UEFA Youth League 2024/2025 – Round of 32

11 February 2025

Real Betis – Bayern Munchen
Referee: Miloš Milanović SRB (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Bojan Tomović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Petar Radić SRB
Fourth Official: Francisco Expósito Jaramillo ESP
Referee Observer:

Dynamo Kyiv – Atalanta BC
Referee: Mikkel Redder DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Deniz Yurdakul DEN
Assistant Referee 2: René Risum DEN
Fourth Official: Ertan Başyigit TUR
Referee Observer:

VfB Stuttgart – Liverpool FC
Referee: Bulat Sariyev KAZ
Assistant Referee 1: Yuriy Tikhonyuk KAZ
Assistant Referee 2: Sergey Kalachyov KAZ
Fourth Official: Felix Prigan GER
Referee Observer:

AZ Alkmaar – SL Benfica
Referee: Mohammad Aslam NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jorgen Valstadsve NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Alf Rossland NOR
Fourth Official: Erwin Blank NED
Referee Observer:

Inter Milano – LOSC Lille
Referee: Menelaos Antoniou CYP
Assistant Referee 1: Giorgios Charalampous CYP
Assistant Referee 2: Giorgios Kontemeniotis CYP
Fourth Official: Luca Zufferli ITA
Referee Observer:

TSG Hoffenheim – Shakhtar Donetsk
Referee: Patrik Kolarić CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Luka Pajić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Starčević CRO
Fourth Official: Fabienne Michel GER
Referee Observer:

12 February 2025
Lokomotiva Zagreb – Sturm Graz
Referee: Lukasz Kuzma POL
Assistant Referee 1: Jakub Winkler POL
Assistant Referee 2: Piotr Podbielski POL
Fourth Official: Ante Culjak CRO
Referee Observer:

Sporting CP – AS Monaco
Referee: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Petar Mitrev BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Krasimir Atanasov BUL
Fourth Official:
Referee Observer:

FC Salzburg – Celtic FC
Referee: Oliver Reitala FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Jukka Honkanen FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Olli Jantunen FIN
Fourth Official: Florian Jäger AUT
Referee Observer:

FC Barcelona – GNK Dinamo
Referee: Stefan Ebner AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Steinacher AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Amina Gutschi AUT
Fourth Official: David López Jiménez ESP
Referee Observer:

FC Midtjylland – Manchester City
Referee: Cláudio Pereira POR
Assistant Referee 1: Tiago Costa POR
Assistant Referee 2: Fábio Silva POR
Fourth Official: Lasse Graagaard DEN
Referee Observer:

Real Madrid – Borussia Dortmund
Referee: Joey Kooij NED
Assistant Referee 1: Dyon Fikkert NED
Assistant Referee 2: Stefan De Groot NED
Fourth Official: Fernando Bueno Prieto ESP
Referee Observer:

Trabzonspor – Juventus
Referee: Joakim Östling SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Robin Wilde SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Simon Kristensson SWE
Fourth Official: Yigit Yardim TUR
Referee Observer:

Olympiacos – Girona
Referee: Jasper Vergoote BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Geerolf BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Martijn Tiesters BEL
Fourth Official: Georgios Kokkinos GRE
Referee Observer:

Puskas Akademia – Aston Villa
Referee: Zorbay Küçük TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Furkan Ürün TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Deniz Özaral TUR
Fourth Official: Marcell Derdák HUN
Referee Observer:

Rapid Wien – Atletico de Madrid
Referee: Ishmael Barbara MLT
Assistant Referee 1: James Muscat MLT
Assistant Referee 2: Duncan Spencer MLT
Fourth Official: Alain Sadikovski AUT
Referee Observer:

UEFA Futsal Euro 2026 Qualifiers – Main Round (Matchday 4)

4-5 February 2025

Finland – Italy
Referee 1: Nikola Jelić CRO (photo)
Referee 2: Mislav Džeko CRO
Third Referee: Marijana Orešić CRO
Timekeeper: Paavo Komppa FIN
Referee Observer: Pedro Galán Nieto ESP

Poland – Slovakia
Referee 1: Chiara Perona ITA
Referee 2: Dario Pezzuto ITA
Third Referee: Martina Piccolo ITA
Timekeeper: Dawid Konieczny POL
Referee Observer: Šarunas Tamulynas LTU

Belarus – Malta
Referee 1: Antonios Adamopoulos GRE
Referee 2: Panagiotis Ntalas GRE
Third Referee: Larisa Avramidou GRE
Timekeeper: Giovanni Zannola ITA
Referee Observer: Romuald Bourgois FRA

Azerbaijan – Greece
Referee 1: Telmen Undrakh NOR
Referee 2: Jacob Pawlowski GER
Third Referee: Dag Tangvik NOR
Timekeeper: Ramil Namazov AZE
Referee Observer: Stefan Tivold SVN

Bulgaria – Georgia
Referee 1: George Jansizian SWE
Referee 2: David Glavonjic SWE
Third Referee: Ademir Avdic SWE
Timekeeper: Georgi Slavchev BUL
Referee Observer: Gjergji Bitri MLT

Ukraine – Germany
Referee 1: Norbert Szilágyi HUN
Referee 2: Péter Zimonyi HUN
Third Referee: Annamaria Tolnay HUN
Timekeeper: Igor Soltanici MDA
Referee Observer: Sebastian Stawicki POL

Sweden – Croatia
Referee 1: Miguel Castilho POR
Referee 2: Cristiano Santos POR
Third Referee: Filipe Duarte POR
Timekeeper: Daniel Sären SWE
Referee Observer: Alessandro Malfer ITA

Czechia – Austria
Referee 1: Dejan Veselič SVN
Referee 2: Aleš Mocnik Peric SVN
Third Referee: Jernej Petek SVN
Timekeeper: Radim Cep CZE
Referee Observer: Antonio Cardoso POR

France – Kosovo
Referee 1: Lars van Leeuwen NED
Referee 2: Joern Te Kloeze NED
Third Referee: Ibrahim El Jilali NED
Timekeeper: Bryan François FRA
Referee Observer: Swen Eichler GER

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Switzerland
Referee 1: Mariia Myslovska UKR
Referee 2: Denys Kutsyi UKR
Third Referee: Orest Dutsiak UKR
Timekeeper: Farik Keco BIH
Referee Observer: Pascal Fritz FRA

England – Spain
Referee 1: Karoliina Tuomi FIN
Referee 2: Kastriot Gerxhaliu SWE
Third Referee: Alice Vévodová CZE
Timekeeper: Peter Nurse ENG
Referee Observer: Victor van Helvoirt NED

Cyprus – Romania
Referee 1: Julien Lang FRA
Referee 2: Jordan Feltesse FRA
Third Referee: Sara Gutiérrez Echeverría ESP
Timekeeper: Michael Christofides CYP
Referee Observer: Vitali Rakutski BLR

Kazakhstan – Denmark
Referee 1: Dominykas Norkus LTU
Referee 2: Mantas Pomeckis LTU
Third Referee: Irmantas Kaprašovas LTU
Timekeeper: Timur Tursumbayev KAZ
Referee Observer: Silvo Borosak SVN

Moldova – Turkey
Referee 1: Kaloyan Kirilov BUL
Referee 2: Trayan Enchev BUL
Third Referee: Dražen Vukčević MNE
Timekeeper: Igor Soltanici MDA
Referee Observer: Bogdan Sorescu ROU

Albania – Armenia
Referee 1: Daniel Matkovic SUI
Referee 2: Darko Boskovic SUI
Third Referee: David Schaerli SUI
Timekeeper: Albano Stolaj ALB
Referee Observer: Angelo Galante ITA

Portugal – North Macedonia
Referee 1: Ugur Cakmak TUR
Referee 2: Hakan Tezcan TUR
Third Referee: Fatma Tursun TUR
Timekeeper: Ruben Santos POR
Referee Observer: Ivan Novak CRO

Andorra – Netherlands
Referee 1: Marjan Mladenovski MKD
Referee 2: Martin Koster DEN
Third Referee: Laurentiu Ilie SMR
Timekeeper: Luis Acosta AND
Referee Observer: Oleg Ivanov UKR

