FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 Qualifiers – UEFA (Matchday 6)

9-10 April 2018

Italy – Belgium
Referee: Katalin Kulcsár (HUN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Katalin Török (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Anita Vad (HUN)
Fourth Official: Tiziana Trasciatti (ITA)

Kazakhstan – Russia
Referee: Ivana Martinčić (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Sanja Rodjak-Karšić (CRO)
Assistant Referee 2: Maja Petravić (CRO)
Fourth Official: Kristina Yanushkevich (KAZ)

Croatia – Hungary
Referee: Cheryl Foster (WAL)
Assistant Referee 1: Laura Griffiths (WAL)
Assistant Referee 2: Rebecca Thomas (WAL)
Fourth Official: Ivona Pejić (CRO)

Denmark – Ukraine
Referee: Jana Adámková (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Chrysoúla Kourompýlia (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Jana Zaplatilová (CZE)
Fourth Official: Line-Maria Rasmussen (DEN)

Bosnia and Herzegovina – England
Referee: Andromáchi Tsioflíki (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Georgía Komisopoúlou (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: María Détsi (GRE)
Fourth Official: Almira Spahić (BIH)

Albania – Belarus
Referee: Ifeoma Kulmala (FIN)
Assistant Referee 1: Nina Hammarberg (FIN)
Assistant Referee 2: Jenni Mahlamäki (FIN)
Fourth Official: Mirela Çemeri (ALB)

Slovenia – Germany
Referee: Sarah Garratt (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Lisa Rashid (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Kirsty Dowle (ENG)
Fourth Official: Helena Buh (SVN)

Israel – Serbia
Referee: Araksya Saribekyan (ARM)
Assistant Referee 1: Liana Grigoryan (ARM)
Assistant Referee 2: Hasmik Gharibyan (ARM)
Fourth Official: May Moalem (ISR)

Faroe Islands – Iceland
Referee: Anastasia Romanyuk (UKR)
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksandra Vdovina (UKR)
Assistant Referee 2: Irina Petrova (UKR)
Fourth Official: Jóhan Ellefsen (FRO)

Moldova – Romania
Referee: Vesna Budimir (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Gordana Katušić (CRO)
Assistant Referee 2: Barbara Vidović (CRO)
Fourth Official: Maria Bucliș (MDA)

Ireland – Netherlands
Referee: Stéphanie Frappart (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Manuela Nicolosi (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Solenne Bartnik (FRA)
Fourth Official: Michelle O'Neill (IRL)

Northern Ireland – Norway
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara (FIN)
Assistant Referee 1: Tonja Paavola (FIN)
Assistant Referee 2: Heini Hyvönen (FIN)
Fourth Official: Paula Brady (IRL)

Austria – Spain
Referee: Anastasia Pustovoitova (RUS)
Assistant Referee 1: Ekaterina Kurochkina (RUS)
Assistant Referee 2: Sabina Valiyeva (RUS)
Fourth Official: Sara Telek (AUT)

Scotland – Poland
Referee: Riem Hussein (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Sina Diekmann (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Franziska Wildfeuer (GER)
Fourth Official: Kylie Cockburn (SCO)

Copa Sudamericana – Round 1 (First Leg, III)

10-12 April 2018

Jaguares – Boston River
Referee: Fernando Echenique (ARG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Bonfa (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Gustavo Rossi (ARG)
Fourth Official: Silvio Trucco (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Candelario Andarcia (VEN)

LDU Quito – Guabira
Referee: Piero Maza (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Claudio Rios (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Edson Cisternas (CHI)
Fourth Official: Cesar Deischler (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Nelson Moncao (BRA)

Deportivo Cali – Danubio
Referee: Alexis Herrera (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Elbis Gomez (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Luis Torrealba (VEN)
Fourth Official: Marlon Escalante (VEN)
Referee Assessor: Carlos Herrera (ECU)

Estudiantes Merida – Deportivo Temuco
Referee: Ivo Mendez (BOL)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Antelo (BOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Ariel Guizada (BOL)
Fourth Official: Jose Jordan (BOL)
Referee Assessor: Imer Machado (COL)

