UEFA Champions League 2022/2023 – Round of 16 (Second Leg, II)

14 March 2023
FC Porto – Inter Milano
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL)
Fourth Official: Pawel Raczkowski (POL)
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
AVAR: Bartosz Frankowski (POL)
Referee Observer: David Fernandez Borbalan (ESP)

Manchester City – RB Leipzig
Referee: Slavko Vinčič (SVN)
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič (SVN)
Fourth Official: Rade Obrenovič (SVN)
VAR: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP)
AVAR: Nejc Kajtazović (SVN)
Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine (NIR)

15 March 2023
SSC Napoli – Eintracht Frankfurt
Referee: Anthony Taylor (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Lee Betts (ENG)
Fourth Official: Robert Jones (ENG)
VAR: Pol van Boekel (NED)
AVAR: Jeroen Manschot (NED)
Referee Observer: Lucilio Batista (POR)

Real Madrid – Liverpool FC
Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Lupp (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller (GER)
Fourth Official: Sven Jablonski (GER)
VAR: Marco Fritz (GER)
AVAR: Christian Dingert (GER)
Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis (CYP)

Ex-referee Iturralde Gonzalez reveals he was pressured by Real Madrid

On Sunday night, former referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez made scandalous revelations on the Spanish radio show Cadena SER. The Basque said that Florentino Perez tried to lock him in a room and put pressure on him to ask him to referee Real Madrid in the same manner as Barcelona. It was during the 2010-11 season after a match against Deportivo La Coruna.

The former referee's confession stems from his criticism of Real Madrid TV for the campaign launched against another former referee, Clos Gomez. "It is the modus operandi of this television station," he explained. "Since they are journalists, who called me to a separate room? Investigate it.” Iturralde continued: "He is from Real Madrid. I asked him if he was joking and told him that our conversation is over. He wanted to bring me in a room alone, but I said no. I told him not to do that. Half an hour later, the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) knew about it. I brought it to their attention, because it seemed serious to me; but there was nothing else to it. It hasn't happened to me on any other time; no president has brought me in a separate room,” Iturralde concluded. “I care about the facts. The one who brought me in a separate room was Florentino Perez. I don't have to hide it. There is a report filed at the CTA, because I brought it to their attention, so they can see what pressure is."

Source: Mundo Deportivo

CONMEBOL Beach Soccer Copa America 2023

Argentina, 11-19 March 2023

Referees

1. Mariano Romo (ARG, photo)
2. Carlos Maidana (ARG)
3. Pablo DeFelippi (ARG)
4. Jaimito Suarez (BOL)
5. Noe Parra (BOL)
6. Lucas Estevao (BRA)
7. Luciano Andrade (BRA)
8. Mayron Dos Reis (BRA)
9. Cristian Galaz (CHI)
10. Ricardo Zuniga (CHI)
11. Jorge Gomez (COL)
12. Ferley Fuentes (COL)
13. Jean Villamar (ECU)
14. Brando Amay (ECU)
15. Micke Palomino (PER)
16. Alex Valdivieso (PER)
17. Christian Altez (URU)
18. Aecio Fernandez (URU)
19. Luis Coy (VEN)
20. Gerand Rivas (VEN)

Referee Assessors
1. Ivo De Moraes (BRA)
2. Hector Rojas (PER) 

3. Cesar Figueredo (URU)

IFFHS World’s Best Referee 1987-2022: Collina (ITA)

The IFFHS has devised an equitable method for determining the ranking of the world’s best referee in the last 35 years (1987-2022) by taking into consideration the Top 20 of each yearly ranking of the category concerned and allocating points to each place” the first placed received 20 points, the second placed 19 points, the third placed 18 points… 1 point for the 20th place. Italy’s legendary referee Pierluigi Collina, winner of the annual IFFHS Award of the World’s Best Referee for six years in a row (1998 to 2003), leads the all-time ranking with 191 points, 7 more than German Markus Merk (3 annual Awards) and the second German, Felix Brych, on the third place with 161 points (2 annual Awards and the Decade 2011-2020 Award).

The Top 31 is composed of 27 referees from UEFA and 4 from CONMEBOL. Italy is leading with 4 referees, followed by Germany and England, with 3 referees each. Pierluigi Collina is the best ranked of UEFA, Colombian Oscar Ruiz in the Top 10 is the best of CONMEBOL, Arturo Brizio Carter the best of CONCACAF and Ravshan Irmatov the best of AFC.