Belgium – Serbia
Referee 1: Aslan Galayev KAZ
Referee 2: Nurlybek Kalimaganbetov KAZ
Third Referee: Turekhan Tursumbayev KAZ
Timekeeper: Juan Boelen BEL
Referee Observer: Tarik Keco BIH

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2025 – First Round (First Leg)

4-6 February 2025

Monagas – Defensor Sporting
Referee: Augusto Aragon ECU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Lescano ECU
Assistant Referee 2: Danny Avila ECU
Fourth Official: Juan Andrade ECU
VAR: Franklin Congo ECU
AVAR: Jefferson Macias ECU
Referee Assessor: Marlon Escalante VEN
VAR Supervisor: Sebastian Restrepo COL

Nacional – Alianza Lima
Referee: John Ospina COL
Assistant Referee 1: Richard Ortiz COL
Assistant Referee 2: Sebastian Vela COL
Fourth Official: Jose Ortiz COL
VAR: Yadir Acuna COL
AVAR: Mauricio Perez COL
Referee Assessor: Juan Zorrilla PAR
VAR Supervisor: Julio Bascunan CHI

Blooming – El Nacional
Referee: Mario Diaz de Vivar PAR
Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Canete PAR
Assistant Referee 2: Julio Aranda PAR
Fourth Official: Jose Mendez PAR
VAR: Ulises Mereles PAR
AVAR: Eduardo Britos PAR
Referee Assessor: Pedro Saucedo BO
VAR Supervisor: Sergio Viola ARG

UEFA Futsal Euro 2026 Qualifiers – Main Round (Matchday 3)

30 January - 1 February 2025

Italy – Belarus
Referee 1: Ondřej Černý CZE (photo)
Referee 2: Jan Kresta CZE
Third Referee: Filip Nesnera CZE
Timekeeper: Simone Zanfino ITA
Referee Observer: Elchin Samadli AZE

Georgia – Bulgaria
Referee 1: Vlad Ciobanu ROU
Referee 2: Laurentiu Deaconu ROU
Third Referee: Yevhen Hordiienko UKR
Timekeeper: Grigol Bliadze GEO
Referee Observer: Edi Sunjić CRO

Romania – Cyprus
Referee 1: Petar Radojcic SRB
Referee 2: Srdjan Mihajlovic SRB
Third Referee: Jasmina Mickoska SRB
Timekeeper: Attila Balint ROU
Referee Observer: Nuno Bogalho POR

Germany – Ukraine
Referee 1: Alejandro Martinez Flores ESP
Referee 2: Juan Cordero Gallardo ESP
Third Referee: Javier Moreno Reina ESP
Timekeeper: Florian Schaible GER
Referee Observer: Ainar Kuusk EST

North Macedonia – Portugal
Referee 1: Yiangos Yiangou CYP
Referee 2: Stephen Vella MLT
Third Referee: Michael Christofides CYP
Timekeeper: Done Ristovski MKD
Referee Observer: Timo Onatsu FIN

Croatia – Azerbaijan
Referee 1: Viktor Bugenko MDA
Referee 2: Grigori Ošomkov EST
Third Referee: Jagnar Jakobson EST
Timekeeper: Dino Kramar CRO
Referee Observer: Perry Gautier BEL

Belgium – Austria
Referee 1: Peter Nurse ENG
Referee 2: Oliver Rodriguez-Ballinger ENG
Third Referee: Zyl Sheriff GIB
Timekeeper: Jiri Bergs BEL
Referee Observer: Vyacheslav Daragan UKR

Kosovo – France
Referee 1: Arttu Kyynaeraeinen FIN
Referee 2: Roosa Tuomi FIN
Third Referee: Paavo Komppa FIN
Timekeeper: Rinor Shala KOS
Referee Observer: Karel Henych CZE

Armenia – Albania
Referee 1: Damian Grabowski POL
Referee 2: Pawel Tokarewicz POL
Third Referee: Monika Czudzinowicz POL
Timekeeper: Gevorg Yeghoyan ARM
Referee Observer: Shota Kukhilava GEO

Denmark – Kazakhstan
Referee 1: Rastislav Behancin SVK
Referee 2: Martin Matula SVK
Third Referee: Ali Jabrayilov AZE
Timekeeper: Rami Ahmad DEN
Referee Observer: Igor Babovic SWE

Netherlands – Andorra
Referee 1: Besart Ismajli KOS
Referee 2: Besar Beqiri KOS
Third Referee: Florentina Kallaba KOS
Timekeeper: Lars Van Leeuwen NED
Referee Observer: Patrick Willemarck BEL

Frappart: Women and Refereeing

After a decade of making history in soccer, French referee Stéphanie Frappart is using her experience to help more women take up the profession. Frappart was the first woman to referee a men’s Ligue 1 game in France and the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match. The 41-year-old Frappart is working with France’s national postal service, La Poste, on a committee promoting female referees called “Women and Refereeing” in conjunction with its four partner federations: soccer, rugby, handball and basketball. Their ambition is to increase female match officials in all sports in France, which currently has an estimated 80-20 split for male refs. “It starts with a change in mentality. Football is played more by men and maybe in handball it’s equal. So, to begin with you have to increase the numbers of women playing football, which in turn increases the number of referees,” Frappart told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “Last season, we had a 14% increase compared with the season before and now, halfway through the season, we already have 5% more female referees than last season.” Frappart says the French soccer federation is fully committed to having more female refs and to more women in the sport’s governance. But La Poste’s committee says the main barriers facing aspiring female referees at the outset are lingering sexism and misogyny. “We remain confronted by certain stereotypes which are difficult to get beyond ... something still anchored in certain cultures and mentalities,” Frappart said. “We have to communicate more on the place women have in football and in society. In media terms, the more women’s soccer is shown on television and the more women’s sport is shown on television, that will change things.”

Frappart was also the first woman to take charge of a men’s Champions League match, back in 2020. Across more than a decade officiating in men’s games — including the French Cup final and World Cup qualifiers — has Frappart received sexist comments? “Not from players and coaches, but from people in the stands,” she said. “There have been some chants and comments.” Frappart became the first woman to take charge of a professional men’s game when she refereed a second-tier French league match in 2014. Others were more worried that day than she was. “For me it was a normal progression. It didn’t make me feel particularly emotional. But I remember one of the directors from (soccer club) Brest who asked me ‘Are you not too stressed?’” she recalled. “I replied ‘Well, actually it’s not my first game.’ It was a higher level match, but not my first.” Five years later, Frappart took charge of a top-tier game between Amiens and Strasbourg. Her ascension continued when she refereed Germany vs. Costa Rica in 2022 at the men’s World Cup in Qatar. She said the context of the tournament shielded her from the impact this was having back home. “I know in France there was a lot of excitement. But (in Qatar) we were more protected in terms of the media, because I was far away and not in my country. We were in a bubble,” she explained. “The moment which had more impact, where you realized the importance of the game, was in Ligue 1. You turned the TV on and you were on it.” There was another first for Frappart when she headed a trio of female officials for a Ligue 1 game in 2023, along with lineswomen Manuela Nicolosi and Élodie Coppola. Later that year, Rebecca Welch became the first female referee in the Premier League.

Frappart is optimistic women’s soccer will continue gathering pace. Last Sunday, U.S. defender Naomi Girma became the first women’s million-dollar transfer when she moved from San Diego Wave to Chelsea. It’s far from the men’s record 222 million euros ($231 million) Paris Saint-Germain paid for Neymar; and Girma’s salary won’t be anything near what Erling Haaland receives from Manchester City after signing a 10-year deal. Frappart sees it differently. “You shouldn’t compare what happens in women’s soccer and in men’s soccer, they are two separate entities with a different economy. But what I would say is that it’s good that transfers like these are starting to happen,” Frappart said. “It’s a positive evolution which shows there are human and financial measures for the development of women’s soccer. Some years ago there were no contracts and the players were still amateurs. Now there is genuine progression, we must push for this to continue.”

