UEFA Europa League 2026/2027 – Play-Offs (First Leg)

27 August 2026

Ararat Armenia – Universitatea Craiova
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Robertas Šmitas LTU
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
AVAR: Piotr Urban POL
Referee Observer: Marco Fritz GER

Iberia Tbilisi – Jagiellonia Bialystok
Referee: Simone Sozza ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Stefano Alassio ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Davide Imperiale ITA
Fourth Official: Giovanni Ayroldi ITA
VAR: Valerio Marini ITA
AVAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
Referee Observer: Neale Barry ENG

Omonia Nicosia – Saint Truidense
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Paweł Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz POL
Fourth Official: Łukasz Kuźma POL
VAR: Piotr Lasyk POL
AVAR: Kornel Paszkiewicz POL
Referee Observer: Knut Kircher GER

Viktoria Plzen – Crvena Zvezda
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Joey Kooij NED
VAR: Dennis Higler NED
AVAR: Richard Martens NED
Referee Observer: Tomasz Mikulski POL

Lillestrom – Egnatia
Referee: João Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Luciano Maia POR
Assistant Referee 2: Hugo Marques POR
Fourth Official: João Gonçalves POR
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: André Narciso POR
Referee Observer: Vlado Svilokos CRO

Salzburg – Mjallby
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigović BIH
VAR: Momčilo Marković SRB
AVAR: Aleksandar Živković SRB
Referee Observer: David Malcolm NIR

Kauno Zalgiris – Besiktas
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Guillermo Santiago Sacristán ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Quintero González ESP
VAR: César Soto Grado ESP
AVAR: Francisco Hernández Maeso ESP
Referee Observer: William Young SCO

Thun – Lech Poznan
Referee: Halil Meler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: İbrahim Uyarcan TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Abdullah Özkara TUR
Fourth Official: Cihan Aydin TUR
VAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
AVAR: Onur Özütoprak TUR
Referee Observer: Viktor Kassai HUN

Aarhus – Benfica
Referee: Daniel Siebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Max Burda GER
VAR: Robert Schröder GER
AVAR: Johann Pfeifer GER
Referee Observer: Thomas Einwaller AUT

CSKA Sofia – OFI Crete
Referee: Ivan Kružliak SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Ján Pozor SVK
Fourth Official: Peter Královič SVK
VAR: Michael Fabbri ITA
AVAR: Michal Očenáš SVK
Referee Observer: Vladimir Antonov MDA

Ferencvaros – Trabzonspor
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
VAR: Matej Jug SVN
AVAR: Alen Borošak SVN
Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE

Anderlecht – Qairat
Referee: Espen Eskas NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Sigurd Kringstad NOR
VAR: Andrew Dallas SCO
AVAR: Kevin Clancy SCO
Referee Observer: Alain Hamer LUX

UEFA Europa Conference League 2026/27 – Play-offs (First Leg)

26 August 2026
Rapid Wien – Heart of Midtlothian
Referee: Elçin Masiyev AZE (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Elşad Abdullayev AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Parvin Talibov AZE
Fourth Official: Farid Hacıyev AZE
VAR: Willy Delajod FRA
AVAR: Nicat Ismayilli AZE
Referee Observer: Augustus Constantin ROU

27 August 2026
Freiburg – Motherwell
Referee: Andrea Colombo ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giovanni Baccini ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Valerio Colarossi ITA
Fourth Official: Livio Marinelli ITA
VAR: Daniele Doveri ITA
AVAR: Paolo Mazzoleni ITA
Referee Observer: Michal Beneš CZE

KUPS Kuopio – Shamrock Rovers
Referee: Patrik Kolarić CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Luka Pajić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Starčević CRO
Fourth Official: Dario Bel CRO
VAR: Fran Jović CRO
AVAR: Ivan Vučković CRO
Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili GEO

Jablonec – Rangers
Referee: Nenad Minaković SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Nikola Borović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Boško Božović SRB
Fourth Official: Danilo Nikolić SRB
VAR: Mario Zebec CRO
AVAR: Pavle Tomić SRB
Referee Observer: Kristinn Jakobsson ISL