San Lorenzo – Atletico Mineiro
Referee: Leodan Gonzalez (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Richard Trinidad (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Popovits (URU)
Fourth Official: Gustavo Tejera (URU)
Referee Assessor: Ubaldo Aquino (PAR)

Blooming – Bahia
Referee: Luis Quiroz (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Macias (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Ricardo Baren (ECU)
Fourth Official: Omar Ponce (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Cesar Escano (PER)

Fluminense – Nacional Potosi
Referee: Nicolas Gallo (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Diaz (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: John Leon (COL)
Fourth Official: Gustavo Murillo (COL)
Referee Assessor: Roberto Silvera (URU)

Atletico Paranaense – Newell's Old Boys
Referee: Gery Vargas (BOL)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Montaño (BOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Reluy Vallejos (BOL)
Fourth Official: Juan Garcia (BOL)
Referee Assessor: Francisco Mondria (CHI)

Audax Italiano – Botafogo
Referee: Andres Rojas (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Wilmar Navarro (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Dionisio Ruiz (COL)
Fourth Official: Carlos Herrera (COL)
Referee Assessor: Rodolfo Otero (ARG)

Sol de America – Independiente Medellin
Referee: Michael Espinoza (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Jonny Bossio (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Jesus Sanchez (PER)
Fourth Official: Luis Garay (PER)
Referee Assessor: Saul Laverni (ARG)

Rosario Central – Sao Paulo
Referee: Victor Carrillo (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Orue (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Stephen Atoche (PER)
Fourth Official: Joel Alarcon (PER)
Referee Assessor: Juan Cardellino (URU)

FIFA World Cup 2018: Referee Salaries and Match Fees

The biggest competition on the planet, the World Cup generates a few billion dollars and fills the coffers of FIFA and the 32 participating national federations. But it's not just the managers who make money from the tournament. Sponsors, players, coaches, members of technical committees, workers, and officials also get a slice of this billionaire cake. But how much of this money goes to the referees, the men in charge of making the most important decisions of the World Cup and that, in a way, will decide the future of the teams in Russia 2018? The value of the payment received by the World Cup referees is not standardized, FIFA paying different amounts to referees based on their level and experience. The referees with a consolidated career at the top level will earn more than those less experienced or who are debuting in the competition.

In Russia 2018, top level referees, such as German Felix Brych (photo), who refereed the last UEFA Champions League final, Turkish Cüneyt Çakir and Argentine Nestor Pitana, will receive $70,000 plus match fees of $3,000 per game. These figures represent a significant increase over the amount paid at the last two editions of the tournament (2010 and 2014), when the referees earned between $35,000 and $50,000. The assistant referees will receive a fixed amount of $25,000 plus a bonus of $2,000 for each game assigned. 

In total, 36 referees and 63 assistants were selected by FIFA for the 2018 World Cup. At the end of April, they will attend a seminar in Italy. Only after that, FIFA will announce which referees will work on the pitch and who will be in operation of the video review system. The 2018 FIFA World Cup starts on 14 June with the match between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Moscow. The final is scheduled for 15 July and will be played on the same stadium as the opening match.

Source: UOL Esporte

AIA: Nicchi and Rizzoli were sent packages with bullets

The AIA president, Marcelo Nicchi, said on Thursday that he, the AIA vice-president Narciso Pisacreta and the referee assignor Nicola Rizzoli - who officiated the 2014 FIFA World Cup final - were all sent packages with bullets in the mail. Nicchi (photo), who reported the incident to the police and the interior ministry, also denounced recent comments on TV: "There is a journalist who said: 'They have declared war on a people and in war you do not play the whistle, you are shooting. You have to shoot the referees and not allow them to referee'. This is the consequence". The Rome prosecutor's office said it was investigating the case on a possible charge of making aggravated threats, judicial sources said. Anti-terror chief prosecutor Francesco Caporale is leading the probe.

