FIFA Intercontinental Cup – Match 4 (Challenger Cup)

14 December 2024

CF Pachuca – Al Ahly SC
Referee: Alireza Faghani AUS (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Anton Shchetinin AUS
Assistant Referee 2: Ashley Beecham AUS
Fourth Official: Salman Falahi QAT
Reserve AR: Ramzan Al-Naemi QAT
VAR: Khamis Al-Marri QAT
AVAR: Rob Dieperink NED
SVAR: Clay Ruperti NED

CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 3)

15 December 2024

RS Berkane – Stade Malien
Referee: Jean Ndala (COD, photo)

Orapa United – ASC Jaraaf

Simba – CS Sfaxien

Bravos do Maquis – CS Constantine
Referee: Peter Waweru (KEN)

Desportivo da LS – Stellenbosch

USM Alger – ASEC Mimosas

Black Bulls – Enyimba

Zamalek – Al Masry

CAF Champions League 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 3)

13-14 December 2024

Maniema Union – AS Fa
Referee: Omar Artan (SOM, photo)

Mamelodi Sundowns – Raja CA
Referee: Pierre Atcho (GAB)

MC Alger – Al Hilal
Referee: Louis Houngnandande (BEN)

TP Mazembe – Young Africans

Stade d'Abidjan – Orlando Pirates

Al Ahly – Belouizdad
Referee: Sadok Selmi (TUN)

ES Tunis – Pyramids
Referee: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (BDI)

Djoliba – Sagrada Esperanca

FIFA Intercontinental Cup – Match 3 (Derby of the Americas)

11 December 2024

Botafogo – Pachuca
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim QAT
Reserve AR: Taleb Al-Marri QAT
VAR: Rob Dieperink NED
AVAR: Clay Ruperti NED

FIFA List 2025: Germany replacing Dankert and Dingert with Badstübner and Jöllenbeck

FIFA confirmed the DFB nominations for the 2025 FIFA Lists, where there will be several changes. German referees Florian Badstübner and Matthias Jöllenbeck will replace long-standing FIFA referees Bastian Dankert and Christian Dingert, who will remain on the international list of video match officials. Knut Kircher, Managing Director at DFB Schiri GmbH, is convinced by the new referees on the FIFA list: "I would like to thank Bastian and Christian for many years of successful work as referees on the international list. They recently showed in their Nations League games that they are among the best in Germany in terms of know-how in game management. Nevertheless, it is important to provide strong input with new high-performing referees on international level. We are doing this now with two very good Bundesliga referees who have shown in recent years that they have acquired the necessary tools for the FIFA list. All the best to them and all the other nominees confirmed for the international year 2025!"

There will also be a change on the FIFA list for women next year: Sina Diekmann will focus on working as a referee in the Women's Bundesliga and will therefore leave her role as a FIFA assistant referee, where her place will be taken by Jessica Bergmann. Christine Baitinger, sports director of the DFB women’s refereeing, is delighted for the 30-year-old: "Jessica Bergmann has been working in the Women's Bundesliga as an assistant for several years and has developed very well in this task. She was also able to taste international air at some games last year and was able to convince, earning her nomination for the 2025 FIFA list through constant achievements."

In addition, assistant referees Christof Günsch and Sven Waschitzki-Günther will be replacing Stefan Lupp and Marco Achmüller. Pascal Müller and Benjamin Brand have now been added to the list of FIFA video match officials, while Sven Schreiber will enter the FIFA List for futsal. FIFA has officially confirmed Germany’s list for 2025 with 15 referees, 16 assistant referees, 14 video match officials, 3 futsal referees and 4 beach soccer referees.

Source: DFB

UEFA Europa Conference League 2024/25 – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

12 December 2024

Astana – Chelsea
Referee: Sven Jablonski GER (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Lasse Koslowski GER
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller GER
Fourth Official: Tobias Reichel GER
VAR: Pascal Müller GER
AVAR: Katrin Rafalski GER
Referee Observer: Petteri Kari FIN

FC Copenhagen – Heart of Midlothian
Referee: Andrea Colombo ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Ciro Carbone ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Giorgio Peretti ITA
Fourth Official: Simone Sozza ITA
VAR: Luca Pairetto ITA
AVAR: Valerio Marini ITA
Referee Observer: Alberto Undiano Mallenco ESP

Vikingur Reykjavik – Djugardens IF
Referee: Luka Bilbija BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Damir Lazić BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Amer Macić BIH

Fourth Official: Dragan Petrović BIH

VAR: Mario Zebec CRO

AVAR: Nihad Ljajić BIH
Referee Observer: Mark Whitby WAL

AC Fiorentina – LASK Linz
Referee: Balázs Berke HUN
Assistant Referee 1: Vencel Tóth HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Balázs Szert HUN
Fourth Official: Sándor Andó-Szabó HUN
VAR: István Vad HUN
AVAR: Eszter Urbán HUN
Referee Observer: Gediminas Mažeika LTU

Basaksehir – Heidenheim
Referee: Marco Guida ITA

Assistant Referee 1: Davide Imperiale ITA

Assistant Referee 2: Alessio Berti ITA 

Fourth Official: Gianluca Manganiello ITA
VAR: Paolo Mazzoleni ITA
AVAR: Daniele Paterna ITA
Referee Observer: Edward Foley IRL

Legia Warszawa – FC Lugano
Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Iker de Francisco Grijalba ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Iván Massó Granado ESP
Fourth Official: Mario Melero López ESP
VAR: José Munuera Montero ESP
AVAR: Adrián Cordero Vega ESP
Referee Observer: Iain Robertson Brines SCO

HJK Helsinki – Molde FK
Referee: Atilla Karaoglan TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Ceyhun Sesigüzel TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Abdullah Özkara TUR
Fourth Official: Çağdaş Altay TUR
VAR: Erkan Engin TUR
AVAR: Onur Özütoprak TUR
Referee Observer: Pavel Salii KAZ

Olimpija Ljubljana – Cercle Brugge
Referee: Adam Ladebäck SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Niklas Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Yng SWE
Fourth Official: Oscar Johnson SWE
VAR: Robert Schröder GER
AVAR: Patrick Hanslbauer GER
Referee Observer: Asim Xudiyev AZE

FC Petrocub – Real Betis
Referee: Lothar D’Hondt BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Romain Devillers BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Nico Claes BEL
Fourth Official: Simon Bourdeaud’hui BEL
VAR: Jan Boterberg BEL
AVAR: Bert Put BEL
Referee Observer: Michael Ross NIR

Dynamo Minsk – Larne FC
Referee: Saiat Qarabaev KAZ
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksei Dolgih KAZ
Assistant Referee 2: Dmitrii Belogradov KAZ

Fourth Official: Aidyn Tasybaev KAZ

VAR: Jeroen Manschot NED

AVAR: Daniiar Sahi KAZ

Referee Observer: Gunnar Jónsson ISL

Noa FA – Apoel FC
Referee: Miloš Milanović SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Milan Pašajlić SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Novak Novaković SRB
Fourth Official: Milan Ilić SRB
VAR: Momčilo Marković SRB
AVAR: Novak Simović SRB
Referee Observer: Marco Borg MLT

KAA Gent – TSC Backa Topola
Referee: Ashot Ghaltakhchyan ARM
Assistant Referee 1: Mesrop Ghazaryan ARM
Assistant Referee 2: Atom Sevgulyan ARM
Fourth Official: Henrik Nalbandyan ARM
VAR: Zaven Hovhannisyan ARM
AVAR: Artem Gasparyan ARM
Referee Observer: Jon Skjervold NOR

Omonia Nicosia – Rapid Wien
Referee: Daniel Stefanski POL
Assistant Referee 1: Dawid Golis POL
Assistant Referee 2: Michal Obukowicz POL
Fourth Official: Damian Sylwestrzak POL
VAR: Piotr Lasyk POL
AVAR: Krzysztof Myrmus POL
Referee Observer: Augustus Constantin ROU

Shamrock Rovers – Borac Banja Luka
Referee: Stefan Ebner AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Steinacher AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Martin Höfler AUT
Fourth Official: Julian Weinberger AUT
VAR: Manuel Schüttengruber AUT
AVAR: Sara Telek AUT
Referee Observer: Marián Ružbarský SVK