Source: AP

UEFA Europa League 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 8)

30 January 2025

AFC Ajax – Galatasaray
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Barbero Sevilla ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Ángel Nevado Rodriguez ESP
Fourth Official: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez ESP
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: Alejandro Hernández Hernández ESP
Referee Observer: Tomasz Mikulski POL

AS Roma – Eintracht Frankfurt
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
VAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
AVAR: Rob Dieperink NED
Referee Observer: Carlos Clos Gómez ESP

Rangers FC – Union St. Gilloise
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz POL
Fourth Official: Marcin Kochanek POL
VAR: Piotr Lasyk POL
AVAR: Bastian Dankert GER
Referee Observer: Fredy Fautrel FRA

Tottenham Hotspur – IF Elfsborg
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Riedel AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Santino Schreiner AUT
Fourth Official: Walter Altmann AUT
VAR: Alan Kijas AUT
AVAR: Dragomir Draganov BUL
Referee Observer: David Fernández Borbalán ESP

Slavia Praha – Malmo FF
Referee: Allard Lindhout NED
Assistant Referee 1: Rogier Honig NED
Assistant Referee 2: Johan Balder NED
Fourth Official: Sander van der Eijk NED
VAR: Clay Ruperti NED
AVAR: Richard Martens NED
Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH

Real Sociedad – PAOK
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: Benoît Millot FRA
Referee Observer: Andreas Schluchter SUI

Braga – Lazio
Referee: John Brooks ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Simon Bennett ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Robathan ENG
Fourth Official: Thomas Bramall ENG
VAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
AVAR: Pol van Boekel NED
Referee Observer: Viktor Kassai HUN

Olympiacos – Qarabag
Referee: Radu Petrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Radu Ghinguleac ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Mircea Grigoriu ROU
Fourth Official: Marcel Birsan ROU
VAR: Cătălin Popa ROU
AVAR: Sebastian Colţescu ROU
Referee Observer: Gediminas Mažeika LTU

Olympique Lyonnais – PFK Ludogorets
Referee: Anastasios Sidiropoulos GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Polychronis Kostaras GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Lazaros Dimitriadis GRE
Fourth Official: Ioannis Papadopoulos GRE
VAR: Angelos Evangelou GRE
AVAR: Dennis Higler NED
Referee Observer: Petteri Kari FIN

Maccabi Tel Aviv – FC Porto
Referee: Nikola Dabanović MNE
Assistant Referee 1: Vladan Todorović MNE
Assistant Referee 2: Srdjan Jovanovic MNE
Fourth Official: Miloš Bošković MNE
VAR: Robert Schröder GER
AVAR: Benjamin Cortus GER
Referee Observer: Michal Beneš CZE

Ferencvarosi TC – AZ Alkmaar
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: Martin Ingvarsson SWE

Dynamo Kyiv – RFS
Referee: Orel Grinfeeld ISR
Assistant Referee 1: Roy Hassan ISR
Assistant Referee 2: Idan Yarkoni ISR
Fourth Official: Gal Leibovitz ISR
VAR: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
AVAR: Tiago Martins POR
Referee Observer: Alain Sars FRA

Midtjylland – Fenerbahce
Referee: Luis Godinho POR
Assistant Referee 1: Rui Teixeira POR
Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Almeida POR
Fourth Official: Miguel Nogueira POR
VAR: Helder Malheiro POR
AVAR: Fábio Melo POR
Referee Observer: Herbert Fandel GER

Athletic Club – Viktoria Plzen
Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Matej Žunič SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Manuel Vidali SVN
Fourth Official: Michael Antič SVN
VAR: Asmir Sagrković SVN
AVAR: Gianluca Aureliano ITA
Referee Observer: John Ward IRL

OGC Nice – Bodo Glimt
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Arber Zalla ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Rejdi Avdo ALB
Fourth Official: Albert Doda ALB
VAR: Luca Pairetto ITA
AVAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
Referee Observer: Pawel Gil POL

RSC Anderlecht – TSG Hoffenheim
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili GEO
Assistant Referee 1: Levan Varamishvili GEO
Assistant Referee 2: Giorgi Elikashvili GEO
Fourth Official: Irakli Kherkhadze GEO
VAR: Jeroen Manschot NED
AVAR: Aleko Aptsiauri GEO
Referee Observer: Neale Barry ENG

FC Twente – Besiktas JK
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Wojciech Myc POL
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
AVAR: Pawel Pskit POL
Referee Observer: Stefan Messner AUT

FCSB – Manchester United
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: Patrick Hanslbauer GER
Referee Observer: Shmuel Shteif ISR

Ex-FIFA referee Coote: “I’m gay but hid my sexuality in macho football world, leading to behaviour I regret”

Sacked referee David Coote has revealed he turned to cocaine over fear of coming out in the “macho world” of the Premier League. Tearful Coote said he took coke to “escape” after being forced to hide being gay. Coote also admitted he was “not sober” in his rant at ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, and got abuse and death threats as a ref. The sacked 42-year-old told how living a lie led him down paths that eventually torpedoed his career. Coote told The Sun: “I felt a deep sense of shame during my teenage years in particular. I didn’t come out to my parents until I was 21. I didn’t come out to my friends until I was 25. My sexuality isn’t the only reason that led me to be in that position. But I’m not telling an authentic story if I don’t say that I’m gay, and that I’ve had real struggles dealing with hiding that. I hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well — a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being. And that’s led me to a whole course of behaviours.” He says he has been in an “incredibly dark place” since news emerged of his drug-taking at Euro 2024. Without the support of family and colleagues, he added, “I’m not sure I’d be here today”. Giving his first interview since the scandal broke, he said he hoped to help break down the “macho world” of Premier League football. He added: “I’ve had issues around my self-esteem - and that relates to my sexuality. I’m gay and I’ve struggled with feeling proud of being ‘me’ over a long period of time. I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref and to add my sexuality to that would have been really difficult. There’s a lot to be done throughout football and more widely in society with regard to discrimination. I didn’t want to be that person that was putting their head above the parapet to be shot at, given the abuse we all get as a referee in any event.”

Coote was suspended last October after footage showed him calling then-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp a “c***”. The Sun then revealed a film of him snorting powder at last summer’s Euros in Germany. We also told how he tried to arrange a drugs party during Spurs’ Carabao Cup win over Man City on October 30. Coote was then the subject of a new FA probe over allegedly issuing a yellow card to order - before he was eventually fired. In an emotional interview, he says a “pressure cooker” of suppressed emotion, combined with a punishing work schedule, left him wanting to “escape” with cocaine. He said: “It’s not something I was reliant on day by day, week by week, month by month. I’ve had long periods where I’ve not used it - but it was one of the escape routes I had. Just getting away from the stresses, the relentlessness of the job. It fills me with a huge sense of shame to say that I took that route.” He recalled: “In 2023 I lost my mum very suddenly. At the same time my uncle was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. After Covid and the introduction of VAR, six officials were suddenly needed for each game. I was selected by FIFA for the U17 World Cup in Indonesia, as well as the Euros and Olympics last year. It meant that over the course of the 2023-24 season I was involved in more than 90 games - often back-to-back. At the end of last season I went straight into the Euros and that was incredibly pressurised. I had another tournament coming up immediately - heading to Paris for the Olympics.” The cocaine footage saw him inhale a 4in line up a US banknote. Another image showed his bank card next to six chopped-up lines. He said: “I don’t recognise myself in the cocaine video. I can’t resonate with how I felt then, but that was me. I was struggling with the schedule and there was no opportunity to stop. And so I found myself in that position - escaping.”

Coote is still being probed after a pal told him he was putting money on Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski getting booked before a 2019 clash against West Brom. Coote did caution the player and later messaged his friend: “I hope you backed as discussed.” However, he told The Sun: “There was no agreement prior to the game. I went and did my job. The player committed a yellow card tackle.” He added: “I received nothing for it. I’m really disappointed that anything like this has come out because it tarnishes the integrity of the game. And whatever people think of me as a referee, as a human I have always gone out and done my best on the pitch.” Coote says he was merely trying to “deflect” the pal but admitted: “I wasn’t in a great place, and I was messaging people that in hindsight I shouldn’t have trusted. I was naive.” Coote says he “made some really poor choices and I really wish I could turn back the clock now and do things differently”. But he said he can instead take responsibility. After seeking therapy, he has kicked his drug habit. Coote said: “I put on this hard exterior. Football became a place where I could go and referee and be engrossed in the game. But then I’d come home, and it would be more difficult because I’m living a double sense of being. To other people who are in my situation, I’d say seek help and talk to somebody because if you bottle it up like I have done it has to come out in some way.” Coote believes the dramatic events which cost him his beloved job in football has helped him take stock. He said: “It’s been incredibly tough because I loved the game. I started refereeing when I was 14. I’ve found it easier since knowing my fate and being able to re-evaluate what’s important to me. To spend some quality time with family and friends, and take time to make sure I’m in the best place to move forwards.”

