UEFA: Women referees Foster and Martincic added to Men’s Second Category

The UEFA Referees Committee approved the referee categories for the second half of the season 2022/2023. The changes took effect on 1 January 2023.

Men

Retired from Elite: Deniz Aytekin (GER), Cuneyt Cakir (TUR).

Retired/removed from First Category: Ivan Bebek (CRO), Mattias Gestranius (FIN), Robert Madden (SCO), Ievgenii Aranovskyi (UKR), Sergii Boiko (UKR).

Retired/removed from Second Category: Christopher Jager (AUT), Alexandre Boucaut (BEL), Nicolas Laforge (BEL), Ivaylo Stoyanov (BUL), Mario Zebec (CRO), Vasilis Dimitriou (CYP), Nikolas Neokleous (CYP), Loukas Sotiriou (CYP), Ondrej Pechanec (CZE), Jorgen Burchardt (DEN), Peter Bankes (ENG), David Coote (ENG), Paul Tierney (ENG), Kaarlo Hamalainen (FIN), Alex Troleis (FRO), Massimiliano Irrati (ITA), Besfort Kasumi (KOS), Alain Durieux (LUX), Laurent Kopriwa (LUX), Aleksandrs Anufrijevs (LVA), Veaceslav Banari (MDA), Dejan Jakimovski (MKD), Tore Hansen (NOR), Svein Moen (NOR), Pavel Kukuian (RUS), Aleksei Matiunin (RUS), Luca Zani (SMR), Zorbay Kucuk (TUR).

Women referees added to men’s Second Category: Ivana Martincic (CRO, photo), Cheryl Foster (WAL).

New FIFA referees entered into Second Category: Antoine Chiaramonti (AND), Stefan Ebner (AUT), Antoni Bandic (BIH), Radoslav Gidzhenov (BUL), Ante Culina (CRO), Patrik Kolaric (CRO), Menelaos Antoniou (CYP), Andreas Argyrou (CYP), Kyriakos Athanasiou (CYP), Marek Radina (CZE), Dominik Stary (CZE), Mikkel Redder (DEN), John Brooks (ENG), Jarred Gillett (ENG), Robert Jones (ENG), Oliver Reitala (FIN), Pierre Gaillouste (FRA), Johan Ellefsen (FRO), Robert Schroder (GER), Simone Sozza (ITA), Mervan Bejtullahu (KOS), Jeremy Muller (LUX), Ivo Torres (LUX), Edgars Malcevs (LVA), Roman Jitari (MDA), Jovan Kachevski (MKD), Sivert Amland (NOR), Mahammad Aslam (NOR), Artem Liubimov (RUS), Pavel Shadykhanov (RUS), David Dickinson (SCO), Milan Stefanovic (SRB), Attila Karaoglan (TUR), Erkan Ozdamar (TUR).

Women

Retired from Elite: Olga Zadinova (CZE), Sara Persson (SWE).

Retired from First Category: Tanja Subotic (SVN).

Retired from Second Category: Maria Krcova (SVK).

New FIFA referees entered into Second Category: Jana Van Laere (BEL), Michaela Pachtova (CZE), Nanna Andersen (DEN), Lotta Vuorio (FIN), Audrey Gerbel (FRA), Teona Sturua (GEO), Eirini Pingiou (GRE), Rita Vehapi (KOS), Elena Gobjila (MDA), Filipa Cunha (POR), Vanja Jankovic (SVN), Tjasa Misja (SVN), Maral Mirzai (SWE).

Futsal

Retired from Elite: Borislav Kolev (BUL).

Retired from First Category: Moshe Bohbot (ISR).

Retired from Second Category: Arman Alaberkyan (ARM), Alem Bajrovic (BIH), Igor Puzovic (BIH), Josip Dujmic (CRO), Aurelien Uzan (FRA), Sarunas Tamulynas (LTU), Michael Lima (LUX), Clinton Cassar (MLT), Omar Rafiq (NOR), Dominik Cipinski (POL), Katarzyna Netkowska (POL), Daniel Deca (ROU), Haris Curovac (SWE), Murat Colak (TUR), Yaroslav Vovchok (UKR).

New FIFA referees entered into Second Category: Gevorg Yeghoyan (ARM), Vedran Marcinko (KOS), Nikola Tadic (KOS), Ivan Ivanov (BUL), Dino Kramar (CRO), Larisa Avramidou (CYP), Alice Vevodova (CZE), Daniel Sorensen (DEN), Oliver Rodriguez (ENG), Jordan Faltesse (FRA), Mark Patchell (IRL), Idan Elmalem (ISR), Martina Piccolo (ITA), Irmantas Kaprasovas (LTU), Steve Ribeiro (LUX), Dag Tangvik (NOR), Pawel Tokarewicz (POL), Laurentiu Deaconu (ROU), Kastriot Gerxhaliu (SWE), Hakan Tezcan (TUR), Orest Dutsiak (UKR).