The New Saints – Panathinaikos
Referee: Oliver Reitala FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Jukka Honkanen FIN
Assistant Referee 2: OIli Jantunen FIN
Fourth Official: Antti Munukka FIN
VAR: Gianluca Aureliano ITA
AVAR: Rosario Abisso ITA
Referee Observer: Robert Sedlacek AUT

Mlada Boleslav – Jagiellonia Bialystok
Referee: David Dickinson SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Francis Connor SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Jonathan Bell SCO
Fourth Official: Ross Hardie SCO
VAR: Kevin Clancy SCO
AVAR: Greg Aitken SCO
Referee Observer: Vadims Direktorenko LVA

FC St. Gallen – Vitoria FC
Referee: Nicholas Walsh SCO

Assistant Referee 1: David McGeachie SCO

Assistant Referee 2: Calum Spence SCO

Fourth Official: Christopher Graham SCO
VAR: Donald Robertson SCO
AVAR: Alan Muir SCO
Referee Observer: Bariş Şimşek TUR

Pafos FC – NK Celje
Referee: Pawel Raczkowski POL

Assistant Referee 1: Marcin Boniek POL

Assistant Referee 2: Radoslaw Siejka POL

Fourth Official: Marcin Szczerbowicz POL
VAR: Pawel Pskit POL
AVAR: Wojciech Myć POL
Referee Observer: Gevorg Hovhannisyan ARM

UEFA Europa League 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 6)

11 December 2024

Fenerbahce – Athletic Club
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIH (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Antoni Bandić BIH
VAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
AVAR: Michael Fabbri ITA
Referee Observer: Jan Wegereef NED

12 December 2024
AS Roma – SC Braga
Referee: Daniel Siebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager GER
VAR: Sören Storks GER
AVAR: Bastian Dankert GER
Referee Observer: Michal Beneš CZE

Olympiakos SFP – Twente FC
Referee: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Alexis Auger FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mikaël Berchebru FRA
Fourth Official: Romain Lissorgue FRA
VAR: Éric Wattellier FRA
AVAR: Jérémie Pignard FRA
Referee Observer: Kóstas Kapitanís CYP

PAOK – Ferenvarosi TC
Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Alfredo Rodríguez Moreno ESP
Fourth Official: Javier Alberola Rojas ESP
VAR: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea ESP
AVAR: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
Referee Observer: Andreas Schluchter SUI

Viktoria Plzen – Manchester United
Referee: Marian Barbu ROU

Assistant Referee 1: Ovidiu Artene ROU

Assistant Referee 2: Imre Bucsi ROU

Fourth Official: Rareș Vidican ROU

VAR: Cătălin Popa ROU
AVAR: Sebastian Colțescu ROU
Referee Observer: Peter Sippel GER

Union St. Gilloise – OGC Nice
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Lee Betts ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Neil Davies ENG
Fourth Official: Tony Harrington ENG
VAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
AVAR: Darren England ENG
Referee Observer: Domagoj Vučkov CRO

PFK Ludogorets – AZ Alkmaar
Referee: Kristo Tohver EST
Assistant Referee 1: Silver Koiv EST
Assistant Referee 2: Sten Klaasen EST
Fourth Official: Kevin Kaivoja EST
VAR: Marko Liiva EST
AVAR: Joonas Jaanovits EST
Referee Observer: Sabri Çelik TUR

Malmo FF – Galatasaray
Referee: John Brooks ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Simon Bennett ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Robathan ENG
Fourth Official: Darren Bond ENG
VAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
AVAR: César Soto Grado ESP
Referee Observer: Frank De Bleeckere BEL

TSG Hoffenheim – FCSB
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Arbër Zalla ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Rejdi Avdo ALB
Fourth Official: Albert Doda ALB
VAR: Peter Bankes ENG
AVAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
Referee Observer: Volodymyr Petrov UKR

FC Porto – FC Midtjylland
Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev MKD
Assistant Referee 1: Dejan Kostadinov MKD
Assistant Referee 2: Goce Petreski MKD
Fourth Official: Igor Stojčevski MKD
VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
AVAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Referee Observer: Cyril Zimmermann SUI

Ajax – Lazio
Referee: Ivan Kružliak SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Ján Pozor SVK
Fourth Official: Peter Královič SVK
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
AVAR: Willy Delajod FRA
Referee Observer: Martin Atkinson ENG

Rangers FC – Tottenham Hotspur
Referee: Sandro Schärer SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Stéphane De Almeida SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Jonas Erni SUI
Fourth Official: Lionel Tschudi SUI
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Tiago Martins POR
Referee Observer: Stávros Tritsónis GRE

Slavia Praha – RSC Anderlecht
Referee: Anastásios Papapétrou GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Trýfon Petrópoulos GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Iordánis Aptósoglou GRE
Fourth Official: Aléxandros Tsakalídis GRE
VAR: Ángelos Evangélou GRE
AVAR: Athanásios Tzílos GRE
Referee Observer: Bernardino González Vázquez ESP

Real Sociedad – Dynamo Kyiv
Referee: Harm Osmers GER
Assistant Referee 1: Dominik Schaal GER
Assistant Referee 2: Stefan Lupp GER
Fourth Official: Florian Exner GER
VAR: Benjamin Brand GER
AVAR: Christian Dingert GER
Referee Observer: João Ferreira POR

Olympique Lyonnais – Eintracht Frankfurt
Referee: Andris Treimanis LVA
Assistant Referee 1: Haralds Gudermanis LVA
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksejs Spasjonņikovs LVA
Fourth Official: Aleksandrs Golubevs LVA
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Dennis Higler NED
Referee Observer: Markus Strömbergsson SWE

Maccabi Tel Aviv – FC RFS
Referee: Tamás Bognár HUN
Assistant Referee 1: Balázs Buzás HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Péter Kóbor HUN
Fourth Official: Mihály Káprály HUN
VAR: Ferenc Karakó HUN
AVAR: Gergő Bogár HUN
Referee Observer: Neale Barry ENG

Bodo Glimt – Besiktas
Referee: Filip Glova SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Poláček SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Peter Bednár SVK
Fourth Official: Lukáš Dzivjak SVK
VAR: Michal Očenáš SVK
AVAR: Martin Dohál SVK
Referee Observer: Stefan Johannesson SWE

IF Elfsborg – Qarabag FK
Referee: António Nobre POR
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Ribeiro POR
Assistant Referee 2: Nélson Pereira POR

Fourth Official: Bruno Vieira POR

VAR: Hugo Miguel POR

AVAR: André Narciso POR
Referee Observer: Stefano Podeschi SMR

UEFA Champions League 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 6)

10 December 2024

Dinamo Zagreb – Celtic FC
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Dietz GER
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
VAR: Sascha Stegemann GER
AVAR: Johann Pfeifer GER
Referee Observer: Ichko Lozev BUL

Girona – Liverpool
Referee: Benoît Bastien FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Zakrani FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Aurélien Berthomieu FRA
Fourth Official: Thomas Léonard FRA
VAR: Benoît Millot FRA
AVAR: Willy Delajod FRA
Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine NIR

RB Leipzig – Aston Villa
Referee: Maurizio Mariani ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Alessandro Giallatini ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Fourth Official: Matteo Marchetti ITA
VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
AVAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Referee Observer: Vlado Svilokos CRO

Bayer Leverkusen – Inter Milano
Referee: Slavko Vinčič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: Matej Jug SVN
VAR: Alen Borošak SVN
AVAR: Pol van Boekel NED
Referee Observer: Alexandru Deaconu ROU

Atalanta BC – Real Madrid
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Karol Arys POL
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
AVAR: Tiago Martins POR
Referee Observer: Fredy Fautrel FRA

Club Brugge – Sporting CP
Referee: Anthony Taylor ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn ENG
Fourth Official: Craig Pawson ENG
VAR: Peter Bankes ENG
AVAR: Christian Dingert GER
Referee Observer: Juan Fernández Marín ESP

Shakhtar Donetsk – Bayern München
Referee: Halil Meler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Kerem Ersoy TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Serkan Olguncan TUR
Fourth Official: Arda Kardeşler TUR
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Dennis Higler NED
Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE

FC Salzburg – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott ENG
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Benjamin Brand GER
Referee Observer: Carlos Clos Gómez ESP

Stade Brestois – PSV Eindhoven
Referee: José Sánchez Martínez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero Martínez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Iñigo Prieto López ESP
Fourth Official: Pablo González Fuertes ESP
VAR: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea ESP
AVAR: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
Referee Observer: Stefan Messner AUT

11 December 2024
Atletico de Madrid – Slovan Bratislava
Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Mangirdas Mirauskas LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Vytenis Kazlauskas LTU
Fourth Official: Mindaugas Jackus LTU
VAR: Christian Dingert GER
AVAR: Fedayi San SUI
Referee Observer: Howard Webb ENG

LOSC Lille – Sturm Graz
Referee: Georgi Kabakov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Margaritov BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Diyan Valkov BUL
Fourth Official: Dragomir Draganov BUL
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: Peter Bankes ENG
Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH

Borussia Dortmund – FC Barcelona
Referee: François Letexier FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Jérémy Stinat FRA
VAR: Dennis Higler NED
AVAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Referee Observer: Michális Argyroú CYP

Juventus FC – Manchester City
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Erwan Finjean FRA
Fourth Official: Mathieu Vernice FRA
VAR: Willy Delajod FRA
AVAR: Benoît Millot FRA
Referee Observer: Martin Hansson SWE

Benfica – Bologna
Referee: Radu Petrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Radu Ghinguleac ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Mircea Grigoriu ROU
Fourth Official: Marcel Bîrsan ROU
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Alen Borošak SVN
Referee Observer: Carlos Velasco Carballo ESP

Arsenal FC – AS Monaco
Referee: Davide Massa ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Stefano Alassio ITA
Fourth Official: Daniele Doveri ITA
VAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
AVAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
Referee Observer: Gylfi Orrason ISL

AC Milan – Crvena Zvezda
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Barbero Sevilla ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Ángel Nevado Rodríguez ESP
Fourth Official: Francisco Hernández Maeso ESP
VAR: César Soto Grado ESP
AVAR: Benjamin Brand GER
Referee Observer: Lassin Isaksen FRO

Feyenoord Rotterdam – Sparta Praha
Referee: Tobias Stieler GER
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Gittelmann GER
Assistant Referee 2: Mark Borsch GER
Fourth Official: Matthias Jöllenbeck GER
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Sören Storks GER
Referee Observer: Alan Sant MLT

VfB Stuttgart – BSC Young Boys
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili GEO
Assistant Referee 1: Levan Varamishvili GEO
Assistant Referee 2: Zaza Pipia GEO
Fourth Official: Aleko Aptsiauri GEO
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
Referee Observer: Tomasz Mikulski POL

English referee Coote sacked after investigation

Premier League official David Coote has been sacked by referees' body following a "thorough investigation" into his conduct. Coote, 42, was suspended by the PGMOL (the Professional Game Match Officials Limited) on 11 November pending a full investigation after a video allegedly showing him making derogatory comments about Liverpool and the club's former manager Jurgen Klopp was circulated on social media. A further investigation was opened two days later after the Sun published photos it says were taken during this summer's European Championship, alleging that they appear to show Coote sniffing a white powder through a rolled-up US bank note. The PGMOL said that Coote's actions made his position untenable. “David Coote's actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract. Supporting him continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare", the PGMOL said. Coote has the right to appeal the decision to terminate his employment.

The PGMOL first took action against Coote on 11 November following the release of a video on social media, which allegedly showed him criticizing Liverpool and their former manager Klopp. The video appeared to refer a Premier League match that Coote officiated between Liverpool and Burnley in July 2020, which finished 1-1. Klopp criticized Coote after the game, saying the referee failed to give fouls for challenges made on Liverpool's players. The FA opened an investigation the following day. On 13 November, the PGMOL said it was taking further allegations "very seriously" following the publication of images showing appearing to show Coote sniffing a white powder. Coote was working at the Euros in his capacity as a match official and UEFA also suspended Coote as it launched its own investigation. On 27 November, the FA opened a new investigation following an allegation that Coote had discussed giving a yellow card before a Championship match between Leeds and West Brom in 2019. A report in the Sun claimed Coote exchanged messages with a fan discussing giving a yellow card before and after the game. Coote denied any wrongdoing and said the allegation was "false and defamatory". The exchange referred to a booking Leeds defender Ezgjan Alioski received in the match from Coote. There is no suggestion of any financial gain by Coote and the booking is regarded as entirely correct.

Source: BBC

UEFA Women’s Champions League 2024/25 – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

11 December 2024

VfL Wolfsburg – AS Roma
Referee: Ivana Martinčić CRO (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Sanja Rodjak-Karšić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Maja Petravić CRO
Fourth Official: Jelena Kumer CRO
Referee Observer: Cristina Babadac ROU

Galatasaray – Olympique Lyonnais
Referee: Catarina Campos POR
Assistant Referee 1: Vanessa Gomes POR
Assistant Referee 2: Sandrine Santos POR
Fourth Official: Silvia Domingos POR
Referee Observer: Jenny Palmqvist SWE

Chelsea FCW – FC Twente
Referee: Riem Hussein GER

Assistant Referee 1: Daniela Göttlinger GER

Assistant Referee 2: Jasmin Matysiak GER

Fourth Official: Angelika Soeder GER
Referee Observer: Esther Azzopardi MLT

Celtic FCW – Real Madrid
Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Mihaela Țepușă ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Roxana Ivanov ROU
Fourth Official: Ana Terteleac ROU
Referee Observer: Regina Konink-Belksma NED

12 December 2024
Bayern München – Juventus FC
Referee: Stéphanie Frappart FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Camille Soriano FRA
Assistant Referee 2:
Fourth Official: Maika Vanderstichel FRA
Referee Observer: Marta Frías Acedo ESP

Valerenga – Arsenal WFC
Referee: Eleni Antoniou GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Georgia Komisopoulou GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Heini Hyvönen FIN
Fourth Official: Lina Lehtovaara FIN
Referee Observer: Aušra Kance LTU

Manchester City FCW – SKN St. Pölten
Referee: Sandra Bastos POR
Assistant Referee 1:
Assistant Referee 2:
Fourth Official:
Referee Observer: Gitte Holm DEN

Hammarby IF – FC Barcelona
Referee: Katalin Kulcsár HUN
Assistant Referee 1:
Assistant Referee 2:
Fourth Official: Katalin Sipos HUN 

Referee Observer: Emilia Wnuk POL

Croatia: Top referee removed and observer suspended

The HNS Disciplinary Committee has imposed a fine of 2,000 euros and a five-month suspension on referee observer Bruno Marić for posting inappropriate content on the social network Instagram, thereby violating the Code of Conduct for Football Officials. At the proposal of the Referees Committee and the Football Association, the HNS Executive Board has decided to remove referee Toni Dadić from all referee lists.

Just before the derby between Hajduk and Dinamo at Poljud, the Bad Blue Boys posted a message on their official Telegram channel. It contains alleged private correspondence between HNS referee Toni Dadić and, apparently, Hajduk fans. In the messages, Dadić allegedly shares information about where the Bad Blue Boys hold banners and other details from the life of the fans. There is also mention of “projects” such as finding the addresses of prominent Bad Blue Boys, as well as several messages about Kohorta. The Boys published them with the title: “We are also for the reform of the refereeing organization.” Toni Dadić was a referee from the HNS elite group. This season, he refereed seven matches in the SuperSport HNL, and he also refereed numerous matches in lower age groups and leagues.