Source: The Sun

UEFA Champions League 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 8)

29 January 2025

VfB Stuttgart – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Davide Massa ITA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Ciro Carbone ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Stefano Alassio ITA
Fourth Official: Michael Fabbri ITA
VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
AVAR: Luca Pairetto ITA
Referee Observer: Haim Jakov ISR

PSV Eindhoven – Liverpool FC
Referee: Tobias Stieler GER
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Gittelmann GER
Assistant Referee 2: Mark Borsch GER
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
VAR: Sören Storks GER
AVAR: Sascha Stegemann GER
Referee Observer: Frank De Bleeckere BEL

Sporting CP – Bologna FC
Referee: Benoît Bastien FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Zakrani FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Aurélien Berthomieu FRA
Fourth Official: Thomas Leonard FRA
VAR: Benoît Millot FRA
AVAR: Andrew Dallas SCO
Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili GEO

BSC Young Boys – Crvena Zvezda
Referee: Halil Meler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Kerem Ersoy TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Ibrahim Uyarcan TUR
Fourth Official: Arda Kardeşler TUR
VAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
AVAR: Paolo Mazzoleni ITA
Referee Observer: Marián Ružbarský SVK

Sturm Graz – RB Leipzig
Referee: Mykola Balakin UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksandr Berkut UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Viktor Matyash UKR
Fourth Official: Vitaliy Romanov UKR
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Lukas Fähndrich SUI
Referee Observer: Jon Skjervold NOR

Manchester City – Club Brugge
Referee: José Sánchez Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Inigo Prieto Lopez ESP
Fourth Official: César Soto Grado ESP
VAR: Alejandro Hernández Hernández ESP
AVAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
Referee Observer: Stefan Johannesson SWE

Bayern Munchen – Slovan Bratislava
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: Stuart Attwell ENG
Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO

Inter Milano – AS Monaco
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigovic BIH
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Piotr Lasyk POL
Referee Observer: Thomas Einwaller AUT

Borussia Dortmund – Shakhtar Donetsk
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
VAR: Dennis Johan Higler NED
AVAR: Alan Kijas AUT
Referee Observer: Matteo Trefoloni ITA

FC Barcelona – Atalanta BC
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley ENG
VAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
AVAR: Darren England ENG
Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin SVN

Bayer Leverkusen – Sparta Praha
Referee: Georgi Kabakov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Margaritov BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Martin Venev BUL
Fourth Official: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
VAR: Dragomir Draganov BUL
AVAR: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
Referee Observer: Stefano Podeschi SMR

Juventus FC – SL Benfica
Referee: Istvan Kovacs ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi ROU
Fourth Official: Horațiu Feșnic ROU
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Angelos Evangelou GRE
Referee Observer: Michael Riley ENG

GNK Dinamo - AC Milan
Referee: François Letexier FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Jérémie Pignard FRA
VAR: Willy Delajod FRA
AVAR: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Referee Observer: Bernardino González Vázquez ESP

FC Salzburg – Atletico de Madrid
Referee: Anthony Taylor ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn ENG
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott ENG
VAR: Michael Salisbury ENG
AVAR: Peter Bankes ENG
Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan ARM

LOSC Lille – Feyenoord
Referee: Slavko Vinčić SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: Martin Matoša SVN
VAR: Alen Borošak SVN
AVAR: Dragoslav Perič SVN
Referee Observer: Itchko Lozev BUL

Aston Villa – Celtic FC
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pages FRA
Fourth Official: Romain Lissorgue FRA
VAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
AVAR: Rob Dieperink NED
Referee Observer: Alain Hamer LUX

Girona – Arsenal
Referee: Maurizio Mariani ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni ITA
Fourth Official: Daniele Doveri ITA
VAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
AVAR: Valerio Marini ITA
Referee Observer: Vladimir Petrov UKR

Stade Brestois – Real Madrid
Referee: Espen Eskas NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Kristoffer Hagenes NOR
VAR: Christian Dingert GER
AVAR: Pascal Müller GER
Referee Observer: Emil Bozinovski MKD

Toros Kibritjian: Sparkling dialogue referee vs coach

One of the finest American referees, Toros Kibritjian, has passed away at 90. Kibritjian was a FIFA game official in his day and worked the middle in games in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League, among other competitions. He was the referee of the 1977 Soccer Bowl between the New York Cosmos and the Seattle Sounders, which was Pele’s final competitive match. Kibritjian also was an assistant referee for a World Cup qualifying match between El Salvador and Guatemala with another respective U.S. referee, Gino D’Ippolito working the middle. Both men were selected to work the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, but they never traveled to the Soviet Union due to the U.S. Olympic boycott initiated by President Carter.

In his self-published autobiography, Quest for the Cup, Kibritjian wrote about his background. He was born in Aleppo, Syria. Kibritjian wrote that he came from a family of “soccer enthusiasts.” His father played soccer in Turkish-occupied Armenia before World War I. Kibritjian emigrated to the U.S. in 1954 on a student visa and joined a Boy Scout troop and played soccer. When his visa expired, he was to return to Syria, but his aunt adopted him “and kept me in this country as her son, for which I am grateful,” Kibritjian wrote. Beyond his refereeing ability, Kibritjian also was known for getting fired from his full-time job as an MISL referee in 1986, due a passage in the book. He wrote about a confrontation with Chicago Sting head coach Willy Roy during a 1985 playoff game between Chicago and the Cleveland Force. Here is what Kibritjian wrote in the book: “During the game, every time I passed in front of the Chicago bench, Willy Roy would say, “Toros, you’re a gangster. Toros, you’re a disgrace. Toros, you’re a star, Hollywood star.” Then, like a thunderstorm, he would shower me with nouns such as “cheater, homer, animal,” including “son of a bitch” (with a smile) and many more. Finally, he could not stand my silence any longer. He asked for an official timeout in the fourth period. As I was signaling for a timeout, he rushed behind me and shouted, “I swear to you that you will never referee my team again.” I smiled and started moving away from him. He was not done with me yet. He continued, “I swear to you and promise you that you will never, ever referee in this league again. You are through, you are finished.” I slowly turned around and said, “Willy, thank you for your classy descriptions of my character, but let me tell you something. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday and I will be going to church. I will pray for you. Let me warn you though, that anyone who tries to take the bread off my family’s table will be punished by God.” Immediately after the game the owner of the Chicago Sting made an announcement to the media along the following lines: Next year, either Toros is out of the Major Indoor Soccer League or the Chicago Sting may have to get out. Well, the next year has come and both Toros and Chicago Sting are in the MISL.”

MISL director of operations Jim Budish fired Kibritjian from his $30,000-a-year job as a fulltime referee. Bill Kentling was commissioner at the time. ”I can`t have it,” Kentling was quoted by the Chicago Tribune. ”Someone who has made the kind of remarks he did can`t be an objective official. He was terminated or dismissed because he jeopardized his impartiality and his objectivity as a referee by including certain comments in his book which did just that,” MISL director of operations Jim Budish told the Los Angeles Times at the time. “One of the things that a referee has to have above everything else is not just being impartial but the appearance of being neutral out there, of starting every game fresh. I can’t have a referee refereeing Chicago games when he has preconceived ideas about the ownership, the coaches or the players on that team. Taking that a step further, how can you have a guy officiate games which have a bearing on Chicago’s games?” Kibritjian gave his side to the Tribune. ”It must be a good review,” he said. ”In my opinion, they`re trying to show the other referees how to behave. If you can fire Toros, you can fire anyone. They told me that what I wrote is not a good image for the league. I didn`t write it for malice. I never held it against them [the Sting], but I knew they were out to get me. I just wanted to show the problems of referees at all levels.” Kibritjian eventually sued the league. After Kentling left his post as commissioner, Kibritjian returned to the league under commissioner Earl Foreman in 1989, during the latter’s second tenure in charge. Years later, Kibritjian authored his second book, My Life Between Playing Fields and Heaven.