Professional referee project: "FIFA Elite" or "UEFA Profi"

FIFA Elite or UEFA Profi - this is the name of the new group of world's leading referees, to which the number 1 candidate is Szymon Marciniak. The creation of such an elite category of professional referees should be the response to the needs of FIFA, UEFA, and the leading leagues of various countries. A Polish referee could officiate key matches every week, for example, in the Italian Serie A, Spanish La Liga or the English Premier League, or the hottest matches in the Turkish, Greek, or Portuguese leagues. This project has been born and may be created faster than anyone expected - writes Rafal Rostkowski, an expert at TVP Sport, who was an assistant referee in UEFA and FIFA competitions from 1997 to 2017, and afterwards analyzed refereeing cases on an ongoing basis, including the World Cup in Qatar.

“I learned about the current plans to create a professional group of international referees from a person close to FIFA and UEFA. When I started to verify this information, two other persons active in the referee structures at the international level confirmed it independently of each other. However, each of them presented a slightly different version of some details, pointing out that the project is at such a stage that it is still too early to talk about specifics, or even more about arrangements. The idea is to use the best referees in Europe or the world for the benefit of football as optimally as possible. When the creation of a group called "FIFA Elite" or "UEFA Profi" becomes a fact and FIFA or UEFA will hire Szymon Marciniak, who is now the number 1 referee in both organizations, he could referee matches in various European leagues every week - obviously only in the leagues of those countries that would sign up for the central international refereeing program for league matches”, said Rostkowski.

Today Juve-Milan, next week Real-Barca...

Thus, Szymon Marciniak could lead, for example, a match between Juventus Turin and AC Milan in Serie A one week, a match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in La Liga a week or two later, and at the end of the month he could referee a match between PSG and Olympique de Marseille. Of course, it's a theory, but very close to what may soon be a reality. Of course, Marciniak would not have to referee such top matches every month only in the strongest leagues. Completely neutral referees with extensive international experience are also often needed in the Greek, Turkish, Bulgarian, Romanian, or Portuguese leagues and in many others, including the Polish Ekstraklasa. Matches involving such clubs from Istanbul as Besiktas v Fenerbahce or Galatasaray, or Panathinaikos Athens v Olympiacos Piraeus, or in Lisbon Benfica v Sporting or FC Porto, or possibly, for example, Legia Warszawa v Lech Poznan, which are also often extremely demanding matches. The key to the success of the "FIFA Elite" or "UEFA Profi" project will be the arrangements between national associations, individual professional leagues, as well as FIFA and UEFA.

FIFA and UEFA are refining an idea from 20 years ago

However, the idea of ​​creating a group of professional international referees is not new at all. I heard about it during meetings with the FIFA authorities when I was still an active international assistant referee. The idea was first discussed at the beginning of the 21st century, shortly after the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, which went down in history as the worst refereed tournament of this level - not only in this century. There were so many mistakes at that time that Angel Villar Llona, ​​who was also the president of the Spanish Football Federation, resigned from the FIFA Referees Committee as a sign of protest due to refereeing scandals. Spain was one of the teams most affected and eliminated from the tournament by referees' mistakes. FIFA president Sepp Blatter was also outraged by the refereeing and dissolved the Referees Committee after the World Cup, then appointed a new committee, and put Villar Llona at its head. He, in turn, hired Jose Maria Garcia-Aranda, a former international referee, as the Head of Refereeing, i.e., the role of the head of the FIFA Referees Department. Garcia-Aranda began to professionalize the way of preparing referees to work in major international competitions. It was during the tenure of Villar Llona and Garcia-Aranda that the idea of ​​creating a professional group of international referees was born, whom FIFA or UEFA would appoint to particularly difficult, potentially difficult, or simply the most prestigious matches in individual countries and leagues. At that time, the implementation of the idea did not take place due to the lack of interest from the largest national associations and the strongest leagues. "We have enough good referees in our country, and we do not need any transfers from other countries", said Volker Roth, then an influential figure in the German Football Association (DFB), chairman of the UEFA Referees Committee and a big opponent of the FIFA Referees Committee. A similar position was taken by the referee authorities of national associations from England, France and Italy.

Referee transfers became a fact

In recent years, the situation has changed radically: transfers of referees have become a fact. Serbian Milorad Mazic signed a refereeing contract in the Chinese Super League after the 2018 World Cup. He stopped refereeing in Serbia and Europe, which meant the end of his international career. Englishman Marc Clattenburg, who had already refereed the final of the Champions League and Euro 2016, also had an almost certain nomination for his first World Cup in 2018. At the same time, he had a real chance to become the first referee in history who, in addition to the Champions League and Euro finals, would also appear in the final of the World Cup. He did, but a few months earlier he got a tempting offer from Saudi Arabia. Clattenburg wanted to combine refereeing in the Saudi league with refereeing in the English Premier League, but the refereeing authorities of the English Football Association (The FA) did not agree to this. They made Clattenburg choose which league he prefers to referee in. He chose the Saudi one, so The FA stripped him of his FIFA referee status, and he did not go to the 2018 World Cup. After a year, Clattenburg moved to China. The need to transfer referees is now more and more often discussed in various countries, even in France, Germany, and England, where The FA has just nominated the Australian Jarred Gillet as an international referee. Before emigrating, he was an A-League referee and FIFA referee nominated by the Australian Football Association.