Qarabag – Twente
Referee: Rohit Saggi NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Anders Dale NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Ole Haukasen NOR
Fourth Official: Marius Hansen NOR
VAR: Kristoffer Hagenes NOR
AVAR: Alan Kijas AUT
Referee Observer: Georgi Yordanov BUL

Maccabi Tel Aviv – Lugano
Referee: Jérémie Pignard FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Aurélien Drouet FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Hicham Zakrani FRA
Fourth Official: Ruddy Buquet FRA
VAR: Mathieu Vernice FRA
AVAR: Marc Bollengier FRA
Referee Observer: Aliaksiej Kulbakou BLR

AS Monaco – Gornik Zabrze
Referee: Vasílios Fotiás GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Andréas Meindanás GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Michaíl Papadákis GRE
Fourth Official: Aléxandros Tsakalídis GRE
VAR: Ángelos Evangélou GRE
AVAR: Konstandínos Poulikídis GRE
Referee Observer: Ante Vučemilović CRO

Inter Escaldes – Drita
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili GEO
Assistant Referee 1: Levan Varamishvili GEO
Assistant Referee 2: Giorgi Elikashvili GEO
Fourth Official: Giorgi Avazashvili GEO
VAR: Aleko Aptsiauri GEO
AVAR: Gianluca Aureliano ITA
Referee Observer: Michális Argyroú CYP

Riga – Klaksvik
Referee: Allard Lindhout NED
Assistant Referee 1: Johan Balder NED
Assistant Referee 2: Murat Kücükerbir NED
Fourth Official: Alex Bos NED
VAR: Jeroen Manschot NED
AVAR: Erwin Blank NED
Referee Observer: Domagoj Vučkov CRO

FC Copenhagen – Inter Turku
Referee: Oleksiy Derevinskyy UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksiy Myronov UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Svitlana Hrushko UKR
Fourth Official: Klym Zabroda UKR
VAR: Denys Shurman UKR
AVAR: Viktor Kopiyevskyy UKR
Referee Observer: Jan Wegereef NED

Rakow Czestochowa – Hajduk Split
Referee: Aliyar Aghayev AZE
Assistant Referee 1: Zeynal Zeynalov AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Akif Amirali AZE
Fourth Official: Kamal Umudlu AZE
VAR: Peter Bankes ENG
AVAR: Inqilab Mammadov AZE
Referee Observer: John Ward IRL

Hradec Kralove – Panathinaikos
Referee: Sascha Stegemann GER
Assistant Referee 1: Christof Günsch GER
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller GER
Fourth Official: Martin Petersen GER
VAR: Benjamin Brand GER
AVAR: Katrin Rafalski GER
Referee Observer: Claus Bo Larsen DEN

Brann – PAOK
Referee: John Brooks ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Neil Davies ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Blake Antrobus ENG
Fourth Official: Thomas Bramall ENG
VAR: Darren England ENG
AVAR: Paul Howard ENG
Referee Observer: Alfredo Trentalange ITA

Pafos – Dinamo City
Referee: Martin Matoša SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandar Kasapovič SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Matic Mežnar SVN
Fourth Official: Mateo Tozan SVN
VAR: Asmir Sagrković SVN
AVAR: Mihael Antič SVN
Referee Observer: Volodymyr Petrov UKR

Hapoel Tel Aviv – Atalanta BC
Referee: Daniel Schlager GER
Assistant Referee 1: Sven Waschitzki-Günther GER
Assistant Referee 2: Tobias Fritsch GER
Fourth Official: Tobias Reichel GER
VAR: Benjamin Cortus GER
AVAR: Nicolas Winter GER
Referee Observer: Kóstas Kapitanís CYP

St. Gallen – Nordsjaelland
Referee: Orel Grinfeld ISR
Assistant Referee 1: Roi Hassan ISR
Assistant Referee 2: Idan Yarkoni ISR
Fourth Official: Gal Leibovitz ISR
VAR: Daniel Bar Natan ISR
AVAR: Eli Hakmon ISR
Referee Observer: Boško Jovanetić SRB