The Hajduk fans' association Naš Hajduk, which holds 30.6 percent of the Split club's shares and has 125,000 members, reminded about the protest on the Riva ten years ago on social media ten days ago. Naš Hajduk gathered a full Riva of fans protesting against corruption in Croatian football. As they say, nothing has changed since then. In particular, they emphasized in the post that they fought for Bruno Marić to leave Croatian football, but that did not happen. Marić responded to them via social media. "I have been reading pamphlets and false accusations for a long time, shameless lies from those who create authority by spreading fear and threats! I don't care, I told myself many times, because this is a group of thugs who say they are honest! But they are only talking about themselves, they are lying, because everyone has long since figured that out! They are the ones who fabricate, and falsely slander others for fabricating! They are a burden on society, they are a burden on sport, they are a burden on democracy, even though they advocate it with their mouths full. Falsely, of course! They boo those they cheer for, threaten those they cheer for, chant to themselves while pretending to cheer, force those they pretend to cheer for to bow down to them! They would be the best, but by force, they would be the strongest, but when they are 10 to 1, they are the bravest when they see someone weaker than themselves! But they are actually an interest group gathered around themselves and only for themselves. Unfortunately for them, it is not a problem that they are disgusted by any normal athlete from any part of Croatia. The problem is that they are disgusted by the vast majority of the City in which they are poisoning the environment! The big problem is that the scum presents themselves as the owners of something that does not belong to them, and the silent and honest majority bears the burden of a disgusting minority! Although you are loud, although you are still numerous, you are the bottom of the bottom! You will never achieve your ambitions by force, because there are too many who do not bow down to you or fear you. And your biggest defeat is that you are also despised by those you are rooting for, because they know that you are only rooting for yourself! Only Croatia!" wrote Marić, and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him, which resulted in a fine and suspension.

Source: 7dnevno

UEFA Youth League 2024/2025 – Domestic Champions Path, Round 3 (Second Leg)

10 December 2024

Manchester United – AZ Alkmaar
Referee: Claudio Pereira POR (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Martins POR
Assistant Referee 2: Tiago Costa POR
Fourth Official: Benjamin Speedie ENG
Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen NOR

11 December 2024
Lokomotiva Zagreb – Farul Constanta
Referee: Dmytro Panchyshyn UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Dmytro Zaporozhenko UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Oleksandr Korniyko UKR
Fourth Official: Ante Čuljak CRO
Referee Observer: Igor Pristovnik CRO

Olympiakos SPF – AS Trencin
Referee: Danilo Nikolić SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Ilija Lovre SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Tihomir Šoškić SRB
Fourth Official: Konstantínos Katíkos GRE
Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin SVN

Trabzonspor – FK Sarajevo
Referee: Amine Kourgheli BLR
Assistant Referee 1: Jury Chomčanka BLR
Assistant Referee 2: Viktar Hiecikaŭ BLR
Fourth Official: Ali Özoğlu TUR
Referee Observer: Murat Ilgaz TUR

KK Korriku – Dynamo Kyiv
Referee: Dominik Starý CZE
Assistant Referee 1: Lukáš Slavíček CZE
Assistant Referee 2: Marek Bělák CZE
Fourth Official: Granit Pacolli KOS
Referee Observer: Besfort Kasumi KOS

Rapid Wien – FC Basel
Referee: Ladislav Szikszay CZE
Assistant Referee 1: Michal Volf CZE
Assistant Referee 2: David Zoufalý CZE
Fourth Official: Isa Simsek AUT
Referee Observer: Laurent Duhamel FRA

FC Midtjylland – Legia Warszawa
Referee: Ben McMaster NIR
Assistant Referee 1: Stephen Bell NIR
Assistant Referee 2: Georgios Argyropoulos NIR
Fourth Official: Lasse Graagaard DEN
Referee Observer: Mattias Gestranius FIN

Sassuolo Calcio – Real Beris
Referee: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Brice Le Tellier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Julien Haulbert FRA
Fourth Official: Marco Piccinini ITA
Referee Observer: Gianluca Rocchi ITA

TSG Hoffenheim – AJ Auxerre
Referee: Rüstem Omarov KAZ
Assistant Referee 1: Timur Tursymbaev KAZ
Assistant Referee 2: Evgenii Karlov KAZ
Fourth Official: Fabienne Michel GER
Referee Observer: David Fernández Borbalán ESP

17 December 2024
KRC Genk – Puskas Akademia
Referee: Pavle Ilić SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandar Marjanović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Dejan Božić SRB
Fourth Official: Arne De Beuckelaer BEL

UEFA Youth League 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 6)

10 December 2024 

Shakhtar Donetsk – Bayern Munchen
Referee: Frida Klarlund DEN (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jakob Mastrup DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Cortzen DEN
Fourth Official: Robin Braun GER
Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE

Girona – Liverpool
Referee: Mohammed Al-Emara FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Turkka Valjakka FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Juuso Mantere FIN
Fourth Official: Pol Arenas Mora ESP
Referee Observer: Salustià Ciprés AND

Dinamo Zagreb – Celtic FC
Referee: Florian Lata ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Ilir Tartaraj ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Erind Burgu ALB
Fourth Official: Ante Čulina CRO
Referee Observer: Ante Vučemilović-Šimunović CRO

Bayer Leverkusen – Inter Milano
Referee: Mikkel Redder DEN
Assistant Referee 1: René Risum DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Esad Deronjic DEN
Fourth Official: Lukas Benen GER
Referee Observer: Alexandru Deaconu ROU

Stade Brestois – PSV Eindhoven
Referee: Martin Matoša SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandar Kasapovič SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Matic Mežnar SVN
Fourth Official: Hakim Ben Salem FRA
Referee Observer: Bertrand Layec FRA

Club Brugge – Sporting CP
Referee: Lukasz Kuźma POL
Assistant Referee 1: Jakub Winkler POL
Assistant Referee 2: Piotr Podbielski POL
Fourth Official: Matonga Simonini BEL
Referee Observer: Antonio Damato ITA

FC Salzburg – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Miloš Gigović BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Nebojša Žugić BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Boris Dujmović BIH
Fourth Official: Arnes Talic AUT
Referee Observer: Thomas Einwaller AUT

RB Leipzig – Aston Villa
Referee: Damian Kos POL
Assistant Referee 1: Bartosz Heinig POL
Assistant Referee 2: Marek Arys POL
Fourth Official: Eric Weisbach GER
Referee Observer: Karel Vidlák CZE

Atalanta BC – Real Madrid
Referee: Zorbay Küçük TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Deniz Özaral TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Mert Bulut TUR
Fourth Official: Luca Zufferli ITA
Referee Observer: Paolo Dondarini ITA

11 December 2024
SL Benfica – Bologna FC
Referee: Ishmael Barbara MLT
Assistant Referee 1: James Muscat MLT
Assistant Referee 2: Duncan Spencer MLT
Fourth Official: Flávio Lima POR
Referee Observer: Lucílio Batista POR

LOSC Lille – Sturm Graz
Referee: Edgars Maļcevs LVA
Assistant Referee 1: Martiņš Svipsts LVA
Assistant Referee 2: Deniss Ševčenko LVA
Fourth Official: Marc Bollengier FRA
Referee Observer: Alain Sars FRA

Atletico de Madrid – Slovan Bratislava
Referee: Mohammad Aslam NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Ole Haukasen NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Alf Rossland NOR
Fourth Official: Fernando Bueno Prieto ESP
Referee Observer: Manuel Díaz Vega ESP

Juventus FC – Manchester City
Referee: Jakob Sundberg DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Deniz Yurdakul DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Jesper Dahl DEN
Fourth Official: Paride Tremolada ITA
Referee Observer: Martin Hansson SWE

Arsenal FC – AS Monaco
Referee: Thomas Owen WAL
Assistant Referee 1: Lewiss Edwards WAL
Assistant Referee 2: Jordan Christopher WAL
Fourth Official: James Durkin ENG
Referee Observer: Gylfi Orrason ISL

AC Milan – Crvena Zvezda
Referee: Bence Csonka HUN
Assistant Referee 1: Norbert Bornemissza HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Balázs Szalai HUN
Fourth Official: Daniele Perenzoni ITA
Referee Observer: Lassin Isaksen FRO

Feyenoord Rotterdam – Sparta Praha
Referee: Jovan Kačevski MKD
Assistant Referee 1: Slaǵan Markoski MKD
Assistant Referee 2: Branko Putilin MKD
Fourth Official: Wouter Wiersma NED
Referee Observer: Alan Sant MLT

VfB Stuttgart – BSC Young Boys
Referee: Alina Peșu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Petruța Iugulescu ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Daniela Constantinescu ROU
Fourth Official: Felix Prigan GER
Referee Observer: Tomasz Mikulski POL

Borussia Dortmund – FC Barcelona
Referee: Joakim Östling SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Max Wilde SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Simon Kristensson SWE
Fourth Official: Florian Heft GER
Referee Observer: Edgar Steinborn GER

MLS referees claim they are ‘no longer in control’ due to in-game interference

It’s a pause that soccer fans have become painfully familiar with. A ref draws a “TV” box with their fingers and jogs over to a review monitor to look over a play while conferring with another official, the Video Assistant Referee, tucked away in a room surrounded by monitors. But what should have been a routine check during a game between the Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls during the 2024 MLS season received an unnecessary layer of confusion. After the video assistant completed his check and ruled that a collision with the goalkeeper in the box was not a foul, a Professional Referee Organization (PRO) manager on site - someone who was not a match official for that game - told him to take a second look. A transcript of the interaction was provided to The Athletic by a source briefed on MLS VAR procedures who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly:

PRO manager: Hey (name), look again, please.