Faghani is the exception

So far, the only referee whose transfer to the league of another country did not hinder the continuation of his international career and participation in the World Cup is the Iranian Alireza Faghani. He has been refereeing in the Australian A-League since 2019, but still has very good relations with the Iranian Football Association, which still submits his nomination to FIFA every year on the list of international referees. Thanks to this, Faghani could take part in, among others, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, for now, Faghani is an exception to the worldwide practice. Today, the practice is still that each international referee regularly referees in his own country. In addition, from several to a dozen times a year, he is appointed to matches by his continental confederation - in the case of Australia, belonging to the same confederation as Iran, it is the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and in the case of Europe would be UEFA. Less frequently, not more often than a few times a year, international referees are sent to matches in world competitions, e.g., World Cup qualifiers or possibly matches in the final tournament. In addition, there are occasional invitations to friendly matches, although they were always few and did not happen every year, and sometimes there are appointments to referee matches in other national leagues. The latter phenomenon is systematically developing, but such activities can be troublesome for both referees and national associations, because the association or the league does not pay the referee a fixed remuneration to work in another country, in another league...

Famous Cuneyt Cakir was thinking about a transfer to Poland

Apart from a small group of directly interested people, no one knows about it and, so far, no one has written or spoken publicly, but the famous Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir, who in the past refereed the final of the Champions League in 2015 and two World Cup semi-finals in 2014 and 2018, was considering refereeing matches in the Polish Ekstraklasa. Ultimately, however, his affairs turned out differently. After a break in refereeing caused by perturbations in the Turkish Football Association and - as it turned out - the unjust suspension of Cakir, which deprived him of the chance to referee the World Cup in Qatar, he returned briefly to referee in his home country, and recently decided to retire.

Collina was offered a transfer to England

The first famous referee to move to another country's league was the Italian Pierluigi Collina, referee of the 2002 World Cup final and now head of the FIFA Referees Committee. When he was at the peak of his career, he signed an advertising contract with Opel. However, the authorities of the Italian Football Federation saw a conflict of interest, as Opel was also a sponsor of AC Milan. In that context, every referee decision by Collina, even decisions made in matches without the participation of AC Milan, could, however, arouse inappropriate and undesirable controversies and comments suggesting that the referee's decision was related to the advertising contract and the potential interest of Opel, so... Collina stopped refereeing in Serie A. Then a transfer proposal appeared from the English Premier League, but when it turned out that the contract with Opel would constitute a conflict of interest there as well, Collina ended his career.

Hurry up to appreciate Szymon Marciniak...

Szymon Marciniak is now in the same career period as Collina then. They know each other well, they like each other, they cooperate intensively, so Szymon will probably consider potential advertising contracts very carefully. Meanwhile, the question is whether the Polish referee will leave Ekstraklasa for a contract with one of the leading leagues, or whether the "FIFA Elite" or "UEFA Profi" project will be implemented earlier. In any case, one thing is certain: hurry up to appreciate Marciniak, because he may disappear from the Polish Ekstraklasa faster than anyone expects.

Source: Rafal Rostkowski/TVP Sport

CAF African Nations Championship 2022

Algeria, 13 January – 4 February 2023

Referees

1. Lotfi Bekouassa (ALG, photo)
2. Patrice Milazare (MRI)
3. Alhadi Mahamat (CHA)
4. Kalilou Traore (CIV)
5. Adel El-Said (EGY)
6. Abdelaziz Bouh (MTN)
7. Ibrahim Mutaz (LBY)
8. Sabry Karim (MAR)
9. Pierre Atcho (GAB)
10. Celso Alvacao (MOZ)
11. Samuel Uwikunda (RWA)
12. Mahmood Ali (SDN)
13. Nkounkou Messie (CGO)
14. Melki Mehrez (TUN)
15. Djindo Louis (BEN)
16. Daouda Gueye (SEN)
17. Tom Abongile (RSA)
18. Ngwa Blaise (CMR)
19. Vincentia Amedome (TOG)

Assistant Referees
1. Abbes Zerhouni (ALG)
2. Brahim El Hamlaoui (ALG)
3. Clemence Kanduku (MWI)
4. Eric Ayimavo (BEN)
5. Kwasi Brobbey (GHA)
6. Hamedine Diba (MTN)
7. Adou N'Goh (CIV)
8. Hamza Abdi (SOM)
9. Modibo Samake (MLI)
10. Abelmiro Dos Reis (STP)
11. Ditsoga Marlaise (GAB)
12. Menye Rodrigue (CMR)
13. Nouha Bangoura (SEN)
14. Sanou Judicael (BFA)
15. Dieudonne Mutuyimana (RWA)
16. Lopes Ivanildo (ANG)
17. Hensley Petrousse (SEY)
18. Abdul Jawo (GAM)
19. Emery Niyongabo (BDI)
20. Carine Atezambong (CMR)
21. Diana Chikotesha (ZAM)

Video Assistant Referees
1. Mahmoud Ashor (EGY)
2. Lahlou Benbraham (ALG)
3. Haythem Guirat (TUN)
4. Samir Guezzaz (MAR)
5. Daniel Laryea (GHA)
6. Dahane Beida (MTN)
7. Issa Sy (SEN)
8. Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (BDI)
9. Bamlak Tessema (ETH)
10. Peter Waweru (KEN)
11. Zakaria Brinsi (MAR)
12. Mohammed Ibrahim (SDN)

Ma Ning: ranked first in 4 fitness tests, but only support referee at World Cup

With great pride and yet still some regret, Chinese referees Ma Ning, Shi Xiang and Cao Yi ended their 2022 FIFA World Cup journey. Despite not getting the chance to officiate a match together, the three college PE teachers were still the first Chinese officials to feature at a FIFA World Cup for 20 years.