Source: FrontRowSoccer

Referee Claus relives his playing days

The referee of the recent Copa America 2024 final, Raphael Claus, who is now 45, traded the whistle for the boots in a special X1 on Globo Esporte where he demonstrated high-level playing skills.

The Brazilian referee, who tried to be a player before starting his career in refereeing, was the guest of presenter Fred Bruno for the challenge, while the goalkeeper was Sergio, a name that made history in Brazilian football. Raphael Claus refereed at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Source: DataFutebol

FIFA World Cup 2026 – VAR Candidates Seminar (AFC, CAF)

Doha (Qatar), 19-21 January 2025

AFC Video Match Officials 

1. Shaun Evans (AUS, 1987)
2. Kate Jacewicz (AUS, 1985)
3. Fu Ming (CHN, 1983, photo)
4. Jumpei Iida (JPN, 1981)
5. Kim Woo-Sung (KOR, 1987)
6. Abdullah Jamali (KUW, 1992)
7. Khamis Al-Marri (QAT, 1984)
8. Abdullah Al-Shehri (KSA, 1992)
9. Muhammad Bin Jahari (SIN, 1986)
10. Sivakorn Pu-Udom (THA, 1987)
11. Obaid Mohammed (UAE, 1984)
12. Firdavs Norsafarov (UZB, 1994)

CAF Video Match Officials
1. Lahlou Benbraham (ALG, 1986)
2. Mahmoud Ashour (EGY, 1976)
3. Letticia Viana (ESW, 1985)
4. Hamza El-Fariq (MAR, 1990)
5. Dahane Beida (MTN, 1991)
6. Maria Rivet (MRI, 1984)
7. Abongile Tom (RSA, 1991)
8. Haythem Guirat (TUN, 1990)

Concacaf Referee Seminar 2025

For the second consecutive time, Costa Rica hosts the most important event of CONCACAF refereeing: a seminar that brings together prospective referees, experienced referees, technical and fitness instructors.

Lance VanHaitsma, Concacaf Referee Development Manager, said they are very happy to be able to carry out this seminar on Costa Rican soil and thanked the Costa Rican Football Federation for the conditions offered. Concacaf Referee Academy is a program that is part of a development strategy that gives the opportunity to identify and train a new generation of referees who can grow in a competitive system, he said. The seminar began with the presence of 14 referees who take their first steps in Concacaf, but who in their respective countries are considered as prospects in the area. This first part of the seminar is divided into theoretical sessions and then practice on the field, where the prospective referees will have high-level training for their development. From 26 January, 120 more referees will arrive in Costa Rica for the second part of the seminar for advanced development and who are expected to be in upcoming tournaments such as the CNL Final Four, the Champions Cup and the Gold Cup.

The seminar is being conducted by Lance VanHaitsma, Concacaf Referee Development Manager, Malcolm Ramsey, Concacaf Referee Development Coordinator, Peter Prendergast, FIFA Technical Instructor, Alan Brown, FIFA Fitness Instructor, Leonel Leal, FIFA Technical Instructor, Jeffrey Solis, FIFA Technical Instructor and host of the event.

Source: FCRF

UEFA Europa League 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 7)

21 January 2025

Galatasaray – Dynamo Kyiv
Referee: Kristo Tohver EST (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Silver Koiv EST
Assistant Referee 2: Sander Saga EST
Fourth Official: Kevin Kaivoja EST
VAR: Marko Liiva EST
AVAR: Joonas Jaanovits EST
Referee Observer: László Vagner HUN

22 January 2025
Besiktas JK – Athletic Club
Referee: Julian Weinberger AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Heidenreich AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Maximilian Kolbitsch AUT
Fourth Official: Stefan Ebner AUT
VAR: Manuel Schuettengruber AUT
AVAR: Alan Kijas AUT
Referee Observer: Ante Vučemilović CRO

23 January 2025
FC Porto – Olympiakos SFP
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Erwan Finjean FRA
Fourth Official: Mathieu Vernice FRA
VAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
AVAR: Willy Delajod FRA
Referee Observer: Juan Fernández Marín ESP

AZ Alkmaar – AS Roma
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Antoni Bandić BIH
VAR: Christian Dingert GER
AVAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Referee Observer: Helmut Fleischer GER

Fenerbahce – Olympique Lyonnais
Referee: Simone Sozza ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Alberto Tegoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Giorgio Peretti ITA
Fourth Official: Matteo Marchetti ITA
VAR: Paolo Mazzoleni ITA
AVAR: Daniele Doveri ITA
Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen NOR

Qarabag – FCSB
Referee: Filip Glova SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Polacek SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Peter Bednar SVK
Fourth Official: Lukáš Dzivjak SVK
VAR: Michal Očenáš SVK
AVAR: Martin Dohal SVK
Referee Observer: Martin Hansson SWE

Viktoria Plzen – RSC Anderlecht
Referee: Antonio Nobre POR
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Ribeiro POR
Assistant Referee 2: Nelson Pereira POR
Fourth Official: Bruno Vieira POR
VAR: André Narciso POR
AVAR: Fábio Melo POR
Referee Observer: Dejan Filipović SRB

Bodo Glimt – Maccabi Tel Aviv
Referee: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoechea ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Iker De Francisco Grijalba ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Alfredo Rodriguez Moreno ESP
Fourth Official: José Munuera Montereo ESP
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez ESP
Referee Observer: Lassin Isaksen FRO

Malmo FF – FC Twente
Referee: Sascha Stegemann GER
Assistant Referee 1: Christof Günsch GER
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller GER
Fourth Official: Martin Petersen GER
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Sören Storks GER
Referee Observer: Kenneth William Clark SCO

TSG Hoffenheim – Tottenham Hotspur
Referee: Morten Krogh DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Dennis Rasmussen DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Steffen Bramsen DEN
Fourth Official: Mikkel Redder DEN
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Fedayi San SUI
Referee Observer: Vlado Svilokos CRO

Manchester United – Rangers FC
Referee: Erik Lambrechts BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Jo de Weirdt BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Mathias Hillaert BEL
Fourth Official: Nathan Verboomen BEL
VAR: Bram Van Driessche BEL
AVAR: Benjamin Brand GER
Referee Observer: Markus Strömbergsson SWE

Eintracht Frankfurt – Ferencvarosi TC
Referee: Enea Jorgji ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Denis Rexha ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Ridiger Çokaj ALB
Fourth Official: Eldorjan Hamiti ALB
VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
AVAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Referee Observer: David Malcom NIR

Lazio – Real Sociedad
Referee: Lawrence Visser BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Rien Vanyzere BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Thibaud Nijssen BEL
Fourth Official: Simon Bourdeaud'hui BEL
VAR: Rob Dieperink NED
AVAR: Dennis Higler NED
Referee Observer: Alan Mario Sant MLT

PAOK – Slavia Praha
Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Matej Žunič SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Manuel Vidali SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
VAR: Asmir Sagrković SVN
AVAR: Alen Borošak SVN
Referee Observer: Edward Foley IRL

Union St. Gilloise – SC Braga
Referee: Nicholas Walsh SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Graeme Stewart SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Calum Spence SCO
Fourth Official: Christopher Graham SCO
VAR: Andrew Dallas SCO
AVAR: Steven McLean SCO
Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman NED

PFK Ludogorets – FC Midtjylland
Referee: Mohammed Al-Hakim SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mehmet Culum SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Fredrik Klyver SWE
Fourth Official: Granit Maqedonci SWE
VAR: Pascal Müller GER
AVAR: Robert Schröder GER
Referee Observer: Alexandru Deaconu ROU

RFS – Ajax
Referee: Marian Barbu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Ovidiu Artene ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Imre Bucsi ROU
Fourth Official: Rares Vidican ROU
VAR: Ovidiu Haţegan ROU
AVAR: Adrian Costreie ROU
Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine NIR

IF Elsborg – OGC Nice
Referee: Igor Pajač CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Ivan Mihalj CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Vedran Djurak CRO
Fourth Official: Tihomir Pejin CRO
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
Referee Observer: Nuno Castro POR

Spanish refereeing mourns Ramos Marcos

The world of Spanish refereeing is in mourning following the passing of Joaquín Ramos Marcos, one of the country's most renowned officials. Ramos Marcos refereed a remarkable 151 Primera Division matches, but also in international competitions, and became popular also for his collaboration in some sports media as an analyst. He died over the weekend at the age of 78, after failing to recover from a heart attack suffered on 20 December 2024.