VAR: Yes. Yeah?

PRO manager: Look again, please.

VAR: I’m watching. Possible offside, you mean, or what?

PRO manager: It’s a penalty kick. The goalkeeper nailed the guy or not?

VAR: Yes, but it’s contact between the two attackers first.

PRO manager: Look what the goalkeeper does. Don’t look at the attackers. Look at the goalkeeper. What did the goalkeeper do?

VAR (to the on-field ref): Delay, delay.

IFAB regulations mandate that VAR decisions must be made by only the on-field officials, plus the video ref and their assistant - meaning the interaction above was at odds with the accepted global standards for use of video replay. According to multiple sources familiar with PRO policy and refereeing at the top level of men’s and women’s soccer, interference from PRO has become a habitual problem in MLS and NWSL games. While the presence of a PRO manager listening in at a game would be normal as part of their analysis and oversight, actual participation in the in-game decision making process extends beyond their remit. During the Crew-Red Bulls incident, the first part of the VAR check played out normally on the field, with a pause of approximately a minute for the check itself, followed by another minute and a half to get a Red Bulls player hurt in the collision off the field and prepare for a drop ball. As the hurt player prepared to re-enter the field, suddenly there was confusion — unknown to the players, but concurrent with the call for “delay, delay.” The player protested not being allowed to come back on, while the Crew goalkeeper rolled his eyes. The referee went to the VAR monitor, seemingly after it had been already decided the check was complete and play was to continue. Ultimately, the referee and the VAR came again to the same conclusion, with the center announcing on the field that there was no foul on the play. The Athletic spoke to several referees, all of whom have at least several years of experience in MLS, who claimed that incidents like the one in the Crew-Red Bulls game were part of a pattern of interference. Two referees, Referee A and Referee B, requested anonymity due to fear of professional reprisal from PRO. Rather than a mere squabble between rival bureaucratic bodies, the referees are adamant there are bigger issues at stake: The need for the viewing public to have faith in their officiating performance, and that the VAR process is conducted with transparency. “The interference has been supervisors coming into the pods at halftimes of games,” said Referee A. “And also, we have a communication headset where they’re also able to listen and talk, and they’ve come on during the game to help point us in a different direction. There is a concern (among referees) that the protocols in place are not being upheld as they have been previously enforced,” said Referee B. “There have been suggestions which fall outside of the strict protocol that we’ve been asked to carry.”

When asked by The Athletic for comment on whether PRO supervisors had interfered with VAR calls, a PRO spokesperson responded by email, “There have been 2,649 checks across MLS and NWSL in 2024, of which six checks (0.002 per cent) prompted comment from the Supervisor to a VMO (Video Match Official). PRO conducted an internal review when this was brought to our attention and improvements were immediately made to PRO’s processes as a result.” MLS did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. PSRA, the union, has documented at least five instances of interference, which were laid out in letters sent to PRO on Oct. 25 and Nov. 15, and circulated among its own membership. The letters were provided to The Athletic by an MLS referee, as well as two others relating specifically to correspondence regarding the Crew-Red Bulls game. In an Oct. 24 email from PRO to MLS referees, PRO admitted that its match supervisor had “intervened” and unfairly influenced the game officials in a way that was “outside the scope” of their position. PRO senior director of match officials Mark Geiger, himself a former MLS and international referee, apologized for the interference and expressed his confidence in referee decisions. PSRA responded that, despite the apology, its membership was still concerned about interference and requested that supervisor microphones be made inactive for the rest of the 2024 season, except in the event of a technology failure or an emergency. It also highlighted three inappropriate interventions during NWSL games in April and May.

The international standard of upholding impartiality and protecting referees from interference is at the core of IFAB’s policies, but is deeply felt by fans, too. When the chief refereeing officer of the organization that oversees officiating in the English Premier League was merely seen talking on his phone during a VAR review in October, it was enough to ignite speculation about interference. IFAB’s dedication to transparency is why the referee stays visible during VAR checks and why the monitor feed the referee is watching during these checks is visible to others. There is precedent for punishing interference with VAR. In 2017, Bundesliga referee supervisor Hellmut Krug was demoted by the DFB, Germany’s national federation, after accusations he had unduly influenced two VAR reviews on penalties. After that match, referee supervisors were forbidden from speaking to VARs to preserve the independence of VAR decisions.

Source: Yahoo Sports

CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 2)

8 December 2024

Stellenbosch – RS Berkane
Referee: Issa Sy (SEN, photo)

Desportivo da LS – Stade Malien
Referee: Issa Mohamed (BEN)

CS Constantine – Simba
Referee: Godfrey Nkhakananga (MWI)

Bravos do Maquis – CS Sfaxien
Referee: Patrice Tanguy (GAB)

Orapa United – ASEC Mimosas
Referee: Abdou Mefire (CMR)

ASC Jaraaf – USM Alger
Referee: Samuel Uwikunda (RWA)

Black Bulls – Al Masry
Referee: Joseph Ogabor (NGA)

Enyimba – Zamalek
Referee: Jean-Claude Ishimwe (RWA)

CAF Champions League 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 2)

6-7 December 2024

AS Far – Mamelodi Sundowns
Referee: Dahane Beida (MTN, photo)

AS Maniema Union – Raja CA
Referee: Mahmood Ismail (SDN)

MC Alger – Young Africans
Referee: Daniel Laryea (GHA)

Al Hilal – TP Mazembe
Referee: Amin Omar (EGY)

Orlando Pirates – Al Ahly
Referee: Abdel Bouh (MRI)

Stade d'Abidjan – CR Belouizdad
Referee: Ahmad Heeralall (MRI)

Sagrada Esperança – ES Tunis
Referee: Omar Artan (SOM)

Djoliba – Pyramids
Referee: Mahamat Alhadi (CHA)

Italian referees accused of tax evasion

Several international referees from Italy have found themselves facing sanctions due to tax violations related to income from UEFA for matches played between 2018 and 2022. Among those implicated are Gianluca Rocchi, the current head of refereeing for Serie A and B, and Daniele Orsato, who retired from officiating in August this year.

According to La Repubblica, in the spring of 2023, the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) reported that approximately 50 international referees failed to declare their UEFA income to tax authorities. The minimum payment for officiating games across various European countries is set at €8,000 per match. After receiving the list of referees from the Italian Referees Association (AIA), the investigation extended to regional teams for cross-checking purposes. This scrutiny affected not only football referees but also futsal officials, VAR referees, and their assistants (AVAR). Journalists have pointed out that the level of tax evasion appears to be significant: many referees declared incomes that did not exceed €100,000 — the threshold at which criminal liability begins in Italy. Some officials reportedly funneled money to accounts abroad.

Following notifications from tax authorities, most referees opted to settle the situation by paying reduced fines. Gianluca Rocchi commented: "I did not do this intentionally. All issues have been resolved; it was a misunderstanding." His lawyer, Roberto Cordeiro Guerra, added: "It was an error due to unclear regulations. My client promptly sought to rectify the situation through what is termed operational repentance." Daniele Orsato has not made any comments. In the meantime, the Prosecutor's Office of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) may open a disciplinary case that could lead to serious sanctions.