If Collina holds the record for the most annual Awards (6), Hungarian Sandor Puhl, ranked 11 in the all-time ranking, has won 4 consecutive Awards (1994 to 1997), one more than German Markus Merk, who won also the IFFHS Decade Award (2001-2010). Felix Brych won the second IFFHS Decade Award (2011-2020) and two annual Awards (2017 and 2021). (Source: IFFHS)

IFFHS World’s Best Referees (1987-2022)

1. Pierluigi Collina (ITA, photo) - 191p

2. Markus Merk (GER) - 184p

3. Felix Brych (GER) - 161p

4. Kim Milton Nielsen (DEN) - 159p

5. Howard Webb (ENG) - 156p

6. Björn Kuipers (NED) - 152p

7. Peter Mikkelsen (DEN) - 142p

8. Cuneyt Cakir (TUR) - 140p

9. Oscar Ruiz (COL) - 132p

10. Nicola Rizzoli (ITA) - 121p

11. Sandor Puhl (HUN) - 119p

12. Jorge Larrionda (URU) - 108p

13. Urs Meier (SUI) - 102p

14. Anders Frisk (SWE) - 100p

15. Frank De Bleeckere (BEL) - 98p

16. Pierluigi Pairetto (ITA) - 97p

17. Massimo Busacca (SUI) - 96p

17. Helmut Krug (GER) - 96p

17. Lubos Michel (SVK) - 96p

20. Juan-Carlos Loustau (ARG) - 93p

21. Roberto Rosetti (ITA) - 91p

22. Nestor Pitana (ARG) - 88p

23. Graham Poll (ENG) - 82p

24. Joel Quiniou (FRA) - 82p

25. Viktor Kassai (HUN) - 81p

26. Ravshan Irmatov (UZB) - 81p

27. Martin Atkinson (ENG) - 80p

28. Hugh Dallas (SCO) - 78p

29. Damir Skomina (SVN) - 76p

30. Mario Van der Ende (NED) - 76p

31. Michel Vautrot (FRA) - 76p

Concacaf Champions League 2023 – Round of 16 (Second Leg)

14-16 March 2023

Austin FC – Violette AC
Referee: Oshane Nation (JAM, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Caleb Wales (TRI)
Assistant Referee 2: Stephanie Yee-Sing (JAM)
Fourth Official: Reon Radix (GRN)
VAR: Daneon Parchment (JAM)
AVAR: Odette Hamilton (JAM)

Philadelphia Union – Alianza FC
Referee: Bryan Lopez (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Emmanuel Aguirre (NCA)
Assistant Referee 2: Keytzel Corrales (NCA)
Fourth Official: Sergio Reyna (GUA)
VAR: Ricardo Montero (CRC)
AVAR: Guillermo Pacheco (MEX)

Atlas FC – CD Olimpia
Referee: Juan Calderon (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Mora (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: William Arrieta (CRC)
Fourth Official: David Gomez (CRC)
VAR: Drew Fischer (CAN)
AVAR: Keylor Herrera (CRC)

RCD Espana – Vancouver Whitecaps
Referee: Marco Ortiz (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Enedina Caudillo (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Espinosa (MEX)
Fourth Official: Diego Montano (MEX)
VAR: Jorge Perez (MEX)
AVAR: Diana Perez (MEX)

Orlando City – Tigres UANL
Referee: Said Martinez (HON)
Assistant Referee 1: Walter Lopez (HON)
Assistant Referee 2: Henri Pupiro (NCA)
Fourth Official: Selvin Brown (HON)
VAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
AVAR: Shirley Perello (HON)

Los Angeles FC – LD Alajuelense
Referee: Adonai Escobedo (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Sanchez (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Enrique Bustos (MEX)
Fourth Official: Victor Caceres (MEX)
VAR: Erick Miranda (MEX)
AVAR: Eduardo Galvan (MEX)

Club Leon – Tauro FC
Referee: Walter Lopez (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Tipaz (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Raymundo Feliz (DOM)
Fourth Official: Ismael Cornejo (SLV)
VAR: Melissa Borjas (SLV)
AVAR: Ekaterina Koroleva (USA)

CF Pachuca – Motagua FC
Referee: Ivan Barton (SLV)
Assistant Referee 1: David Moran (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Zumba (SLV)
Fourth Official: Filiberto Martinez (SLV)
VAR: Benjamin Pineda (CRC)
AVAR: Benjamin Whitty (CAY)

UEFA Youth League 2022/2023 – Quarter-finals

14-15 March 2023

Sporting CP – Liverpool FC
Referee: Gergő Bogar (HUN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Peter Kobor (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Theodoros Georgiou (HUN)
Fourth Official: Ricardo Baixinho (POR)
Referee Observer: Milorad Mažić (SRB)