Ramos Marcos, originally from Salamanca, began his refereeing career in 1965 and remained active for 25 seasons, becoming one of the most recognizable figures in Spanish football. He retired at the age of 46 during the 1992-93 season, after officiating a match between Real Sociedad and Sevilla on Matchday 12 in December. Additionally, Ramos Marcos contributed to various sports programs across television and radio, including El Día Después, maintaining his presence in football even after stepping down as a referee. His credentials as a referee are impressive. He refereed three Spanish Cup finals (1986-87, 1987-88, 1990-91) and performed on the international stage, having taken charge of five UEFA Cup matches and a Champions Cup encounter, the 9-0 victory of Ajax over Rabat in the Round of 16 during the 1986-87 season. He was also honored twice with the Guruceta Trophy for the best referee in La Liga, winning the award in the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons.

Source: FootBoom

UEFA Champions League 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 7)

21 January 2025 

Atalanta BC – Sturm Graz
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Robertas Šmitas LTU
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: Christian Dingert GER
Referee Observer: Jan Wegereef NED

AS Monaco – Aston Villa
Referee: Slavko Vinčić SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: Rade Obrenovič SVN
VAR: Alen Borošak SVN
AVAR: Dragoslav Perič SVN
Referee Observer: Lutz-Michael Fröhlich GER

Slovan Bratislava – VfB Stuttgart
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Lee Betts ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Neil Davies ENG
Fourth Official: Darren England ENG
VAR: Michael Salisbury ENG
AVAR: Peter Bankes ENG
Referee Observer: Drago Kos SVN

Club Brugge – Juventus FC
Referee: Benoît Bastien FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Zakrani FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Aurélien Berthomieu FRA
Fourth Official: Thomas Leonard FRA
VAR: Willy Delajod FRA
AVAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Referee Observer: Cüneyt Çakir TUR

Atletico de Madrid – Bayer Leverkusen
Referee: Davide Massa ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Ciro Carbone ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Stefano Alassio ITA
Fourth Official: Michael Fabbri ITA
VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
AVAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Referee Observer: Terje Hauge NOR

SL Benfica – Barcelona FC
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Allard Lindhout NED
VAR: Rob Dieperink NED
AVAR: Dennis Higler NED
Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis CYP

Liverpool FC – LOSC Lille
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Dietz GER
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Sören Storks GER
Referee Observer: Luis Medina Cantalejo ESP

Bologna FC – Borussia Dortmund
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük NED
Assistant Referee 1: Erwin Zeinstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Patrick Inia NED
Fourth Official: Jeroen Manschot NED
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Fedayi San SUI
Referee Observer: Lucílio Batista POR

Crvena Zvezda – PSV Eindhoven
Referee: István Kovács ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi ROU
Fourth Official: Horațiu Mircea Feșnic ROU
VAR: Cătălin Popa ROU
AVAR: Sebastian Colţescu ROU
Referee Observer: Pascal Garibian FRA

22 January 2025
RB Leipzig – Sporting CP
Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Mangirdas Mirauskas LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Vytenis Kazlauskas LTU
Fourth Official: Vilius Paulauskas LTU
VAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
AVAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
Referee Observer: Bertrand Layec FRA

Shakhtar Donetsk – Stade Brestois
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: Rob Dieperink NED
Referee Observer: Sokol Jareci ALB

Real Madrid – FC Salzburg
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
VAR: Dennis Higler NED
AVAR: Pol van Boekel NED
Referee Observer: Stavros Tritsonis GRE

Paris St. Germain – Manchester City
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Damian Kos POL
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
AVAR: Tiago Martins POR
Referee Observer: Edgar Steinborn GER

Sparta Praha – Inter Milano
Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández ESP
Assistant Referee 1: José Naranjo Perez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sánchez Rojo ESP
Fourth Official: César Soto Grado ESP
VAR: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
AVAR: Valentín Pizzaro Gómez ESP
Referee Observer: Uno Tutk EST

Arsenal FC – GNK Dinamo
Referee: Daniel Siebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager GER
VAR: Christian Dingert GER
AVAR: Bram Van Driessche BEL
Referee Observer: João Ferreira POR

Celtic FC – Young Boys
Referee: Rohit Saggi NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Morten Jensen NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Anders Dale NOR
Fourth Official: Kristoffer Hagenes NOR
VAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
AVAR: Benjamin Brand GER
Referee Observer: Kyros Vassaras GRE

Feyenoord – Bayern Munchen
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: Willy Delajod FRA
Referee Observer: Murat Ilgaz TUR

AC Milan – Girona FC
Referee: Tobias Stieler GER
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Gittelmann GER
Assistant Referee 2: Mark Borsch GER
Fourth Official: Matthias Jöllenbeck GER
VAR: Sören Storks GER
AVAR: Bastian Dankert GER
Referee Observer: Jorn-West Larsen DEN

Conflict of interest in Peru: FIFA Referee or FPF Director?

Gabriela Moreno is an active international referee and a director of the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF), which is prohibited according to FIFA regulations. At the end of November 2024, following the preliminary arrest of the FPF president Agustín Lozano, three members of his Board of Directors decided to resign. Raúl Bao, Juan Enrique Dupuy and Gisella Mandriotti left their posts and, shortly after, were replaced by Freddy Ames, Claudio Limaylla and Gabriela Moreno. The last person mentioned is currently an active FIFA referee. According to the statutes of the FPF, the Board of Directors - charged with making decisions governing the functioning of Peruvian football - must have a female member. In addition, it is specified that an active player cannot be a member, but it is not specified what happens in the case of referees. Then the question arises: is there a conflict of interest in Gabriela Moreno's appointment?

Chapter 8 of the FIFA Referee Regulations, concerning conflicts of interest, states that the referees proposed for inclusion on the international lists may not exercise any official role as members of an executive committee, secretaries general or members of the referees committee commission of a club, member federation, confederation or FIFA during the period for which they have been proposed. The circular was sent on 5 September 2024 and has the signature of Mattias Grafstrom, current secretary general of FIFA. After becoming aware of the FIFA regulations, RPP contacted the president of the National Referees Committee, Winston Reategui, who indicated that Moreno's case constitutes a clear and relevant conflict of interest. The five directors of CONAR agree that it is a fairly objective and clear standard. “In order to safeguard the confidence levels, we have elevated the case to the Integrity and Ethics Office of the FPF”, said Reategui. The current head of Peruvian refereeing added that Gabriela Moreno is already aware of the position of CONAR. “I've talked to her and she knows about this FIFA directive. In these circumstances, she has to decide whether she wants to continue as an international referee or director of the FPF for 2025. I cannot give details of the dialogue, out of respect, but I do confirm that she has already been informed about our decision”, he added. The National Referees Committee held three investigative meetings, but Moreno did not attend any of them. RPP contacted Gabriela Moreno to request her position, but there was no response from the FIFA referee.