Source: Footboom

UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 – Qualifying Play-offs (Round 2, Second Leg)

3 December 2024

Czechia – Portugal
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara FIN (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Heini Hyvönen FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Karolin Kaivoja EST
Fourth Official: Hristiyana Guteva BUL
VAR: Katrin Rafalski GER
AVAR: Johann Pfeifer GER
Referee Observer: Marta Atzori ITA

Norway – Northern Ireland
Referee: Jelena Cvetković SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Ivana Jovanović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksandra Kostić SRB
Fourth Official: Volha Blotskaya BLR
VAR: Momčilo Marković SRB
AVAR: Aleksandar Živković SRB
Referee Observer: Katarzyna Wierzbowska POL

Finland – Scotland
Referee: Ewa Augustyn POL
Assistant Referee 1: Paulina Baranowska POL
Assistant Referee 2: Julia Bukarowicz POL
Fourth Official: Monika Mularczyk POL
VAR: Piotr Lasyk POL
AVAR: Wojciech Myć POL
Referee Observer: Sofia Karagiorgi CYP

Austria – Poland
Referee: Ivana Projkovska MKD
Assistant Referee 1: Staša Špur SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Ainhoa Fernández AND
Fourth Official: Ivana Martinčić CRO
VAR: Ivan Bebek CRO
AVAR: Eszter Urbán HUN
Referee Observer: Rhona Daly IRL

Sweden – Serbia
Referee: Eleni Antoniou GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Daniela Göttlinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Georgia Komisopoulou GRE
Fourth Official: Riem Hussein GER
VAR: Angelos Evangelou GRE
AVAR: Franziska Wildfeuer GER
Referee Observer: Anri Hänninen FIN

Belgium – Ukraine
Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Mihaela Țepușă ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Roxana Ivanov ROU
Fourth Official: Roxana Recorean ROU
VAR: Katalin Kulcsár HUN
AVAR: Sorin Costreie ROU
Referee Observer: Pernilla Larsson SWE

Ireland – Wales
Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Eliana Fernández González ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Iragartze Fernández Esesúmaga ESP
Fourth Official: Olatz Rivera Olmedo ESP
VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
AVAR: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
Referee Observer: Petra Pavlíková SVK

Suspended referee Coote at the centre of betting probe in England

Shamed referee David Coote is at the centre of an FA betting probe after it emerged he discussed giving a yellow card before a match. Coote, 42, messaged a pal afterwards: “I hope you backed as discussed.” The FA said it was investigating the “very serious allegations as a matter of urgency”. Coote denies any wrongdoing. Refs’ body the PGMOL - which suspended Coote earlier this month over a foul-mouthed rant about ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp - was poring over the latest “very serious allegations”. A separate investigation was also launched by the FA “as a matter of urgency” into the messages, which came before and after a Leeds United versus West Bromwich Albion game in October 2019. It is understood that Coote accepts a discussion took place, but claims it was only “banter” and nothing improper took place. There is no suggestion that the referee made any financial gains. Coote, who was filmed snorting white powder during the Euros this summer, said in a statement: “Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life they have never affected my decision-making on the field. I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”

In the new exchange unearthed by The Sun, Coote appears keen to impress a Leeds fan he met online. He bragged that he was set to officiate in the upcoming Leeds - West Brom Championship clash. The pal says he jokingly told Coote to give a yellow card to Leeds left-back Ezgjan Alioski so he could put a bet on it at the bookies beforehand. The day before the game, Coote tells him: “Yeah really good I’ve got Leeds tomorrow.” The friend replied: “Ooh big game. We still on for what we ­discussed (Alioski). Maybe I could join you if so.” Coote replies: “Haha don’t know what you mean.” His friend then posts: “Haha well I’m off to back it in the morning so don’t let me down.” Coote answered: “Haha will see.” The following evening, Alioski is booked in the 18th minute of the game for a sliding challenge on Darnell Furlong. Last night football experts said the booking was fully justified given the nature of the tackle. Leeds eventually won the game 1-0 with a goal from Alioski. The following day, Coote messaged his friend again to say: “What a day yesterday. I hope you backed as discussed.” The pal tells him that he did not put money on it but he believes another friend “backed it though”. Coote then replies: “Haha he will have to share with you then.”

Football bosses were examining the latest shock revelations to ensure no corruption exists within the game. The latest allegations come after Coote was suspended for a wide-eyed rant about Liverpool and their then-manager Klopp. The PGMOL said: “The facts need to be established in light of these very serious allegations. We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of our Integrity Code of Conduct, which is signed by all match officials on an annual basis. PGMOL Board is committed to taking the appropriate action should any breach of that Code be proven. David Coote remains suspended and subject to an ongoing disciplinary process by PGMOL, separate to the investigation into this matter which will be carried out independently by the FA. We will be making no further comment at this stage.” The Football Association added: “These are very serious allegations and we are investigating as a matter of urgency.”

Source: The Sun

UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 – Qualifying Play-offs (Round 2, First Leg)

28-29 November 2024

Serbia – Sweden
Referee: Catarina Campos POR (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Andreia Sousa POR
Assistant Referee 2: Vanessa Gomes POR
Fourth Official: Sandra Bastos POR
VAR: André Narciso POR
AVAR: Bruno Esteves POR
Referee Observer: Graziella Pirriatore ITA

Ukraine – Belgium
Referee: Hristiyana Guteva BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Amina Gutschi AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Nargis Magau KAZ
Fourth Official: Elvira Nurmustafina KAZ
VAR: Vasimir El-Hatib BUL
AVAR: Sara Telek AUT
Referee Observer: Gyöngyi Gaál HUN

Poland – Austria
Referee: Olatz Rivera Olmedo ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Iragartze Fernández Esesúmaga ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Ceri Louise Williams WAL
Fourth Official: Marta Huerta De Aza ESP
VAR: César Soto Grado ESP
AVAR: Sian Massey-Ellis ENG
Referee Observer: Dagmar Damková CZE

Northern Ireland – Norway
Referee: Ivana Martinčić CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Maja Petravić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Ivona Pejić CRO
Fourth Official: Jelena Kumer CRO
VAR: Fran Jović CRO
AVAR: Dario Bel CRO
Referee Observer: Claudine Brohet BEL

Wales – Ireland
Referee: Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Francesca Di Monte ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Tiziaana Trasciatti ITA
Fourth Official: Martina Molinaro ITA
VAR: Daniele Doveri ITA
AVAR: Lucie Ratajová CZE
Referee Observer: Miroslava Migalová SVK

Scotland – Finland
Referee: Alina Peşu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Daniela Costantinescu ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Catalina Nan ROU
Fourth Official: Roxana Recorean ROU
VAR: Ovidiu Haţegan ROU
AVAR: Cristina Trandafir ROU
Referee Observer: Blaženka Logarušić CRO

Portugal – Czechia
Referee: Silvia Gasperotti ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Svitlana Grushko UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Veronica Martinelli ITA
Fourth Official: Maria Marotta ITA
VAR: Michael Fabbri ITA
AVAR: Katalin Kulcsár HUN
Referee Observer: Ingrid Jonsson SWE

UEFA Futsal Champions League 2024/2025 – Elite Round

26-30 November 2024

Group A – Cartagena (ESP)
Referees
1. Nikola Jelić CRO (photo)
2. Cedric Pelissier FRA
3. Damian Grabowski POL
4. Dejan Veselič SVN
Timekeeper
Irene Hurtado ESP
Referee Observer
Perry Gautier BEL

Group B – Zagreb (CRO)
Referees
1. Juan Cordero Gallardo ESP
2. Alejandro Martinez Flores ESP
3. Cristiano Santos POR
4. Denys Kutsyi UKR
Timekeeper
Mislav Džeko CRO
Referee Observer
Silvio Borosak SVN

Group C – Lisbon (POR)
Referees
1. Vedran Babic CRO
2. Yiangos Yiangou CYP
3. Dominykas Norkus LTU
4. Petar Radojcic SRB
Timekeeper
Miguel Castilho POR
Referee Observer
Romuald Bourgois FRA

Group D – Palma de Mallorca (ESP)
Referees
1. Grigori Osomkov EST
2. Gabor Kovacs HUN
3. Nicola Manzione ITA
4. Daniel Matkovic SUI
Timekeeper
Diego Martinez Garcia ESP
Referee Observer 