Ma was admitted to Shenyang Institute of Physical Education in 1999, majoring in athletics. It was here that he began his career as an amateur referee. "I've loved playing football since I was a child and changed my major from athletics to football after I entered college," Ma recalled. "I started with class matches and then matches at college and grassroots levels. I took every single chance when there was one. I never thought I could become a World Cup referee when I first started my career. I didn't think about becoming an international referee or even a CSL referee, let alone the World Cup." It was the same for Cao. "I wanted to become a football star, but it wouldn't guarantee a place at college. So, my teacher told me, 'why don't you start refereeing if you love football so much?'" Ma's wife can still remember clearly how her husband would take buses to go to grassroots matches. "He would spend two yuan (30 U.S. cents) for an hour-long bus ride to get there and another two yuan for the hour-long ride back. And the money he got for one match was only 20 yuan. It was then I understood how much he loved being a referee," she added. After graduation, Ma became a PE teacher in 2003. And a few years later, when he had already turned professional, Ma would still volunteer to officiate youth matches. "Youth matches didn't pay much, and it was not a perfect reason to ask for leave. But it was definitely a good opportunity to learn and improve," Ma said. "I didn't consider the payment at all; it was just a passion for football."

From 2009 to 2012, the reputation of China's football referees hit rock bottom after a series of match-fixing scandals. In 2010, Ma started to officiate CSL matches, while Shi and Cao entered the professional leagues at the same time, as a new generation of Chinese referees struggled to make a fresh start amid controversy. "It was an important stage when our worldview, philosophy and values gradually developed. As a young referee, I was quickly promoted to the professional league and learned one thing: there are certain things that can never be done," Shi said. "Because I have higher goals and higher aspirations. If I just took refereeing as a hobby, I could stop training for a break whenever I felt tired. But now, as a professional referee at a high-level, I must be very self-disciplined," Ma admitted. "We rarely have an instructor with us during daily training. What we do is stay very strict with ourselves, while trying to push our limits. Regardless of the season, weather or temperature, I go to the playground to run right after I get off work as long as it is not too crowded. Some people would make fun of me saying, 'the psycho is running again,'" Cao said. For Ma, who had been playing football from a young age, he almost quit playing after turning professional referee because of the high risk of getting injured. "When my students invite me to play football with them during classes, I always say no. But from the bottom of my heart, I would really like to join in." Despite the CSL being a professional league, professional referees are rarely seen, as most referees do it as a part-time job. "We'd always say we are amateurs, but what we do requires professionalism," Ma noted.

After more than a decade of persistence and commitment, the once-distant World Cup dream became within reach. By the end of 2018, the trio made the referees' shortlist for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. "The idea of officiating at the World Cup first occurred in 2011 when I became an international referee," Ma explained. "The expectation didn't come from nowhere. It was the effort we made and the performance we had had in past matches that gradually shaped our expectation." However, as referee selection for the 2022 World Cup entered a critical phase in 2020, the Covid-19 outbreak brought uncertainties to their World Cup future. In January 2020, Ma received an email to attend the second-phase seminar in March for candidate referees for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, Qatar had a policy that required travelers from China to go through a 14-day quarantine after their arrival, and many flights were canceled at that time. In order to attend the seminar on time, Ma made a quick decision and departed home ahead of schedule. "I couldn't find a proper place for quarantine, so I contacted a local friend for help, and he lent me a room that had been converted from a garage," Ma recalled. "In that room, I did a lot of core strength training to maintain my physical fitness. FIFA tests are all-encompassing, including daily physical training monitoring, regular physical tests, theory tests, video case tests, English tests, and refereeing level assessment," Ma introduced. "It requires us to have no weaknesses and make no mistakes. We had to do our best."

A long time far away from home has become the norm for the trio. "When we were abroad, we had to calculate the time difference and set an alarm every day to call family back home," Shi said. "At the beginning, my son would talk to me for a while. But later, when I was away for long periods, he would just reply with a few short sentences and give the phone to his mom. And that was it," added the 42-year-old. "To be honest, I felt really sad. I failed to take on my family role and responsibilities. I feel sorry for my family." However, their struggle and endeavor were no guarantee of anything. In the final stage, three of the eight male referee groups from Asia had to be eliminated, and the Chinese group was never among the favorites to progress. "There were people who are more experienced than us, those who had been to the World Cup and the Olympic Games. We were there as challengers. As long as we did everything we could, the result wouldn't matter anymore," Ma said in a trembling voice. On 19 May 2022, FIFA announced the referee list for the World Cup, with the Chinese trio being selected. "At that time, Cao was not with us. If he was there, we three would probably have cried in each others' arms," Shi chuckled. In June, the trio attended the first formal referee seminar. "During the second phase, FIFA released data from five physical fitness tests. I ranked first in four tests and third in the other," Ma mentioned. "When I saw the results, I told myself that my hard work and persistence throughout the years had finally paid off."