Ajax – Sion
Referee: Julian Weinberger AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Heidenreich AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Maximilian Kolbitsch AUT
Fourth Official: Stefan Ebner AUT
VAR: Manuel Schüttengruber AUT
AVAR: Harald Lechner AUT
Referee Observer: Libor Kovařík CZE

Borac Banja Luka – Vikingur Reykjavik
Referee: Anastásios Papapétrou GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Trýfon Petrópoulos GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Andréas Fotópoulos GRE
Fourth Official: Fótios Polychrónis GRE
VAR: Ioánnis Papadópoulos GRE
AVAR: Stéfanos Koumbarákis GRE
Referee Observer: Helmut Fleischer GER

Brighton & Hove Albion – Tromsoe
Referee: Sander van der Eijk NED
Assistant Referee 1: Rens Bluemink NED
Assistant Referee 2: Dyon Fikkert NED
Fourth Official: Marc Nagtegaal NED
VAR: Clay Ruperti NED
AVAR: Stan Teuben NED
Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin SVN

Austria Wien – Braga
Referee: Nikola Dabanović MNE
Assistant Referee 1: Srdjan Jovanović MNE
Assistant Referee 2: Vladan Todorović MNE
Fourth Official: Miloš Bošković MNE
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Johannes von Mandach SUI
Referee Observer: László Vágner HUN

Rijeka – Midtjylland
Referee: Jasper Vergoote BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Geerolf BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Michele Seeldraeyers BEL
Fourth Official: Nathan Verboomen BEL
VAR: Bert Put BEL
AVAR: Jan Boterberg BEL
Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH

Larne – Lincoln Red Imps
Referee: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Miroslav Ivanov BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Todor Vukov BUL
Fourth Official: Georgi Kabakov BUL
VAR: Dragomir Draganov BUL
AVAR: Nikola Popov BUL
Referee Observer: Paweł Gil POL

Hibernian – Gent
Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Barbero Sevilla ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Álvarez Fernández ESP
Fourth Official: Víctor García Verdura ESP
VAR: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
AVAR: Adrián Cordero Vega ESP
Referee Observer: Peter Rasmussen DEN

Partizan – Getafe
Referee: Urs Schnyder SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Marco Zürcher SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Zürcher SUI
Fourth Official: Sven Wolfensberger SUI
VAR: Lukas Fähndrich SUI
AVAR: Michèle Schmölzer SUI
Referee Observer: Paolo Dondarini ITA

UEFA Champions League 2026/2027 – Play-offs (Second Leg)

25 August 2026
Sabah FC – Hapoel Beer Sheva
Referee: István Kovács ROU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi ROU
Fourth Official: Szabolcs Kovács ROU
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Cătălin Popa ROU
Referee Observer: Stéphane Lannoy FRA

LASK – Celtic
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Pawel Raczkowski POL
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Pawel Malec POL
Referee Observer: Frank De Bleeckere BEL

Bodo Glimt – NEC Nijmegen
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley ENG
VAR: Michael Salisbury ENG
AVAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
Referee Observer: David Fernández Borbalán ESP

26 August 2026
Olympique Lyonnais – Fenerbahce
Referee: Maurizio Mariani ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni ITA
Fourth Official: Luca Zufferli ITA
VAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
AVAR: Luca Pairetto ITA
Referee Observer: Howard Webb ENG

AEK Athens – Levski Sofia
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: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Referee Observer: Terje Hauge NOR

Viking FK – Dinamo Zagreb
Referee: José Sánchez Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Iñigo Prieto Lopez ESP
Fourth Official: Javier Alberola Rojas ESP
VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez ESP
AVAR: Javier Iglesias Villanueva ESP
Referee Observer: Sokol Jareci ALB

NK Celje – Slovan Bratislava
Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández ESP
Assistant Referee 1: José Naranjo Perez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sánchez Rojo ESP
Fourth Official: José Munuera Montero ESP
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz ESP
Referee Observer: Lutz-Michael Frohlich GER