Source: RPP

CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 6)

19 January 2025

Stade Malien – Desportivo da LS
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (ALG, photo)

Simba – CS Constantine
Referee: Celso Alvacao (MOZ)

CS Sfaxien – Bravos do Maquis
Referee: Younoussa Camara (GUI)

RS Berkane – Stellenbosch
Referee: Ahmed Arajiga (TAN)

USM Alger – ASC Jaraaf
Referee: Aklesso Gnama (TOG)

ASEC Mimosas – Orapa United
Referee: Lamin Jammeh (GAM)

Zamalek – Enyimba
Referee: Pierre Atcho (GAB)

Al Masry – Black Bulls
Referee: Franck Bito (CMR)

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

17-18 January 2025

TP Mazembe – Al Hilal
Referee: Jalal Jayed (MAR, photo)

Young Africans – MC Alger
Referee: Patrice Milazare (MRI)

Mamelodi Sundowns – AS Far
Referee: Peter Waweru (KEN)

Raja CA – AS Maniema
Referee: Andofetra Rakotojaona (MAD)

Al Ahly – Orlando Pirates
Referee: Babacar Sarr (MRI)

CR Belouizdad – Stade d'Abidjan
Referee: Alhadi Mahamat (CHA)

ES Tunis – Sagrada Esperanca
Referee: Adalbert Diouf (SEN)

Pyramids – Djoliba
Referee: Mahmood Ismail (SDN)

FIFA referee Mahsa Ghorbani left Iran due to death threats, interrogation

For years, Iran’s Mahsa Ghorbani, a pioneering women’s football referee, stood resiliently against social and government restrictions, until she no longer could, and left her home country for Sweden in December.

Born in 1989, Ghorbani’s first experience as an Asian football referee was at the under-14 tournaments. In 2017 she was recognized by FIFA as an international referee. In July, she made sports history as the first Iranian woman to referee an international football match when she officiated the U20 CAFA Championship match between Tajikistan and Afghanistan in the Kyrgyz city of Jalal-Abad. Previously Ghorbani officiated in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and men’s matches in the second division league of the Maldives. However, the tide turned against Ghorbani when she was appointed as a video assistant referee (VAR) official to monitor a men’s match involving Tehran’s two largest sides, Esteghlal and Persepolis, played on 13 March 2024. In the days leading up to the high-profile Tehran derby match, she faced widespread official opposition in Iran and her name was removed from the referee list by the Iran Football Federation (IFF) just 48 hours before the fixture, despite support from FIFA, world football’s official governing body. After facing death threats, insinuations of staged car accidents and acid attacks, and repeated interrogations by the IFF, Ghorbani made a momentous decision to leave Iran. In a telephone call with the Iran Football Federation’s communications and public relations officer, the organisation was given the opportunity to comment on Ghorbani’s specific allegations of mistreatment. Al Jazeera’s reporter was told that the federation had no comment and that they should not call again. In this interview, Ghorbani speaks candidly about her love for football, anger at the injustices she faced as a female football referee in Iran, and her hope for a brighter future.

Al Jazeera: Mahsa, why did you decide to emigrate to Sweden?

Mahsa Ghorbani: I reached a point in refereeing where I was one step away from the FIFA World Cup, but the Iran Football Federation (IFF) removed me, under pressure from other [internal] institutions. After the World Cup, there was the Tehran derby incident. They turned officiating a football match into a death threat. They are afraid of giving women space to grow. One time they said: “Today, you officiate in the VAR room, tomorrow you want to referee on the sidelines, and the day after, you want to be the main referee on the field!” I always wanted to stay and succeed [as a referee] under Iran’s name, but I reached a stage where I faced death threats and realized there was no more room even for one step forward.

- What threats did you face and from whom?

- A few days before the [Tehran derby] match, officials tried to find any justification to bring me to the football federation. When I went there [to the IFF], they switched off my phone and took it. They also said my bag would be kept outside the room. When I entered the room there were two security representatives and several federation officials present, and they locked the door. At first, they politely asked me to withdraw from officiating the match. Then they asked me to write a letter saying I was not mentally and psychologically fit to referee this match. Finally, they asked me to sit in front of a camera and say that I was too ill to do it.

- Why did the Iran Football Federation ask you to do this?

- Their [IFF’s] issue wasn’t with the media or the people of Iran. They just wanted a document to present to FIFA to prevent political interference in sports. I did not comply with their demands. However, I later learned that a letter – which I did not write or sign – had been sent by the Federation to FIFA stating that I, Mahsa Ghorbani, due to suffering from a severe illness, was not fit to officiate the Tehran derby.

- What happened when you refused to write this letter?

- They [the IFF] started to use my attire in international matches as an excuse. They asked me to admit in writing that I did not wear the appropriate attire. Essentially, they wanted me to say that I was “undressed” and intentionally displayed myself. They even threatened me. They said: “If you leave through this door, they will kill you, for example, in a staged accident, so it’s better to cooperate.” They threatened me multiple times with acid attacks. But my response was always the same: “I would rather die than live without dignity.”

- What do you wear in international matches?

- In most matches, I appeared without a hijab, and despite the pressures, I often said “no” to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s mandatory hijab, meaning I wore the same approved referee uniforms as all referees. However, when the pressure increased and for the sake of my family’s peace, I wore beige-coloured support socks and hats in some matches.

- Why didn’t you abide by the approved Iran Football Federation uniform, like other female referees in Iran?

- Back then, I felt that this was a step towards freedom for Iranian women and progress towards equality. In these years, I always had conflicting emotions. Even now, as I recount these events to you, I feel a mixture of happiness and sorrow. On the one hand, I smile because I managed to fight; but on the other hand, I am sad that we have to fight for the simplest rights that other girls around the world enjoy.

- One of your dreams was to participate in the FIFA Men’s World Cup. Are you still pursuing this goal?

- Participating in the World Cup and international tournaments has always been one of my main goals, and I am still striving to achieve it. I will continue on this path with even more motivation. I always told those around me that one day, in a major tournament, in an important match, I would enter the field without a mandatory hijab and represent the women of Iran. I will not spare any effort until I reach this goal. It is important for me not only to elevate my own name but also to proudly represent Iran on the international stage. Every time I think about this, my heart beats faster with excitement because I want to have a place in the hearts of my people.

Source: Al Jazeera

UEFA Advanced Course for Top Referees 2025

Athens (Greece), 3-5 February 2025

Participants

UEFA Elite Category

1. Irfan Peljto BIH (photo)
2. Ivana Martinčić CRO
3. Frida Klarlund DEN
4. Michael Oliver ENG
5. Anthony Taylor ENG
6. Marta Huerta De Aza ESP
7. Olatz Rivera Olmedo ESP
8. Jesús Gil Manzano ESP
9. Alejandro Hernández Hernández ESP
10. José Sánchez Martínez ESP
11. Lina Lehtovaara FIN
12. Benoît Bastien FRA
13. Stéphanie Frappart FRA
14. François Letexier FRA
15. Clément Turpin FRA
16. Riem Hussein GER
17. Felix Zwayer GER
18. Daniel Siebert GER
19. Tobias Stieler GER
20. Eleni Antoniou GRE
21. Anastasios Sidiropoulos GRE
22. Katalin Kulcsár HUN
23. Orel Grinfeeld ISR
24. Maria Ferrieri Caputi ITA
25. Silvia Gasperotti ITA
26. Marco Guida ITA
27. Maurizio Mariani ITA
28. Davide Massa ITA
29. Ivana Projkovska MKD
30. Serdar Gözübüyük NED
31. Danny Makkelie NED
32. Espen Eskas NOR
33. Ewa Augustyn POL
34. Szymon Marciniak POL
35. Sandra Bastos POR
36. Catarina Campos POR
37. João Pinheiro POR
38. Iuliana Demetrescu ROU
39. Istvan Kovacs ROU
40. Alina Pesu ROU
41. Jelena Cvetković SRB
42. Désirée Grundbacher SUI
43. Sandro Schärer SUI
44. Ivan Kružliak SVK
45. Slavko Vinčić SVN
46. Glenn Nyberg SWE
47. Tess Olofsson SWE
48. Halil Meler TUR
49. Cheryl Foster WAL

CONMEBOL Elite Referee (Guest)

Edina Alves BRA

UEFA First Category
1. Sebastian Gishamer AUT
2. Erik Lambrechts BEL
3. Lawrence Visser BEL
4. Hristiyana Guteva BUL
5. Georgi Kabakov BUL
6. Morten Krogh DEN
7. Christopher Kavanagh ENG
8. Jérôme Brisard FRA
9. Giorgi Kruashvili GEO
10. Anastasios Papapetrou GRE
11. Simone Sozza ITA
12. Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
13. Donatas Rumšas LTU
14. Andris Treimanis LVA
15. Nikola Dabanović MNE
16. Allard Lindhout NED
17. Shona Shukrula NED
18. Rohit Saggi NOR
19. Damian Sylwestrzak POL
20. António Nobre POR
21. Horațiu Feșnic ROU
22. Radu Petrescu ROU
23. John Beaton SCO
24. Matej Jug SVN
25. Rade Obrenović SVN
26. Mykola Balakin UKR