The World Cup dream was eventually one step too far. Ma was appointed fourth official in six group matches, while Shi and Cao were reserve assistant referees in three matches, respectively. However, due to multiple reasons, they failed to take to the pitch as a group. "It was indeed a pity. We made it to the World Cup but didn't get the chance to officiate a match together," Ma said. "The biggest takeaway throughout the years is that now we know what we needed to have," he added. "Only after we got to the World Cup we truly understand the charm of football's highest-level showpiece through training and matches. We understood what should have been done and which direction should have been taken in order to officiate matches better." The trio say they have learned a lot from referees of different styles and from different countries. "The understanding of football and refereeing business from top referees has inspired us a lot. There are some aspects that are quite different from what I had initially thought," Cao said. Shi added that "I hope the experience we brought back home can help more young referees find a sense of direction and purpose." Cao admitted that everyone on the team had done their best in Qatar, saying, "Imperfection is also some kind of perfection. I achieved something with my greatest effort. I felt so happy for myself. Although it is probably the highest dream and goal, the World Cup is just a goal for the current stage. This is not the end," said 43-year-old Ma. "I will continue because I love this job from the bottom of my heart. We will bring our experience back to the domestic league, officiate more international competitions in the future, and hope to have better performances." As FIFA abolished the age limit of 45 years old for international referees, the Chinese referee trio is still full of possibilities. "Now we know our future directions, we will face the gap, look to eliminate our weaknesses, accumulate experience, summarize and improve. I believe that Chinese referees will eventually make their way to top level," Ma said. "I hope that Chinese referees can appear at every future World Cup."

Source: Xinhua

Gringore: “Refereeing opens doors and builds character”

At the age of 50, Cyril Gringore ended on 28 December 2023, with the Ligue 1 match Paris SG - Strasbourg, a career that started in 1990, in Seine-Maritime. A few days earlier, he had experienced his second World Cup in Qatar, as part of the trio he had composed since 2016 along with Clement Turpin and Nicolas Danos. Gringore had specialized as assistant referee I 2002 and climbed all the levels in 33 years of career, accumulating appointments at the highest level: U-17 World Cups in 2015 and 2017, Euros 2016 and 2020, World Cups 2018 and 2022, Europa League final 2021, Champions League final 2022, Club World Cup 2022. Rewarded with two UNFP Trophies for best assistant referee in Ligue 1 (2021 and 2022), Cyril Gringore is now a happy and satisfied retired referee.

- The World Cup in Qatar signaled the end of your international career. What memory will you keep?

- We stayed for five weeks, with quite exceptional living, training, and supervision conditions. The three matches for which we were chosen went very well (Uruguay-South Korea, Ecuador-Senegal, and the Round of 16 Brazil-South Korea) - our performances were rather successful. We also had the chance to attend other matches in the stands, such as three quarter-final matches, including France-England. The qualification of France for the semi-finals put an end to the World Cup for the French referees. It's always a little disappointing, we were ready to go further but that's the rule, we know it, and nothing tells us that FIFA would have called on us again afterwards. We will never know. We are proud to have achieved a great World Cup and happy that France made it to the final, a good thing for the Federation. On a personal level, ending my international career at this World Cup will remain a great memory.

- You had one last match to honor in Ligue 1 during Paris SG-Strasbourg, on December 28. A special moment?

- I had expressed the wish to have one last match in France because it was important to me to finish in front of my family and loved ones. For me, being from Normandy, Paris was perfect in terms of logistics. Knowing also that it would be my 400th match in Ligue 1, a good account. What's more at the Parc des Princes, a legendary stadium. During the warm-up, I said to myself that I was walking on this field for the last time and the feeling was a little weird. And then in the locker room, during the preparation, I tried not to think too much about that, I put myself in the game. But at the final whistle, I thought: this time, I'm definitely putting away the shoes and the flag.

- What will happen with your two friends, Clement Turpin and Nicolas Danos, without you?

- They are not lost [laughs]. Benjamin Pages [36 years old] will join them and complete the trio. My replacement had been prepared. Seeing them on their next Ligue 1 match will certainly be a special moment, but that's how it is.

- And you, what are you doing now? Is the refereeing page definitively turned?

- Since January 2, I have resumed my duties in the National Police, where I have returned to the position that I held at the police school in Oissel, near Rouen. After having been an instructor for many years, I am now assigned to the security of the site. But no, the refereeing is not completely over yet. I will no longer be on the pitch, but I will remain on duty for appointments as VAR in Ligue 1, as well as for observation of matches for the DTA.

- What do you remember from your long career as a referee?

- Refereeing has given me a lot. For 33 years, it has been a great sporting and human adventure, from my beginnings in the district to the highest professional level, punctuated by numerous meetings with players, coaches, managers, and trips to 40 or about 50 countries, which I would never have visited otherwise. It builds character. Thank you to refereeing for allowing me to experience this and thank you to the people who allowed me to enter refereeing when I was 17 years old. I did not imagine the prospects that refereeing can open.

- Your track record is impressive: two Euros, two World Cups, two European finals, among others.