Concacaf Leagues Cup 2026 – Quarter-finals

25 August 2026

CF Monterrey – Chicago Fire
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez USA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Nick Uranga USA
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Da Silva USA
Fourth Official: Fernando Hernandez MEX
Reserve AR: Felisha Mariscal USA
VAR: David Gomez CRC
AVAR: Jorge Camacho CRC

Club Leon – Real Salt Lake
Referee: Steven Madrigal CRC
Assistant Referee 1: William Arrieta CRC
Assistant Referee 2: Luis Granados CRC
Fourth Official: Juan Calderon CRC
Reserve AR: Jeriel Valverde CRC
VAR: Diana Perez MEX
AVAR: Francia Gonzalez MEX

26 August 2026
Toluca FC – Austin FC
Referee: Filip Dujic CAN
Assistant Referee 1: Cory Richardson USA
Assistant Referee 2: Gerad-Kader Lebuis CAN
Fourth Official: Victor Rivas USA
Reserve AR: Stefan Tanaka-Freundt CAN
VAR: Allen Chapman USA
AVAR: Daneon Parchment JAM

Club America – Columbus Crew
Referee: Marco Ortiz MEX
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Espinoza MEX
Assistant Referee 2: Michel Morales MEX
Fourth Official: Daniel Quintero MEX 

Reserve AR: Karen Diaz MEX
VAR: Guillermo Pacheco MEX
AVAR: Jesus Montero CRC

Ken Wright: World’s longest refereeing career

A 78-year-old referee set a Guinness World Record. Welsh soccer referee Ken Wright has been inducted into the Guinness World Records for the longest refereeing career.

Ken Wright has been officiating soccer matches since 1964. During that time, he has officiated more than 5,000 matches and has been active for 63 seasons. Despite his age, Wright continues to take the field and officiate matches in the veterans’ league in Swansea.

Source: UEFA

UEFA Women's Champions League 2026/27 – Third Qualifying Round (First Leg

25 August 2026 

SK Brann – Austria Wien
Referee: Alina Peşu ROU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Heini Hyvönen FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Daniela Constantinescu ROU
Fourth Official: Roxana Timiş ROU
Referee Observer: Blaženka Logarušić CRO

26 August 2026
VfL Wolfsburg – Inter Milano
Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Paulina Baranowska POL
Assistant Referee 2: Irina Pozdejeva LTU
Fourth Official: Ana Terteleac ROU
Referee Observer: Viola Raudziņa LVA

AC Sparta Praha – Servette FC
Referee: Jelena Cvetković SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandra Kostić SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Dragana Tadić SRB
Fourth Official: Milica Milovanović SRB
Referee Observer: Nelli Stepanyan ARM

PSV Eindhoven – HB Koge
Referee: Catarina Campos POR
Assistant Referee 1: Vanessa Gomes POR
Assistant Referee 2: Sara Cunha POR
Fourth Official: Filipa Cunha POR
Referee Observer: Hilda McDermott IRL

Czarni Sosnowiec – OH Leuven
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Laura Koskinen FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Ann-Sofie Träskman FIN
Fourth Official: Satu Miettunen FIN
Referee Observer: Galina Doneva BUL

Eintracht Frankfurt – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Iragartze Fernández Esesúmaga ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Andreia Sousa POR
Fourth Official: Paola Cebollada López ESP
Referee Observer: Knarik Grigoryan ARM

AFC Ajax – Real Madrid
Referee: Maria Ferrieri Caputi ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Stefania Signorelli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Emily Carney ENG
Fourth Official: Martina Molinaro ITA
Referee Observer: Olga Tanschi MDA

Chelsea FCW – Real Sociedad
Referee: Silvia Gasperotti ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giulia Tempestilli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Veronica Martinelli ITA
Fourth Official: Nicole Puntel ITA
Referee Observer: Esther Azzopardi MLT

SKN St. Polten – Juventus Torino
Referee: Désirée Blanco SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Linda Schmid SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Susanne Küng SUI
Fourth Official: Leonora Ismaili SUI
Referee Observer: Caroline De Boeck BEL

UEFA Women's Europa Cup 2026/27 – First Qualifying Round (First Leg)

