN)
AVAR: Ismael Cornejo (SLV)

Club Leon – Seattle Sounders
Referee: Jose Torres (PUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Zumba (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Raymundo Feliz (DOM)
Fourth Official: Randy Encarnacion (DOM)
VAR: Said Martinez (HON)
AVAR: Tristley Bassue (SKN)