- I never thought I would have such a career, go so high. It was exceptional. The 2022 Champions League final at the Stade de France and the Peru-New Zealand intercontinental play-off in November 2017 in Lima will remain my fondest memories. The two World Cups occupy a special place, too. A World Cup match is so strong to experience, with sensations that you don't feel in other matches when you enter the field. Among my good memories, I officiated for 10 years with Freddy Fautrel and two others with Rudy Buquet, including a U-17 World Cup in Chile.

- No regrets or bad memories?

- I didn't attend any Olympics. I was not yet teaming up with Clement Turpin and Nicolas Danos when they were selected for Rio in 2016; I only joined them when Frederic Cano decided to stop after the Olympic Games. But that's not really a regret. And, honestly, I don't really have a bad memory. I had a linear career, with a fairly constant progression, without any demotions. I only had a small disappointment in 2011, when I lost my international status, but that only lasted a year. Looking back, it wasn't a big deal.

- Your nephew, Jules, is a young referee of the FFF, your son Victor officiates in Regional 2 seniors. Is the relay secure?

- That's it, the family succession is ready! As a member of the Regional Referee Committee in Normandy, in charge of young referees, I try to give back to refereeing all that it has been able to bring me. We are so short of referees right now. We need to encourage those who want to referee. If my background can inspire young people, so much better!

Source: FFF

IFFHS World’s Best Referee 2022: Marciniak (POL)

After Daniele Orsato (2020) and Felix Brych (2021), Polish referee Szymon Marciniak is crowned by IFFHS as the world’s best referee in 2022. He dominated the ranking with 150 points, much more than Italian Daniele Orsato (65) and French Clement Turpin (40). Marciniak became the first Polish referee to take charge of a World Cup Final, just one year after he was forced to miss the Euro due to some health issues. (Source: IFFHS)

IFFHS World’s Best Referees 2022

1. Szymon Marciniak (POL, photo) - 150p

2. Daniele Orsato (ITA) - 65p

3. Clement Turpin (FRA) - 40p

4. Michael Oliver (ENG) - 35p

5. Victor Gomes (RSA) - 25p

6. Slavko Vincic (SVN) - 20p

7. Danny Makkelie (NED) - 15p

8. Anthony Taylor (ENG) - 15p

9. Patricio Loustau (ARG) - 10p

10. Cesar Ramos (MEX) - 10p

Fandel - the pianist referee: "Music has developed my personality"

Herbert Fandel is an important name in the refereeing world due to his biography as a top European referee. Between 1996 and 2009, he refereed 247 Bundesliga matches, went to the Olympic Games, at Euro 2008 and led two major European finals, including the Champions league final AC Milan-Liverpool in 2007. He is also a talented musician, being called “the pianist” in football. Fandel has been the new referee boss in Belgium since September 2022.

- How did the first contact with Belgium FA happen? Did your former colleague Frank De Bleeckere ask you?

- I know Frank from the past, when we were active on the international stage at the same time, but Peter Bossaert (CEO) contacted me. Over the years I had many offers from other countries - the US, Greece, Czech Republic - but I live in a corner of Germany close to the border with Belgium and Luxembourg. I grew up in this region and did not want to change my culture to live in America. But here I can arrive by car in 2 hours and 20 minutes, and this played a role. And I know Belgian football.

- Will you always be here during the week?

- That is not necessary. But I'll be there when I'm needed. I don't live on the moon, but I want to be available for the refs. In my first two weeks, I mainly wanted to get to know the internal structures and the quality of the refs.

- What is your first impression and how do you see your own role?

- I am positively surprised. My predecessor (David Elleray) already did a lot to professionalise the Belgian refereeing. I see a good mix of young and very experienced refs, and the management has strong personalities, such as Bertrand Layec, Stephanie Forde, and Frank De Bleeckere, so young refs can look up to them. I want to keep the overview with my experience and competence, saying 'Stop' when things are going in the wrong direction and support the referees going in the right direction.

- De Bleeckere was the last Belgian top referee at a major World Cup, already 12 years ago in South Africa. Does the association hope and is it your goal that a Belgian top referee will go to the World Cup in 2026?

- That depends on the quality of the referees. Belgian referees are more present in UEFA again. We have one who has already been used in the Champions League (Lawrence Visser) and one who referees in the Europa League (Erik Lambrechts).

- You were still Visser's UEFA observer when he refereed Real-Tiraspol in the UCL last season. Can he progress to the very highest UEFA elite group?

- He has the potential; I think he has a strong personality. But I also see others. I don't want to speak too personally, because I would rather say that to the referees themselves than in the media.

- We noticed in the Belgian top division that VAR must often intervene to correct clear errors. Doesn't that indicate a lower quality of the referees?

- No, but the best VAR is the referee, who decides himself on the field. In the most optimal scenario, the video referee intervenes as little as possible. But the VAR has also proven its right enough to take out important mistakes that the referee couldn't see from his position and put them on the table: 'Look at this again'.

- There is now more discussion about VAR decisions than the referees.

- That's because people think the VAR can never make a mistake. That's nonsense. There is also a person in front of that TV screen. It is no different in Belgium than in Germany, France, or Italy. The video evidence helps to avoid errors but will never be error-free.

- Would you have liked to work with VAR in the past?