26 August 2026 

ŽNK Radomlje – Valerenga FD
Referee: Olivia Tschon AUT (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Biljana Iskin AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Vanja Vukanović AUT
Fourth Official: Lena Hirtl AUT

Apollon – FH
Referee: Jelena Medjedović SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Ivana Jovanović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Marinković SRB
Fourth Official: Marina Živković SRB

KFF Mitrovica – FC Metalist
Referee: Aleksandra Česen SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Staša Špur SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Helena Buh SVN
Fourth Official: Vanja Janković SVN

ŽNK SFK – Slovan Liberec
Referee: Shona Shukrula NED
Assistant Referee 1: Amina Gutschi AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Isabelle van Gilst NED
Fourth Official: Manon Plandsoen NED

FC Seasters – Rosenborg BK
Referee: Déborah Anex ·SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Laetitia Nuara SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Sabrina Keinersdorfer SUI
Fourth Official: Laura Mauricio SUI

ŽNK Hajduk – Fortuna Hjorring
Referee: Emily Heaslip ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Isabel Chaplin ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Leoni Harland ENG
Fourth Official: Kirsty Dowle ENG

Sturm Graz – FC Gintra
Referee: Maïka Vanderstichel FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Siham Boudina FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Violette Le Chevert FRA
Fourth Official: Romy Fournier FRA

Anderlecht – Feyenoord
Referee: Volha Blotskaya BLR
Assistant Referee 1: Nastassia Danchanka BLR
Assistant Referee 2: Alesia Hutnik BLR
Fourth Official: Valiantsina Sakalovich BLR

Breidablik – Csikszereda
Referee: Sofiya Prychyna UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksandra Vdovina UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Maryna Striletska UKR
Fourth Official: Liudmyla Telbukh UKR

Spartak Subotica – Brondby
Referee: Karoline Jensen NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Helle Reiten NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Victoria Nilsen NOR
Fourth Official: Maren Hatletvedt NOR

SCU Torreense – Kolos Kovalivka
Referee: Lotta Vuorio FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Taru Tiensuu FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Sandra Nigulis EST
Fourth Official: Gabriela Kaskmaa EST

29 August 2026
FC Minsk – ŽNK Agram
Referee: Nanna Andersen DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Anna Schmidt DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Sidsel Rasmussen DEN
Fourth Official: Frederikke Sokjaer DEN

Webb: Balogun World Cup red card saga fuels referee distrust

Howard Webb, the head of Premier League referees, has said he was "troubled" by Folarin Balogun's overturned red card during the World Cup as it fuelled perceptions among supporters that decisions are either "correct or corrupt." United States forward Balogun triggered an automatic suspension by being sent off for a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic during a 2-0 round-of-32 win for Mauricio Pochettino's team. But the 25-year-old's one-game suspension was unexpectedly lifted, enabling him to play in the round of 16 tie against Belgium, after FIFA announced that the ban had been suspended for the period of one year. U.S. President Donald Trump subsequently admitted to speaking to FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for Balogun's ban to be overturned, prompting widespread anger within the football world, including Belgium coach Rudi Garcia saying he initially thought the decision was an April Fools' Day joke.

Webb, who refereed the 2010 Men's World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands in South Africa, said that the Balogun saga has damaged trust between the game and supporters. "I was really troubled by it [decision to overturn Balogun's suspension]," Webb told reporters. "I don't know the ins and outs of the process, only what happened in the end. Where I was troubled by it was that we live in a world now which is different to the one that I occupied as a ref in that the decisions that are taken were previously viewed as correct or incorrect based on your judgment. Far too often now, decisions are viewed as correct or corrupt by people who want to type all over social media. They try to draw inferences around decisions, around the scene, but they don't agree with the motivation behind that decision, which is born out of no facts, no evidence. But when you get that type of situation, it opens up space for people to think, 'Aha, you see this sort of things happening all the time behind the scenes.' It's really not like that in my experience, in my professional experience. But the fact that that sort of [political] influence can be had, is just really not reflective of the game that I know." Webb, who worked as manager for MLS between 2017-2022, said that he "understands" why Balogun was shown a red card against Bosnia and was left bemused by FIFA's decision to lift the Monaco forward's suspension. "The facts that we know, what do we know? We know for sure that the red card was shown," Webb said. "You can form an opinion about the validity of the red card, and I understand why it was given. We know that there was pressure placed by a politician onto FIFA because that was admitted. And we know that the suspension was taken away for that particular tournament and suspended through a process which seemingly didn't exist before the World Cup that started. The officials do their job on the field. You referee the game in the 90 minutes to the best of your ability, with your VAR, to the best of your ability. Then what happens, happens afterwards."