Ivan Novak CRO

UEFA Europa League 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

28 November 2024

Lazio – Ludogorets
Referee: Duje Strukan CRO (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Bojan Zobenica CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Alen Jakšić CRO
Fourth Official: Mario Zebec CRO
VAR: Christian Dingert GER
AVAR: Fedayi San SUI
Referee Observer: John Ward IRL

AZ Alkmaar – Galatasaray
Referee: Horațiu Feșnic ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Valentin Avram ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Alexandru Cerei ROU
Fourth Official: Szabolcs Kovacs ROU
VAR: Cătălin Popa ROU
AVAR: Sebastian Colțescu ROU
Referee Observer: Lucílio Batista POR

Qarabag FK – Olympique Lyonnais
Referee: Nenad Minaković SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Nikola Borović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Boško Božović SRB
Fourth Official: Milan Mitić SRB
VAR: Momčilo Marković SRB
AVAR: Novak Simović SRB
Referee Observer: Cüneyt Çakir TUR

Dynamo Kyiv – Viktoria Plzen
Referee: Luís Godinho POR
Assistant Referee 1: Rui Teixeira POR
Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Mota POR
Fourth Official: Ricardo Baixinho POR
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan ARM

Athletic Bilbao – IF Elfsborg
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili GEO
Assistant Referee 1: Levan Varamishvili GEO
Assistant Referee 2: Zaza Pipia GEO
Fourth Official: Irakli Kherkhadze GEO
VAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
AVAR: Aleko Aptsiauri GEO
Referee Observer: Stefan Messner AUT

RSC Anderlecht – FC Porto
Referee: Morten Krogh DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Dennis Rasmussen DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Steffen Bramsen DEN
Fourth Official: Mikkel Redder DEN
VAR: Luca Pairetto ITA
AVAR: Jonas Hansen DEN
Referee Observer: Ante Vučemilović CRO

Besiktas – Maccabi Tel Aviv
Referee: Simone Sozza ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Alberto Tegoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Giovanni Baccini ITA
Fourth Official: Andrea Colombo ITA
VAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
AVAR: Paolo Mazzoleni ITA
Referee Observer: Stefan Johannesson SWE

FK RFS – PAOK
Referee: Julian Weinberger AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Heidenreich AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Maximilian Kolbitsch AUT
Fourth Official: Stefan Ebner AUT
VAR: Christian Ciochirca AUT
AVAR: Josef Spurny AUT
Referee Observer: David Malcolm NIR

Manchester United – Bodo Glimt
Referee: Lawrence Visser BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Rien Vanyzere BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Thibaud Nijssen BEL
Fourth Official: Simon Bourdeaud’hui BEL
VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
AVAR: Valerio Marini ITA
Referee Observer: Matteo Trefoloni ITA

Tottenham Hotspur – AS Roma
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Clay Ruperti NED
Referee Observer: João Ferreira POR

Slavia Praha – Fenerbahce
Referee: Sascha Stegemann GER
Assistant Referee 1: Marco Achmüller GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christof Günsch GER
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
VAR: Benjamin Brand GER
AVAR: Tobias Reichel GER
Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili GEO

Real Sociedad – AFC Ajax
Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Matej Žunič SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Manuel Vidali SVN
Fourth Official: Martin Matoša SVN
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Dragomir Draganov BUL
Referee Observer: Pascal Garibian FRA

SC Braga – TSG Hoffenheim
Referee: Igor Pajač CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Ivan Mihalj CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Vedran Djurak CRO
Fourth Official: Tihomir Pejin CRO
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
AVAR: Dennis Higler NED
Referee Observer: Sokol Jareci ALB

Ferencvarosi TC – Malmo FF
Referee: Aliyar Aghayev AZE
Assistant Referee 1: Zeynal Zeynalov AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Akif Amirali AZE
Fourth Official: Inqilab Mammadov AZE
VAR: Sören Storks GER
AVAR: Günter Perl GER
Referee Observer: Laurent Duhamel FRA

FC Midtjylland – Eintracht Frankfurt
Referee: Craig Pawson ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Lee Betts ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Ian Hussin ENG
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott ENG
VAR: Michael Salisbury ENG
AVAR: Darren England ENG
Referee Observer: Kenneth Clark SCO

OGC Nice – Rangers FC
Referee: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Iker De Francisco Grijalba ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Alfredo Rodríguez Moreno ESP
Fourth Official: José Munuera Montero ESP
VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
AVAR: Alejandro Hernández Hernández ESP
Referee Observer: Geórgios Bíkas GRE

FC Twente – Union St. Gilloise
Referee: John Beaton SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel McFarlane SCO
Assistant Referee 2: David McGeachie SCO
Fourth Official: Calum Scott SCO
VAR: Andrew Dallas SCO
AVAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
Referee Observer: Michaíl Argyroú CYP

FCSB – Olympiakos
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Riedel AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Santino Schreiner AUT
Fourth Official: Jakob Semler AUT
VAR: Manuel Schüttengruber AUT
AVAR: Walter Altmann AUT
Referee Observer: Uno Tutk EST

UEFA Europa Conference League 2024/25 – Group Stage (Matchday 4)

27 November 2024 

Basaksehir – Petrocub
Referee: Genc Nuza KOS (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Fatlum Berisha KOS
Assistant Referee 2: Bujar Selimaj KOS
Fourth Official: Eridon Podvorica KOS
VAR: Dardan Çaka KOS
AVAR: Visar Kastrati KOS
Referee Observer: Michael Johansen DEN

28 November 2024
Astana FK – Vitoria SC
Referee: Nikola Dabanović MNE
Assistant Referee 1: Vladan Todorović MNE
Assistant Referee 2: Srđan Jovanović MNE
Fourth Official: Miloš Savović MNE
VAR: Gianluca Aureliano ITA
AVAR: Rosario Abisso ITA
Referee Observer: Kostadin Gerginov BUL

Molde – Apoel
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Paweł Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz POL
Fourth Official: Marcin Kochanek POL
VAR: Piotr Lasyk POL
AVAR: Pawel Pskit POL
Referee Observer: Jorn-West Larsen DEN

FC Heidenheim – Chelsea FC
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük NED
Assistant Referee 1: Erwin Zeinstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Johan Balder NED
Fourth Official: Joey Kooij NED
VAR: Rob Dieperink NED
AVAR: Erwin Blank NED
Referee Observer: Thomas Einwaller AUT

Cercle Brugge – Heart of Midlothian
Referee: Elçin Masiyev AZE
Assistant Referee 1: Elşad Abdullayev AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Parvin Talibov AZE
Fourth Official: Farid Haciyev AZE
VAR: Pascal Müller GER
AVAR: Katrin Rafalski GER
Referee Observer: Stephen Tanner ENG

The New Saints – Djurgardens IF
Referee: Philip Farrugia MLT
Assistant Referee 1: Alan Camilleri MLT
Assistant Referee 2: Duncan Sultana MLT
Fourth Official: Trustin Farrugia Cann MLT
VAR: Peter Bankes ENG
AVAR: Andrew Madley ENG
Referee Observer: Antonio Damato ITA

FC St. Gallen – TSC Backa Topola
Referee: Jérémie Pignard FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Aurélien Drouet FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Laurent Coniglio FRA
Fourth Official: Marc Bollengier FRA
VAR: Benoît Millot FRA
AVAR: Éric Wattellier FRA
Referee Observer: Vadims Direktorenko LVA

Panathinaikos – HJK Helsinki
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Robertas Valikonis LTU
VAR: Donatas Šimėnas LTU
AVAR: Orestas Abramavičius LTU
Referee Observer: Pavle Radovanović MNE

Borac Banja Luka – LASK Linz
Referee: Gustavo Correia POR
Assistant Referee 1: Tiago Costa POR
Assistant Referee 2: Nélson Pereira POR
Fourth Official: David Silva POR
VAR: Hélder Malheiro POR
AVAR: Fábio Melo POR
Referee Observer: Albano Janku ALB

NK Celje – Jagiellonia Bialystok
Referee: Allard Lindhout NED
Assistant Referee 1: Rogier Honig NED
Assistant Referee 2: Patrick Inia NED
Fourth Official: Jannick van der Laan NED
VAR: Jeroen Manschot NED
AVAR: Ingmar Oostrom NED
Referee Observer: Rusmir Mrković BIH