UEFA Video Match Officials
1. Bram van Driessche BEL
2. Jarred Gillett ENG
3. César Soto Grado ESP
4. Bastien Dechepy FRA
5. Sören Storks GER
6. Angelos Evangelou GRE
7. Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
8. Dennis Higler NED
9. Piotr Lasyk POL
10. André Narciso POR
11. Cătălin Popa ROU
12. Andrew Dallas SCO
13. Alen Borošak SVN
14. Momčilo Marković SRB

Elizondo resigns as Head of Referees in Costa Rica

Former Argentine World Cup final referee Horacio Elizondo resigned today as the Head of the Referee Department due to personal reasons, reported the Costa Rican Football Federation. FCRF is grateful that during his administration, Elizondo left a significant mark on the national refereeing, highlighting his leadership in the implementation of the video refereeing system (VAR) in the country, as well as for advances in modernization, training and use of technology. Elizondo's irrevocable resignation comes just before the start of Costa Rica's Clausura Tournament, whose first matchday will be played this coming weekend. The FCRF president, Osael Maroto, will meet with Elizondo in the coming days to agree on the date on which his departure will take effect. It is very possible that Elizondo will replace Seneme as the Head of Referees in Brazil.

Horacio Elizondo, who refereed the final of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, was appointed Head of the Costa Rican Referee Department on 6 October 2023. Under the direction of Elizondo, in September 2024, the Costa Rican First Division became the first league in Central America and third in Concacaf, after Mexico and the United States, to implement the video assistant refereeing, certifying 30 VARs, 8 AVARs and 4 video operators. 

Source: EFE

Orsato returns to Italian refereeing

As expected and anticipated for some time, Daniele Orsato is effectively returning to the world of refereeing. The former top Italian referee, who retired after Euro 2024, will become Commissioner for the development of Italian refereeing talent until the end of June and then will take on the new role of AIA Technical Director.

“Italy could not deprive itself of the recognized quality of Orsato”, says AIA president Antonio Zappi. “He will develop training approaches, technical methodologies to encourage and speed up the growth of refereeing talent". A sort of mentor for now and until June. Then, as anticipated some time ago, from the end of June onwards, Daniele Orsato will essentially be the Technical Director of AIA, which means - as he himself said in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport - instructor and not assigner "because I want to teach and not assign referees". At the moment, he will act as a mentor for Italian international referees and for young referees from Serie A to C. Then he will move on, working from the bottom and training future international referees, but also instructing approaches and preparation for major matches or events. In short, Orsato is back: AIA has a new top instructor.

Source: Gazzetta

CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

12 January 2025

CS Constantine – CS Sfaxien
Referee: Amin Omar (EGY, photo)

Bravos do Maquis – Simba
Referee: Jean Ouattara (BFA)

Stellenbosch – Stade Malien
Referee: Yannick Malala (CGO)

Desportivo da LS – RS Berkane
Referee: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (BDI)

Orapa United – USM Alger
Referee: Joseph Ogabor (NGA)

ASC Jaraaf – ASEC Mimosas
Referee: Alfred Chavani (RSA)

Black Bulls – Zamalek
Referee: Fabricio Duarte (CPV)

Enyimba – Al Masry
Referee: Cumar Cartan (SOM)

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

10-11 January 2025

MC Alger – TP Mazembe
Referee: Abongile Tom (RSA, photo)

Al Hilal – Young Africans
Referee: Samuel Uwikunda (RWA)

AS Maniema – Mamelodi Sundowns
Referee: Issa Sy (SEN)

AS Far – Raja CA
Referee: Mohamed Maarouf (EGY)

Stade d'Abidjan – Al Ahly
Referee: Boubou Traore (MLI)

Orlando Pirates – CR Belouizdad
Referee: Daniel Laryea (GHA)

Sagrada Esperanca – Pyramids
Referee: Alhadi Mahamat (CHA)

Djoliba – ES Tunis
Referee: Pierre Atcho (GAB)

FFF: Singo should have been sent off for injuring Donnarumma

The body responsible for French refereeing says Monaco defender Wilfried Singo should have been sent off after he gave Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma a bloodied face in their Ligue 1 game last month.

Donnarumma's face was cut up by Singo's studs during PSG's 4-2 win at Monaco. Singo's shot was blocked so he tried to jump over the sliding Donnarumma but struck his face. Photos showed a big cut below his right eye. But Singo, who had already been booked, avoided a red card after a VAR check.

In its weekly report, the French federation's refereeing department admitted that it was "a very difficult situation to judge, involving recklessness, lack of intent, lack of consideration and endangering the goalkeeper's physical integrity. However, it said that Singo should have been sent off by referee Francois Letexier after video analysis, given that the sole of his boot hit Donnarumma directly in the face, which constitutes a serious foul play under the Laws of the Game. Donnarumma suffered "a facial trauma with multiple wounds." He has since resumed playing and was in goal over the weekend as PSG beat Monaco 1-0 to win the Champions Trophy. Singo, who apologized to Donnarumma, was the target of racist abuse after the incident. 

Source: AP

CAF African Nations Championship 2024

Kenya/Tanzania/Uganda, 1 - 28 February 2025

Referees

1. Ligali Adissa (BEN)
2. Jean Ouattara (BFA)
3. Athoumani Mohamed (COM)
4. Jessie Messie (CGO)
5. Clement Kpan (CIV)
6. Yannick Kabanga (COD)
7. Mahmoud Ahmed (EGY)
8. Teklu Tsegai (ERI)
9. Lamin Jammeh (GAM)
10. Mimisa Nyagrowa (KEN)
11. Ahmed Abdulrazg (LBY)
12. Andofetra Rakotojaona (MAD)
13. Ousmane Diakhate (MLI)
14. Patrice Milazare (MRI)
15. Chaf Kech (MAR)
16. Abiola Abdulsalam (NIG)
17. Adalbert Diouf (SEN)
18. Alfred Jelly (RSA)
19. Arajiga Ahmed (TAN)
20. Gnama Aklesso (TOG)
21. Mehrez Melki (TUN)
22. Lucky Razake (UGA)
23. Bouchra Karboubi (MAR)
24. Celso Alvacao (MOZ)
25. Antsino Twayanyukwa (NAM)
26. Vicentia Amedome (TOG)

Assistant Referees
1. Hamza Bouzit (ALG)
2. Guilain Ngila (CGO)
3. Lucky Kegalogetswe (BOT)
4. Habib Sanou (BFA)
5. Emery Niyongabo (BDI)
6. Menye Rodrigue (CMR)
7. Soulaimane Amaldine (COM)
8. Chany Malondi (CGO)
9. Biru Fasika (ETH)
10. Abdul Jawo (GAM)
11. Roland Addy (GHA)
12. Samuel Mwangi (KEN)
13. Joel Wonka (LBR)
14. Hamedine Diba (MRI)
15. Hamza Nassiri (MAR)
16. Abdoul Yacouba (NIG)
17. Mutuyimana Dieudonne (RWA)
18. Ahmed Omer (SDN)
19. John Komba (TAN)
20. Hanachi Wael (TUN)
21. Katenya Roland (UGA)
22. Carine Atezambong (CMR)
23. Fanta Kone (MLI)
24. Fatiha Jermoumi (MAR)
25. Diana Chikotesha (ZAM)

Video Match Officials
1. Mahmoud Ashour (EGY)
2. Lahlou Benbraham (ALG)
3. Lettitia Viana (ESW)
4. Pierre Atcho (GAB)
5. Daniel Laryea (GHA)
6. Peter Waweru (KEN)
7. Dahane Beida (MTN)
8. Maria Rivet (MRI)
9. Hamza El-Fariq (MAR)
10. Salima Mukansanga (RWA)
11. Issa Sy (SEN)
12. Abongile Tom (RSA)
13. Akhona Makalima (RSA) 

14. Haythem Guirat (TUN)