VAR has been introduced in Serie A this season with mixed results and has been the subject of fan protests. Last month, an estimated 1,000 Lazio fans showed up outside the Italian football federation's offices to protest decisions by VAR. AC Milan beat Lazio 2-1 on Jan. 28 after a VAR failed to recognise the ball first hit Patrick Cutrone's arm before he scored. Nearly a month earlier, in a 0-0 draw with Inter Milan, Lazio was awarded a penalty, but VAR revoked the decision as Ciro Immobile's cross hit Milan Skriniar's leg before bouncing up onto his arm, so the handball was declared involuntary. In December, an aggrieved group of Biancocelesti supporters also initiated legal action against match officials Piero Giacomelli and Marco Di Bello over perceived errors in a 3-1 loss to Torino. "Yesterday, Di Bello managed the Milan derby very well, yet he and Giacomelli will have to appear before the justice of the peace because of supposed errors", said Nicchi. "Tell me, if Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo or a Serie A player misses a chance, are they up in court the next week? This is scandalous. How can we send our referees on to the pitch when, if they happen to make a mistake, they might be subjected to this same fate?" 

Source: ANSA/SBS/ESPN

UEFA Europa League – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

5 April 2018

Lazio – Salzburg
Referee: Ovidiu Haţegan (ROU, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Octavian Șovre (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Sebastian Gheorghe (ROU)
Additional AR 1: István Kovács (ROU)
Additional AR 2: Sebastian Colţescu (ROU)
Fourth Official: Radu Ghinguleac (ROU)
Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan (ARM)

Atlético de Madrid – Sporting
Referee: Sergei Karasev (RUS)
Assistant Referee 1: Anton Averianov (RUS)
Assistant Referee 2: Tikhon Kalugin (RUS)
Additional AR 1: Sergei Lapochkin (RUS)
Additional AR 2: Sergei Ivanov (RUS)
Fourth Official: Igor Demeshko (RUS)
Referee Observer: William Young (SCO)

Arsenal – CSKA Moskva
Referee: Pavel Královec (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Roman Slyško (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Ivo Nádvorník (CZE)
Additional AR 1: Petr Ardeleánu (CZE)
Additional AR 2: Karel Hrubeš (CZE)
Fourth Official: Jan Paták (CZE)
Referee Observer: Manuel Mejuto González (ESP)

RB Leipzig – Olympique de Marseille
Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Alonso Fernández (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Carlos Yuste Jiménez (ESP)
Additional AR 1: Juan Martínez Munuera (ESP)
Additional AR 2: José Sánchez Martínez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Raúl Cabañero Martínez (ESP)
Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin (SVN)

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 Qualifiers – UEFA (Matchday 5)

5-7 April 2018

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Russia
Referee: Carina Vitulano (ITA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Lucia Abruzzese (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Veronica Martinelli (ITA)
Fourth Official: Aida Jusufović (BIH)

Croatia – Ukraine
Referee: Marte Soro (NOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Elisabeth Thoresen (NOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Monica Lokkeberg (NOR)
Fourth Official: Maja Petravić (CRO)

Hungary – Sweden
Referee: Viola Raudziņa (LVA)
Assistant Referee 1: Diāna Vanaga (LVA)
Assistant Referee 2: Līga Didriķe (LVA)
Fourth Official: Anita Vad (HUN)

Switzerland – Scotland
Referee: Olga Zadinová (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Lucie Ratajová (CZE)
Assistant Referee 2: Nikola Šafránková (CZE)
Fourth Official: Nadine Reichmuth (SUI)

Austria – Serbia
Referee: Sandra Braz Bastos (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Olga Martins Almeida (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Vanessa Dias Gomes (POR)
Fourth Official: Sara Telek (AUT)

Moldova – Italy
Referee: Shona Shukrula (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Franca Overtoom (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Fijke Hoogendijk (NED)
Fourth Official: Natalia Ceban (MDA)

Slovenia – Iceland
Referee: Amy Fearn (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Sian Massey (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Abigail Marriott (ENG)
Fourth Official: Staša Špur (SVN)

Finland – Spain
Referee: Florence Guillemin (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Kylie Cockburn (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Michelle O'Neill (IRL)
Fourth Official: Jenni Mahlamäki (FIN)

Poland – Albania
Referee: María Martínez Madrona (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Silvia Fernández Pérez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Aleksandra Prus (POL)