AC Milan – Atletico de Madrid
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Riedel (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Markus Reichholf (AUT)
Fourth Official: Alessandro Prontera (ITA)
Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen (NOR)

AZ Alkmaar – Real Madrid
Referee: Adam Ladebäck (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Yng (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Anton Sjöberg (SWE)
Fourth Official: Erwin Blank (NED)
Referee Observer: Dejan Filipović (SRB)

Borussia Dortmund – Hajduk Split
Referee: Robert Jenkins (WAL)
Assistant Referee 1: Jonathan Bryant (WAL)
Assistant Referee 2: Harry Hendricks (WAL)
Fourth Official: Robin Braun (GER)
Referee Observer: Bernardino Gonzalez Vazquez (ESP)

FC Barcelona and Negreira charged with “continued corruption”

FC Barcelona was charged on Friday by the Barcelona provincial prosecutor’s office with “continued corruption between individuals in the sports field” in addition to other charges in relation to an alleged payment scandal which has rocked Spanish football. Former FCB presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, former club CEO Oscar Grau, former club director of professional sports Albert Soler and Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira – a former leading refereeing official in Spain – have also been charged.

In a written complaint from the Barcelona Prosecutor’s Office sent to CNN, Barça and the other accused have also been charged with “the crime of continued false administration and the crime of continued falsification of commercial documents.” The charges were presented to the No. 1 magistrate’s court in Barcelona. An FCB source told CNN that the club did not have an official statement, though its first reaction was that the charges were to be expected after recent events, but that the report was an “absolutely preliminary investigative hypothesis” and that the club would assist the investigation in any way possible. The source also strongly denied that the club had at any time bribed a referee or tried to influence refereeing decisions.

Spanish lawyer Jose Maria Fuster Fabra confirmed to CNN that he’s representing Bartomeu in this case. “We are preparing the defense and we don’t think this case will go to trial,” he said, declining to make further statements. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the accused held positions of power in the club and were aware of payments which were invoiced annually from January 2011 until June 2018 to two companies that Enríquez Negreira – who was serving as a CTA vice president from 1993 to 2018 – founded, which “acted on behalf and in direct benefit to Barcelona.” The CTA is the governing body responsible for deciding which referees and assistants officiate league and national competitive matches in Spain. The club is accused of – through both Rosell and Bartomeu – coming to a “strictly confidential verbal agreement” with Enríquez Negreira with the aim to “produce actions which tended to favor Barcelona in the form of refereeing decisions. Subsequently, the companies of the accused, [Nisdal SCP] and [Dasnil 95 SL], produced invoices which were presented for payment to FCB without having to produce any services of real technical reports,” the report said. The report from the Barcelona’s Prosecutor’s Office outlines that the two companies connected to Enríquez Negreira were founded by him and he held 100% and 95% of the shares in Dasnil 95 and Nisdal respectively. According to the report, an audit was started by the tax authorities in 2019 into Enríquez Negreira’s companies in which they asked Barcelona to provide copies of invoices and method of payment. Because Barcelona was not able to satisfy the authorities’ questions, the club incurred a tax penalty, and an investigation was later opened into Enríquez Negreira and his companies for the time period of 2016 to 2019. The investigation discovered that the club paid his two companies a total of $3,175,589.21 (€2,971,673.01) between those years, mostly under the pretense of “assessment of technical videos.” After Enríquez Negreira was relieved of his vice-presidency at the CTA in 2018, the payments from Barcelona stopped. In February 2019, Enríquez Negreira sent a fax directed towards Bartomeu “recriminating him for ending the long-lasting relationship, insisting that a solution be found for both parties and warning him of the consequences of not doing so,” according to the report. “I don’t have the will to give attention to all of the irregularities I’ve known and lived first-hand with anyone at the Club, but you are forcing me to do so if you don’t reconsider your decision and complete the agreement we had to continue using my services until the end of my mandate,” Enríquez Negreira wrote. According to the report, the total amount Barça paid Enríquez Negreira’s companies from 2001 to 2018 during his vice-presidency in the CTA surpassed $7.8 million (€7.3 million). “This resulted in a substantial remuneration, unforeseen by the statutes of the Club nor which was approved by the General Assembly, which should have been given its nature. Definitively, said payments neither had legal or statutory support at all.” In February, Barcelona said that a “thorough and independent investigation” was underway. European football governing body UEFA declined to comment on whether it is investigating the club. However, in a press conference earlier in March, Spanish football federation (RFEF) secretary general Andreu Camps said the organization had sent all its information relating to the case to UEFA’s integrity unit.

