On 1 September 2022, Herbert Fandel will be appointed as the new President of the PRB (Professional Refereeing Board). He will succeed David Elleray in this role. Herbert Fandel has German nationality and is 58 years old. He has a particularly rich experience as a FIFA top referee and as a referee manager. Amongst other things, he refereed the 2007 Champions League final between AC Milan and Liverpool, was Chairman of the Referee Committee and of the Referee Board of the German Football Federation DFB for many years and was a long-time member of the UEFA Referee Committee. In his new Belgian role, Herbert Fandel is responsible for the strategy and further development of Belgian professional refereeing. He will chair the meetings of the PRB as well as those of the newly created ProRef Committee, which will link the Professional Refereeing Department (PRD), the Pro League and the wider football world. He will also serve as a sounding board for the management of the PRD, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of Belgian refereeing. "I have been closely following Belgian refereeing for several years, as I live close to the border with Belgium. David Elleray and his team did a great job. It’s my goal to use my experience and knowledge to help the refereeing unit in Belgium improve within a professional structure and get back to European top level”, said Fandel.
Belgian refereeing has made great strides in recent years. Our referees perform well at home and abroad and continue to make progress. However, there is still room for improvement. We are investing heavily in this. The operation of the VAR can be optimised, for example, so that less time is lost. Efforts are also being made to achieve greater uniformity of decisions on the pitch and in the VAR Replay Centre. Furthermore, training and the flow of talented referees from amateur to professional football must improve, so that we get more referees of the highest level in professional football. Finally, external communication can also evolve further, giving people more insight into the operation and bringing refereeing closer to football. In order to achieve these goals, the functioning of the Referee Department has been adjusted from the start of the new season, the main features being listed below:
- Operational decisions are taken by the PRD management team, which is headed by Stephanie Forde as Operational Director and Bertrand Layec as Technical Director. The other members of the management team are Frank De Bleeckere (Spokesman and Head of Training and Development) and Dieter De Naeyer (Head of Technology).
- The PRD management team will meet on a regular basis with the ProRef Committee. This is a new committee to ensure a better flow of information in all directions between the PRD and the wider world of football. The committee is responsible for the strategic oversight of professional refereeing in professional football and will also discuss developments. Besides the CEOs of both the RBFA and the Pro League, a former player and a former coach will join as well. The ProRef Committee will be chaired by Herbert Fandel, President of the PRB.
- Frank De Bleeckere will be appointed Head of Referee Development in addition to his role as spokesman. His task is to strengthen the training and transfer of young, talented referees to professional football.
- At the VAR, Christof Dierick joins VAR manager Frédy Fautrel as VAR coordinator. He will be responsible for the education and training of the (A)VARs, for feedback after the match performance and for the development of a transparent evaluation system.
- Finally, with the appointment of Herbert Fandel, the PRB will have a new president. The PRB is responsible for the validation of the main policies and protocols in professional football, compliance with UEFA and FIFA regulations, promotions and relegations, as well as the appointment of referees at FIFA and UEFA. In addition to President Herbert Fandel, the PRB also includes national team coach Roberto Martinez and CEO Peter Bossaert. The PRB has no operational role. Operational management is in the hands of the PRD management team.
Source: RBFA