- This is a bold question. I have to admit that I might have had a hard time with it at first. But I have also noticed during my service in Germany how the outside pressure on referees has increased. Now it is almost inhumanly large, also due to social media. We can't leave the referees alone in that. The VAR is a tool. I understand the emotions of a club's fans, but they don't always think about the influence on the referees. The football world must support its referees, or it will damage itself.

- In the past, a referee was the big boss on the field…

- But nobody wants that one big boss anymore, right? The management profile has changed completely over the last 10 years. In football, a referee is also at eye-level with the players, but he has to take the lead. And you build that personality. You can't expect that from a 24-year-old. A 37–38-year-old referee has learned and matured so much more. But I want young referees in professional football as soon as possible so that they can build their personality.

- You refereed big finals as a top referee. How did you deal with the pressure?

- I trusted myself, used my personality and experience. I know I got those matches because of my ability. I have always separated refereeing from my work in the music world (as concert pianist and later as director of a music school), but music has developed my personality. Because I gave many concerts, I had no fear to referee a big game in front of a large audience or of losing control.

- How was your musical talent viewed in the football world?

- They called me “the pianist”. If I refereed in Liverpool, the newspaper would say “The German pianist is coming”. I don't know if that was meant respectfully, but maybe they would have thought I should have stayed in the music. (laughs)

- Unfortunately, referees are often remembered for their mistakes. Is there a match where you failed?

- That's human. I can name many scenes or matches where I was unlucky. But one match at the beginning of my career will always stick with me: I gave four red cards to the same team. All four red cards were justified, but I refereed very strictly and dominantly, missing the football understanding to give players space. With five more years of experience, I would have solved that differently, communicated more with players to avoid those collisions. The media praised me then, but for myself it felt like I had failed as a referee. I would not have served football, because nobody wants to see a game with a team that sees four red cards.

- In 2007, you were attacked by a Danish fan in a Euro qualifying match between Sweden and Denmark after you had awarded a penalty kick to Sweden in the final minutes. What impact did that have on you?

- I was not far from quitting then. My first thought was to stop. My second thought was no, not now. It was a tough moment, but I noticed that my decision to stop the game was right. For example, I gave a signal to football and the referees that they should not drag the authority of a referee through the mud. I will not forget the reaction of the Danish coach Morten Olsen after the match. He came into my cabin, sat there, and cried because he was ashamed that this had happened in his country. I found it incredibly respectful that such a strong personality as Olsen encouraged me in one of my toughest moments.

- After you ended your referee career, you continued in the German referees committee until 2018. A top German referee was talking at that time about bad management and harassment by the leadership...

- I am not a person who bullies other people. But, if you have to indicate a direction and have more than 100 strong personalities under your leadership, where everyone thinks of themselves, you can never please everyone. That's like a coach who never has all the players behind him 100%, because he has to say: 'You play, and you don't. Furthermore, I do not look back, but I look forward. I am now looking forward to my time in Belgium.

Source: DeMorgen

Faghani and Gillett achieved FIFA referee status in a second country. Conger to follow?

FIFA recently published the 2023 Refereeing International Lists. Alireza Faghani, who represented Iran at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups, is now listed as a FIFA referee for Australia. Jarred Gillett, used to be a FIFA referee in Australia, is now representing England on the international list. Matthew Conger represented New Zealand at the last two World Cups and is still listed as a FIFA referee in that country, but last year he refereed MLS matches in his native USA and started 2023 listed on the PRO roster.

Alireza Faghani was born in 1978 and followed in the footsteps of his father, who was also a referee in Iran. His younger brother referees in Sweden. Faghani became a FIFA referee in 2008, and moved up in the ranks very fast. After only one year of international experience Faghani took charge of the 2009 AFC President's Cup final, followed a year later by a more important final, the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup, where the winner qualified for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. In 2014, Faghani was selected as support referee for the World Cup in Brazil, where he was fourth official in the opening match between Brazil and Croatia. In the same year, he also refereed the first leg of the 2014 AFC Champions League Final between Al-Hilal and Sydney Wanderers. Only one year later, Faghani was appointed to both the 2015 AFC Asian Cup final (Korea – Australia) and the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final between River Plate and FC Barcelona. His ascension continued in 2016 when FIFA assigned him the Olympic football final match between host Brazil and Germany. After the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, Faghani was appointed to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where he refereed 5 matches, including the Match for Third Place between Belgium and England. During the same year, he refereed the 2018 AFF Championship final between Vietnam – Malaysia. In 2019, Faghani attended his second AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates and then moved, along with his family, from Iran to Australia, where he joined the A-League as a full-time referee. Despite his move, Iran continued to nominate him to their FIFA List in 2020-2022, which allowed him to be selected by FIFA for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. After refereeing in the A-League for two full years, FIFA approved his transfer from Iran to Australia as of 1 January 2023.