Dynamo Minsk – FC Copenhagen
Referee: Michal Očenáš SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Adam Jekkel SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Tobiáš Pacák SVK
Fourth Official: Filip Glova SVK
VAR: Martin Dohál SVK
AVAR: Erik Gemzický SVK
Referee Observer: Clayton Pisani MLT

Noa FA – Vikingur Reykjavik
Referee: Menélaos Antoníou CYP
Assistant Referee 1: Ómiros Tziortzís CYP
Assistant Referee 2: Pávlos Georgíou CYP
Fourth Official: Chrysovalántis Theoulí CYP
VAR: Dimítrios Solomoú CYP
AVAR: Rovértos Kósta CYP
Referee Observer: Christopher Lautier MLT

ACF Fiorentina – Pafos FC
Referee: Espen Eskas NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Daniel Higraff NOR
VAR: Tom Hagen NOR
AVAR: Kristoffer Hagenes NOR
Referee Observer: Alain Sars FRA

Rapid Wien – Shamrock Rovers
Referee: Gergő Bogár HUN
Assistant Referee 1: István Albert HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Theodoros Georgiou HUN
Fourth Official: Bence Csonka HUN
VAR: Tamás Bognár HUN
AVAR: Ferenc Karakó HUN
Referee Observer: Viktor Shvetsov UKR

Omonia Nicosia – Legia Warszawa
Referee: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Miroslav Ivanov BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Petar Mitrev BUL
Fourth Official: Kristiyan Kolev BUL
VAR: Nikola Popov BUL
AVAR: Volen Chinkov BUL
Referee Observer: Mattias Gestranius FIN

Olimpija Ljubljana – Larne FC
Referee: Sander van der Eijk NED
Assistant Referee 1: Rens Bluemink NED
Assistant Referee 2: Roy de Nas NED
Fourth Official: Alex Bos NED
VAR: Jochem Kamphuis NED
AVAR: Richard Martens NED
Referee Observer: Sven Bindels LUX

FC Lugano – KAA Gent
Referee: Enea Jorgji ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Denis Rexha ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Ridiger Çokaj ALB
Fourth Official: Eldorjan Hamiti ALB
VAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
AVAR: Kreshnik Bajramaj ALB
Referee Observer: Sergejus Slyva LTU

Mlada Boleslav – Real Betis
Referee: Daniel Schlager GER
Assistant Referee 1: Rafael Foltyn GER
Assistant Referee 2: Sven Waschitzki GER
Fourth Official: Timo Gerach GER
VAR: Robert Schröder GER
AVAR: Johann Pfeifer GER
Referee Observer: Igor Pristovnik CRO

UEFA Champions League 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

26 November 2024

Sparta Praha – Atletico de Madrid
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Marc Nagtegaal NED
VAR: Rob Dieperink NED
AVAR: Erwin Blank NED
Referee Observer: Emil Božinovski MKD

Slovan Bratislava – AC Milan
Referee: José Sánchez Martínez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero Martínez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Iñigo Prieto López ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz ESP
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
Referee Observer: Herbert Fandel GER

Manchester City – Feyenoord Rotterdam
Referee: Radu Petrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Radu Ghinguleac ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Mircea Grigoriu ROU
Fourth Official: Marcel Bîrsan ROU
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Fedayi San SUI
Referee Observer: Konrad Plautz AUT

Bayern München – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Istvan Kovacs ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi ROU
Fourth Official: Florin Andrei ROU
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Cătălin Popa ROU
Referee Observer: Manuel Díaz Vega ESP

Inter Milano – RB Leipzig
Referee: João Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia POR
Fourth Official: João Gonçalves POR
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: Alejandro Hernández Hernández ESP
Referee Observer: Björn Kuipers NED

FC Barcelona – Stade Brestois
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigović BIH
VAR: Christian Dingert GER
AVAR: Andrew Dallas SCO
Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen NOR

Bayer Leverkusen – FC Salzburg
Referee: Mykola Balakin UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksandr Berkut UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Viktor Matyash UKR
Fourth Official: Vitaliy Romanov UKR
VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
AVAR: Valerio Marini ITA
Referee Observer: Alberto Undiano Mallenco ESP

Sporting CP – Arsenal FC
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Adam Kupsik POL
Assistant Referee 2: Radoslaw Siejka POL
Fourth Official: Paweł Raczkowski POL
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
AVAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Referee Observer: Stéphane Lannoy FRA

BSC Young Boys – Atalanta BC
Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Mangirdas Mirauskas LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Vytenis Kazlauskas LTU
Fourth Official: Vilius Paulauskas LTU
VAR: Dennis Higler NED
AVAR: Clay Ruperti NED
Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin SVN

27 November 2024
Crvena Zvezda – VfB Stuttgart
Referee: Erik Lambrechts BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Jo De Weirdt BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Kevin Monteny BEL
Fourth Official: Nathan Verboomen BEL
VAR: Bram Van Driessche BEL
AVAR: Jan Boterberg BEL
Referee Observer: Mike Riley ENG

Sturm Graz – Girona FC
Referee: Rohit Saggi NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Morten Jensen NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Anders Olav Dale NOR
Fourth Official: Sigurd Smehus Kringstad NOR
VAR: Clay Ruperti NED
AVAR: Pol van Boekel NED
Referee Observer: Boško Jovanetić SRB

Liverpool FC – Real Madrid
Referee: François Letexier FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Jérémy Stinat FRA
VAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
AVAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
Referee Observer: William Young SCO

PSV Eindhoven – Shakhtar Donetsk
Referee: Urs Schnyder SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Marco Zürcher SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Zürcher SUI
Fourth Official: Sven Wolfensberger SUI
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Bastian Dankert GER
Referee Observer: David Fernández Borbalán ESP

Dinamo Zagreb – Borussia Dortmund
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pagès FRA
Fourth Official: Mathieu Vernice FRA
VAR: Willy Delajod FRA
AVAR: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Referee Observer: László Vágner HUN

Celtic FC – Club Brugge
Referee: Georgi Kabakov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Margaritov BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Diyan Valkov BUL
Fourth Official: Vasil Minev BUL
VAR: Dragomir Draganov BUL
AVAR: Christian Dingert GER
Referee Observer: Nuno Castro POR

AS Monaco – SL Benfica
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
VAR: Alen Borošak SVN
AVAR: Asmir Sagrkovič SVN
Referee Observer: Roberto Rosetti ITA

Aston Villa – Juventus FC
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Barbero Sevilla ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Ángel Nevado Rodríguez ESP
Fourth Official: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
VAR: Alejandro Hernández Hernández ESP
AVAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman NED

Bologna FC – LOSC Lille
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
VAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
AVAR: Andrew Dallas SCO
Referee Observer: Dejan Filipović SRB

CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 1)

28 November 2024

CS Sfaxien – CS Constantine
Referee: Mahmoud El-Banna (EGY, photo)

Simba – Bravos do Maquis
Referee: Ibrahim Mutaz (LBY)

RS Berkane – Desportivo da LS
Referee: Messie Nkounkou (CGO)

Stade Malien – Stellenbosch
Referee: Mehrez Melki (TUN)

USM Alger – Orapa United
Referee: Lamin Jammeh (GAM)

ASEC Mimosas – ASC Jaraaf
Referee: Celso Alvacao (MOZ)

Zamalek – Black Bulls
Referee: Mohamed Guedi (DJI)

Al Masry – Enyimba
Referee: Boubou Traore (MLI)

CAF Champions League 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 1)

26-27 November 2024

Raja CA – AS Far
Referee: Issa Sy (SEN, photo)

Al Ahly – Stade d'Abidjan
Referee: Patrice Mebiame (GAB)

CR Belouizdad – Orlando Pirates
Referee: Jean Ndala (COD)

TP Mazembe – MC Alger
Referee: Patrice Milazare (MRI)

Young Africans – Al Hilal
Referee: Samir Guezzaz (MAR)

Mamelodi Sundowns – Maniema Union
Referee: Mohamed Mansour (EGY)

Pyramids – Sagrada Esperança
Referee: Louis Houngnandande (BEN)

ES Tunis – Djoliba
Referee: Abongile Tom (RSA)