Ireland – Slovakia
Referee: Simona Ghisletta (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Émilie Aubry (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Linda Schmid (SUI)
Fourth Official: Paula Brady (IRL)

Belgium – Portugal
Referee: Esther Staubli (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Belinda Brem (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Susann Küng (SUI)
Fourth Official: Bérengère Pierart (BEL)

Netherlands – Northern Ireland
Referee: Monika Mularczyk (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Petruța Iugulescu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Mihaela Țepușă (ROU)
Fourth Official: Bianca Scheffers (NED)

England – Wales
Referee: Pernilla Larsson (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Sandra Österberg (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Camilla Stendahl (SWE) 
Fourth Official: Lauren Holt (ENG)

Germany – Czech Republic
Referee: Kateryna Monzul (UKR)
Assistant Referee 1: Maryna Striletska (UKR)
Assistant Referee 2: Svitlana Grushko (UKR)
Fourth Official: Katharina Kruse (GER)

Chiquirankings Referees FWC 2018

Former three-time World Cup (2006, 2010, 2014) referee Marco Rodriguez (MEX, photo) ranked the top 19 referees selected for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

1. Cuneyt Cakir (TUR)
2. Bjorn Kuipers (NED)
3. Alireza Faghani (IRN)
4. Ravshan Irmatov (UZB)
5. Sandro Ricci (BRA)
6. Felix Brych (GER)
7. Gianluca Rocchi (ITA)
8. Nestor Pitana (ARG)
9. Wilmar Roldan (COL)
10. Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP)
11. Damir Skomina (SVN)
12. Cesar Ramos (MEX)
13. Milorad Mazic (SRB)
14. Joel Aguilar (SLV)
15. Enrique Caceres (PAR)
16. Clement Turpin (FRA)
17. Mark Geiger (USA)
18. Julio Bascunan (CHI)
19. Nawaf Shukralla (BHR)

Irmatov in CONCACAF Champions League Semi-finals

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) announced a referee exchange with the Asian Football Confederation, which will begin when the AFC provides referees for next week’s Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League semi-final return leg in Mexico City, between Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC and Liga MX’s Club America. Uzbek referee Ravshan Irmatov, the youngest referee ever to whistle a FIFA World Cup opening match and five-time AFC Referee of the Year, will lead the referee team assigned to the match. As part of the reciprocal referee exchange with the AFC, a yet-to-be-determined Concacaf referee trio will referee an Asian Football Confederation Champions League semi-final later this year. The referee exchange comes about as part of cooperation delineated in Concacaf’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) signed last year, which enumerates ways in which the two Confederations can cooperate towards continued growth of the game across both regions. Both Concacaf and AFC have seen explosive growth in club and national team football in recent decades. “The appointment of three-time FIFA World Cup Referee Ravshan Irmatov to our Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League semi-final marks a historic moment for refereeing in Concacaf”, said Concacaf Director of Refereeing Brian Hall. “We are honored to have a referee, with his pedigree, lead our teams onto the field at Azteca Stadium. Mr. Irmatov’s appointment will also pave the way future exchanges that will help strengthen refereeing in both Confederations”. The AFC’s Irmatov will direct the Mexico City semi-final along with two countrymen, Abdukhamidullo Rasulov and Jakhongir Saidov. Irmatov has been a FIFA referee since 2003 and is a five-time AFC Referee of the Year (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014). His career includes the honour of being the youngest referee to ever officiate the opening match of a FIFA World Cup when he took the field in South Africa 2010. Following South Africa and Brazil 2014, Irmatov will make his third consecutive World Cup appearance this summer in Russia. Entering his third FIFA World Cup, Irmatov already holds the record for most matches ever officiated in the World Cup competition: a total of 9. The winner of the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League will represent the region in the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. (Source: Concacaf)

First Leg, 3-4 April 2018

Toronto FC – Club America
Referee: Henry Bejarano (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Fernandez (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Ainsley Rochard (TRI)
Fourth Official: Ricardo Montero (CRC)

CD Guadalajara – New York Red Bulls
Referee: John Pitti (PAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Gabriel Victoria (PAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Ramirez (HON)
Fourth Official: Kimbell Ward (SKN)

Second Leg, 10 April 2018

Club America – Toronto FC
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (UZB)
Assistant Referee 1: Abdukhamidullo Rasulov (UZB)
Assistant Referee 2: Jakhongir Saidov (UZB)
Fourth Official: Ricardo Montero (CRC)

New York Red Bulls – CD Guadalajara
Referee: Walter Lopez (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Zumba (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Osvaldo Luna (CRC)
Fourth Official: Hector Rodriguez (HON)

Clattenburg returns to UEFA

The UEFA Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE) in Nyon plays a key role in training potential future FIFA match officials, ensuring high quality standards for the next generation.