Jarred Gillett, born in 1986, made his A-League debut during the 2010-11 season, officiating in 15 matches. He has been named the A-League Referee of the Year on five occasions and rewarded with five A-League Grand Finals (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), making him the most successful referee in A-League history. In April 2017, he was appointed as one of the inaugural video assistant referees (VARs) in the A-League. The 2018 A-League Grand Final between Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victory was his fifth (and fourth consecutive) appearance in the Grand Final. In October 2018, Gillett also refereed the 2018 FFA Cup Final between Adelaide United and Sydney FC. As part of various exchange programs, he has refereed in the J-League, the Indian Super League, the Chinese Super League, and the Saudi Professional League, as well as the 2015 International Champions Cup. Gillett left Australia in 2019 to take up a post-doctoral research position at Liverpool John Moores University and joined Select Group 2 in England. He was assigned his first match in the EFL League Two in 2019 and after two years was promoted to the Select Group 1. On 25 September 2021, Gillett became the first person born outside of the British Isles to referee in the Premier League, taking charge of the match between Watford and Newcastle United. On 1 January 2023, Gillett entered the English FIFA List, after having been previously an international referee in Australia from 2013 to 2019.

Matthew Conger was born in 1978 in the USA, where he began refereeing as a teenager and continued after moving to New Zealand in his early 20s. Conger has refereed at the 2015 U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the 2017 U-20 World Cup in South Korea, the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, as well as the OFC Champions League. He has also officiated in numerous A-League and New Zealand Football Championship games and was named the New Zealand Referee of the Year in 2017. Last year, due to New Zealand’s travel restrictions related to Covid-19, Conger returned temporarily to his native USA to be able to prepare and attend all FIFA seminars, being selected for the 2022 World Cup. At the beginning of 2023, he was added to the PRO roster of MLS referees.

Arabian Gulf Cup 2023

Iraq, 6-19 January 2023

Referee: Ma Ning (CHN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Zhou Fei (CHN)
Assistant Referee 2: Zhang Sheng (CHN)

Referee: Ali Al-Qaisi (IRQ)

Assistant Referee 1: Ahmad Al-Baghdadi (IRQ)

Assistant Referee 2: Haidar Ubaidi (IRQ) 

Referee: Abdullah Jamali (KUW)
Assistant Referee 1: Abdulhadi Al-Anizi (KUW)
Assistant Referee 2: Sayad Mahmud (KUW)

Referee: Ahmad Al-Kaf (OMA)
Assistant Referee 1: Rashad Al-Hakmani (OMA)
Assistant Referee 2: Rashid Abdi (OMA)

Referee: Salman Falahi (QAT)
Assistant Referee 1: Khaled Khalaf (QAT)
Assistant Referee 2: Zahy Al-Shammari (QAT)

Referee: Istvan Kovacs (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Vasile Marinescu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Mihai Artene (ROU)

Referee: Shukri Al-Hanfush (KSA)
Assistant Referee 1: Yasir Al-Sultan (KSA)
Assistant Referee 2: Faisal Al-Qahtani (KSA)

Referee: Adel Al-Naqbi (UAE)
Assistant Referee 1: Ali Al-Juran (UAE)
Assistant Referee 2: Sabat Al-Ali (UAE)

Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (UZB)
Assistant Referee 1: Sanjar Shoyusupov (UZB)
Assistant Referee 2: Alisher Usmonov (UZB)

Video Assistant Referees
1. Fu Ming (CHN)
2. Jeremie Pignard (FRA)
3. Redouane Jiyed (MAR)
4. Abdullah Al-Marri (QAT)
5. Abdullah Al-Shahri (KSA)
6. Ahmed Darwish (UAE)

Referee Assessors
1. Khalifa Al-Dosari (BHR)
2. Najah Al-Hamidah (IRQ)

Saadia and Al-Asmari: two firsts in FIFA female refereeing

Heba Saadia is to become the first Palestinian match official to attend the FIFA Women's World Cup, also becoming one of the first Arab woman to achieve this feat. She was previously selected as part of the team to officiate matches at the 2022 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup in Vietnam, and officiated Women's Asian Cup matches in India last year.

Saadia started refereeing at the Palestinian Yarmouk refugee camp, where she was born to Palestinian parents and continued to specialise in sports when she studied in Damascus at university, in physical education. "I was watching a group of referees train and noticed they had no women among them," said Saadia last year in an interview with Palestine TV Sports and Youth Channel. "When I asked them about it, they suggested I join them, so I did." Saadia worked with the Syrian Football Association as a fourth official at first, but was forced to move to Malaysia in 2012, when the civil war in the country broke out. After working with the Football Association of Malaysia, she moved again to begin working with the Swedish Football Federation, where she received her international badge in 2016. Saadia is to work as assistant referee at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, scheduled to take place from July 20 to August 20. (Source: ITG)

Anoud Al-Asmari became the first Saudi female referee to receive the international badge from FIFA. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) published the list of Saudi international referees for 2023, which includes 8 referees, 9 assistant referees, and 6 video assistant referees, along with a futsal referee. There is a single woman: Anoud Al-Asmari. “I am happy to be the first Saudi female referee to receive the international badge in the history of Saudi sports,” Asmari told AFP. According to the Saudi Gazette, 34-year-old Al-Asmari began her career as a referee in 2018, when she refereed a series of matches for the Saudi women’s national team. In November 2021, Saudi Arabia launched the domestic women’s league with the participation of 16 teams, just a few years after the ban on women playing the game was lifted. Saudi women’s national team, coached by German veteran Monica Stapp, played its first official match in February 2022 when it beat Seychelles 2-0. Saudi Arabia submitted a request to host the 2026 Asian Women’s Cup and is currently the only candidate to host the Men’s Asian Cup in 2027. (Source: Siasat)