Source: ESPN

Ligue 1 referee Kherradji sentenced to six-month suspended prison term for domestic violence

A Ligue 1 referee for the past two years, Abdelatif Kherradji was sentenced this Wednesday morning to a six-month suspended prison term for domestic violence, with the conviction not being entered into his criminal record - a crucial detail for his future career, according to his legal counsel.

The Criminal Court of Nîmes has delivered its verdict: Abdelatif Kherradji (40) - a Ligue 1 referee for the past two years - was sentenced this Wednesday morning to a six-month suspended prison term following his trial on August 7 for domestic violence; the sentence includes a three-year ban on contacting the victim and a requirement to complete a domestic violence awareness program. However, this sentence will not be recorded on his criminal record. The public prosecutor had sought an eighteen-month suspended prison sentence. The referee's former partner accused him of grabbing her by the neck on the evening of March 13 and then assaulting her to prevent her from leaving their home. Two months later, Kherradji allegedly grabbed her by the shoulder before pinning her against a wall. He had firmly defended himself against these accusations. Testifying in criminal court, he maintained that she was the one who had struck him - punching and kicking him - and that he had merely acted in self-defense, never physically abusing her. Abdelatif Kherradji’s profession was a recurring theme throughout the hearing, and it remains a focal point following the verdict. "This is a victory following a courageous battle waged by the plaintiff," said Olivier Morice, one of the victim's lawyers, speaking by phone. "I cannot imagine for a moment that football authorities would allow a Ligue 1 referee to continue officiating after being convicted of domestic violence."

Abdelatif Kherradji had met with his superiors the week before his trial to explain his situation; they must now decide on potential disciplinary action. Eric Borghini, one of his lawyers, expressed optimism: "It’s a good decision for us," he explained. "The court delivered a fair verdict. It amounts to a symbolic sentence, with no provisional enforcement and no entry on his criminal record. The prosecutor had sought an eighteen-month suspended prison sentence with provisional enforcement, which was excessive given the facts of the case. For its part, the civil party had demanded a €10,000 interim payment and a court-ordered expert assessment to maximize the compensation," Borghini continued. "They were awarded none of that. Most importantly, when delivering the verdict, the presiding judge stated publicly in court that the ruling excluded any entry on the criminal record so that the judgment would have no professional repercussions for Mr. Kherradji. I immediately forwarded this decision to Mr. Kherradji’s superiors," Borghini concluded. "If Abdelatif faces no sanctions from the Federation, we will not appeal. We just hope to receive the written decision relatively quickly, as we only have ten days to decide." The case has been referred to the Criminal Court of Nîmes for the determination of damages on 19 March 2027.

Source: L'equipe

Artan invited to UEFA Referee Course

A few days after officiating the UEFA Super Cup, CAF Referee of the Year Omar Artan has received a further invitation from UEFA. Artan continues to climb the ranks on the international stage. Having previously been denied entry to the United States to take part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Somali referee is now winning UEFA’s trust.

After officiating the UEFA Super Cup on 12 August between Paris Saint Germain and Aston Villa, UEFA has invited Omar Artan to take part in the 2026 UEFA Men’s Summer Course, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 31 August to 2 September 2026. In addition to this invitation, UEFA is also reported to have expressed its wish to see Omar Artan referee football matches in Europe. UEFA is reported to have officially informed the Confederation of African Football and the Somali Football Federation of Omar Artan’s invitation.

Source: Daily Sports