Every two years, the national federations are invited to send to the CORE a referee and two assistant referees with potential to become, in the near future, FIFA match officials. The course started in March and includes an introductory stage of 10 consecutive days followed, a few months later, by an 8-day consolidation phase. The course will be attended by only eight referee teams who will work closely with four referee coaches, former international referees, as tutors, two assistant referee coaches and two athletic trainers. UEFA selected Mark Clattenburg, Silvia Spinelli and Peter Frojdfeldt (photo) as referee coaches for the 2018-2019 cycle. The training is normally divided into a purely theoretical first phase, with audiovisual support in English, followed by a subsequent phase of practice on the pitch, in which the participants will be engaged in refereeing international games of minor importance. On the other hand, in the consolidation phase the progress made in the refereeing field will be evaluated, as well as the English language and their fitness level. At the conclusion of the program, the referees will receive a prestigious certificate of attendance.

Source: AIA Terni

Copa Libertadores – Group Stage (Matchday 3)

3-5 April 2018

Real Garcilaso – Nacional
Referee: Wilmar Roldan (COL, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Cristian De la Cruz (COL)
Fourth Official: Carlos Betancur (COL)
Referee Assessor: Manuel Bernal (PAR)

Libertad – The Strongest
Referee: Diego Haro (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Jonny Bossio (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Raul Lopez (PER)
Fourth Official: Miguel Santivañez (PER)
Referee Assessor: Alicio Pena (BRA)

Palmeiras – Alianza Lima
Referee: Jose Argote (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Lopez (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Luis Murillo (VEN)
Fourth Official: Juan Soto (VEN)
Referee Assessor: Dario Ubriaco (URU)

Universidad de Chile – Racing
Referee: Enrique Caceres (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Cardozo (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Zorrilla (PAR)
Fourth Official: Jose Mendez (PAR)
Referee Assessor: Jose Buitrago (COL)

Peñarol – Atletico Tucuman
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Rodrigo Correa (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Bruno Pires (BRA)
Fourth Official: Dewson Freitas (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Hugo Munoz (CHI)

Gremio – Monagas
Referee: Carlos Orbe (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Vera (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Edwin Bravo (ECU)
Fourth Official: Guillermo Guerrero (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Paulo Silva (ARG)

Boca Juniors – Junior
Referee: Ulises Mereles (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Dario Gaona (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Milciades Saldivar (PAR)
Fourth Official: Julio Quintana (PAR)
Referee Assessor: Martin Vazquez (URU)

Cruzeiro – Vasco da Gama
Referee: Raphael Claus (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Emerson Carvalho (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Marcelo Van Gasse (BRA)
Fourth Official: Rodolpho Toski (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Sabrina Lois (ARG)

River Plate – Santa Fe
Referee: Julio Bascunan (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Astroza (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Schiemann (CHI)
Fourth Official: Cesar Deischler (CHI)
Referee Assessor: Joel Ruiz (PAR)

Colo Colo – Delfin
Referee: Daniel Fedorczuk (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Mauricio Espinosa (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Nicolas Taran (URU)
Fourth Official: Gustavo Tejera (URU)
Referee Assessor: Roberto Perassi (BRA)

Bolívar – Atletico Nacional
Referee: Nestor Pitana (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Hernan Maidana (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Belatti (ARG)
Fourth Official: Fernando Espinoza (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Claudio Puga (CHI)

Estudiantes – Santos
Referee: Roddy Zambrano (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Lescano (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Macias (ECU)
Fourth Official: Juan Albarracin (ECU)
Referee Assessor: Ubaldo Aquino (PAR)