Source: CNN

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2023 – Third Round (Second Leg)

15-16 March 2023

Independiente Medellin – Magallanes
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (BRA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Pires (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Rodrigo Correa (BRA)
Fourth Official: Braulio Machado (BRA)
VAR: Wagner Reway (BRA)
AVAR: Pablo Goncalves (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Gustavo Rossi (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Marcio Santiago (BRA)

Atletico Mineiro – Millonarios
Referee: Fernando Rapallini (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Belatti (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Bonfa (ARG)
Fourth Official: Pablo Echavarria (ARG)
VAR: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
AVAR: Jorge Balino (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Paulo Conceicao (BRA)
VAR Supervisor: Henry Gambetta (PER)

Sporting Cristal – Huracan
Referee: Raphael Claus (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Simon (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Alves (BRA)
Fourth Official: Savio Sampaio (BRA)
VAR: Rodolpho Toski (BRA)
AVAR: Daniel Nobre (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Victor Carrillo (PER)
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Avila (ECU)

Cerro Porteno – Fortaleza
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno (VEN)
Fourth Official: Jose Argote (VEN)
VAR: Juan Soto (VEN)
AVAR: John Perdomo (COL)
Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi (ARG)
VAR Supervisor: Patricio Polic (CHI)

Makkelie quit Police to become Head of Amateur Referees

Danny Makkelie will start working at the KNVB as Head of Referees for national competitions in the amateur football department. The 40-year-old top referee will be responsible, among other things, for the appointment and further development of approximately 250 match officials at national amateur level. Makkelie combines his new job with his career as a professional football referee.

Until recently, Makkelie worked for the National Police. In his new position at the KNVB, Makkelie will share his knowledge and experience with referees, assistant referees, observers, and instructors in the Second, Third and Fourth Divisions. The aim is to strengthen refereeing in national amateur football in the short and long term and to make and keep more people interested in refereeing. “We are proud that Danny will contribute to the development of refereeing in amateur football,” said Jan Dirk van der Zee, director of amateur football at KNVB. “As Head of Referee National Amateur Football Leagues, we could have nothing better than the experience and skills of one of the best referees in Europe. Danny has a heart for this profession and is a fantastic figurehead for the refereeing. We are convinced that his appointment will contribute to the goal of developing more referees for the KNVB.”

Source: KNVB

CAF Champions League 2022/2023 – Group Stage (Matchday 4)

7-11 March 2023

Al Hilal – Coton Sport
Referee: Redoune Jiyed (MAR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Lahcen Azgaou (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Mustapha Akerkad (MAR)
Fourth Official: Noureddine El-Jaafari (MAR)

Simba – Vipers
Referee: Bamlak Tessema (ETH)
Assistant Referee 1: Temesgin Samuel (ETH)
Assistant Referee 2: Tigle Gizaw (ETH)
Fourth Official: Belay Tadesse (ETH)

Horoya – Raja CA
Referee: Ibrahim Traore (MLI)
Assistant Referee 1: Adou N’Goh (CIV)
Assistant Referee 2: Nouho Ouattara (CIV)
Fourth Official: Tuonifere Soro (CIV)

CR Belouizdad – Al Merrikh
Referee: Jean Ndala-Ngambo (COD)
Assistant Referee 1: Olivier Safari (CGO)
Assistant Referee 2: Blaise Nabina (CGO)
Fourth Official: Justin Kalamba (CGO)

Zamalek – ES Tunis
Referee: Blaise Ngwa (CMR)
Assistant Referee 1: Elvis Noupue (CMR)
Assistant Referee 2: Rodrigue Mpele (CMR)
Fourth Official: Antoine Essouma (CMR)

Petro de Luanda – Wydad AC
Referee: Pierre Atcho (GAB)
Assistant Referee 1: Boris Ditsoga (GAB)
Assistant Referee 2: Abelmiro Dos Reis (STP)
Fourth Official: Tanguy Mebiame (GAB)

JS Kabylie – AS Vita Club
Referee: Abdel Bouh (MTN)
Assistant Referee 1: Hamedine Diba (MTN)
Assistant Referee 2: Brahim H’Made (MTN)
Fourth Official: Moussa Diou (MTN)

Mamelodi Sundowns – Al Ahly
Referee: Issa Sy (SEN)
Assistant Referee 1: El Hadji Samba (SEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Nouha Bangoura (SEN)
Fourth Official: Adalbert Diouf (SEN)