Umpierrez: “I would love to see more women refereeing men's football”

When Claudia Umpierrez came out onto the pitch shortly before the start of the group match between USA and Australia at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 in Winnipeg, she was overcome by emotions. On the one hand there was joy and pride that she and her team would be officiating the first FIFA World Cup game of their careers, but there was also gratitude and the knowledge that the hard work and sacrifices over the years had paid off. "As the captains chose which end to play from, my career seemed to play out before my eyes like a movie," the Uruguayan match official explains. "I thought about how it had all started on a little pitch in my home town of Pan de Azucar, and then looked at where I was now – in a stadium in front of over 30,000 spectators." 

Decades separated those two events, during which the 36-year-old put sport ahead of everything else. She had also had a child in that time, making it even more difficult for her to get back to the top of the pile and earn her spot at that match in Winnipeg. "The path to becoming a referee was and still is tough," says Umpierrez, who will be taking part in her second FIFA Women's World Cup this summer in France. "I train in the morning, after that I work a seven or eight-hour-day as a lawyer and then also look after my daughter. If you asked me if I’d rather be a full-time referee, my answer would obviously be yes. But unfortunately that’s not possible, because I couldn’t put food on the table for my family in the country where I live if that were my sole profession." Umpierrez is nevertheless trying to make the very best of the situation, particularly since a life without football for her would be impossible to imagine. "Being a referee is my passion. To be a good ref, you have to be persistent, be able to make decisions and you can never give up. It’s important to establish clear lines on the pitch, but at the same time it’s the players who are the main protagonists, not the referees – that’s something we should never forget." 

Since Canada, Umpierrez has also refereed matches in the top men’s divisions in the country, which improves her physical fitness – to such an extent that she has even taken on a strength and conditioning coach whom she works with on a daily basis. "I would love to see more women refereeing men’s football". she says, citing the example of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 that she took part in. "That was a milestone and great experience. It demonstrated what we women are capable of and that we can be counted on. Working in men’s football has allowed me to focus on my rhythm and my stamina and I’m reaping the benefits now, since women’s football has now come on immensely in recent years and got a whole lot quicker." Umpierrez is of course looking forward to the FIFA Women's World Cup in France. "The 90 minutes of every match is what it all comes down to. You have all this preparation but that is the important part." And when the whistle blows, Umpierrez banishes all memories and thoughts of the future to the back of her mind. All that counts is the here and now – namely a tournament on the biggest of stages that has the eyes of the world on it. And with every match, a dream comes true once again for the Uruguayan referee. 

Source: FIFA

Emotional farewell for referee Undiano at his last fitness test

Alberto Undiano Mallenco smiles after his last fitness tests as elite referee in Spain (or maybe not, we'll get to that). He received a 5-minute ovation for his long career in the First Division. At 45 years old and still active, he is a legend of the Spanish refereeing: nobody has refereed more matches than him in the First Division and, in fact, it is very difficult for someone to overcome him as the refereeing is organized right now. He has to leave, as dictated by the regulations, and a point of bitterness is inevitable. But he is also proud to leave his career on high: "I have a mixture of feelings, on the one hand I am happy to have reached the age limit to retire, 45 years old, with health, energy and even desire to continue, but it is clear that the regulation is like that, we must give room to the younger referees, which are very well prepared, which is why I mix sadness with the pride of having arrived here".

He started in the First Division at the age of 26 and has lived through everything, as he explained in Marca last year. Now he is in VAR territory as if it were a rookie: "The truth is that I feel privileged to have gotten to referee with VAR, even if it's only a year. See the sensations, know what to be in the field with a VAR behind you or sitting as a VAR... I do not know what my future will be in this, but of course I already know what this experience is, which is very interesting, If, 30 years ago, when I started, they would have told me that I would end up refereeing with VAR, I could not have believed it, it's a very positive and very rewarding experience”. Why could it not be his last season in the elite? The current Spanish Referees Committee (CTA), far from the prehistory defended by its former president, Victoriano Sanchez Arminio, is considering opening a hand regarding the retirement age of the referees, with the purpose of reinforcing the VAR with experience and adding the factor of less physical demand. It is, therefore, his last season on the field, but we will see if he can continue contributing in the VAR room. He does not pronounce himself, but he cannot avoid leaving that door open: "Well, it could be that. If they ask me to do so and I will be fine, well, why not? I know that there is a limit that, if it had not existed, I would not have left Primera Division so soon. I am very happy and aware that I leave it at a good time with health and giving way to my younger colleagues who come fast as motorcycles". An usual prize for the referees about to retire is Copa Del Rey final. Undiano is cautious. "Refereeing the cup final? Well, there are still three months left and we have to wait a long time. Of course it would be a fantastic and wonderful farewell if I had the option of doing it, and if another referee colleague does it, then nothing happens either: I would encourage him from home".

In the first seven months of VAR, Undiano Mallenco has realized how a phrase of his colleague Melero Lopez will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable of the season: "Well, I have not hesitated too much with the 'All ok, José Luis' The world of football does have these things, but nothing happens, it is clear that the VAR has been a real revolution for the world of football. The referees are very happy, it is something that has been very good for us and it's possible that within five years the VAR will have little to do with the way we are applying it now; there is a protocol that is what we are applying now and it is possible that it will change later. I am an old person, maybe I could be one of the most reticent, but I only say one thing: I wish I have had VAR for 20 years, to correct those four, five, six errors that all the referees have in their backpacks, and that have been hard for us, that made the career of many of us change and some had to stop being an elite referee because of that; if we had VAR they probably would not have happened". And so does Undiano. A legend among their own. Nobody has refereed more matches than him. He spent 19 years in Primera Division, the last of them with VAR. "I am a veteran, but relatively modern. In the beginning we all had our doubts whether we would change our refereeing a lot, but no, the way to referee on the field has not been so different", concludes Undiano Mallenco.

Source: RFEF, Marca

Handball rules reworded by IFAB

Football's lawmakers will meet next week to discuss the rules on handball and introduce new wording to reduce grey areas in the law, according to former referee David Elleray (photo). 

An the IFAB's 133rd Annual General Meeting, one of the items on the agenda is to consider amendments to Law 12, which covers fouls, misconduct and handball. Despite the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the debate over what constitutes handball rumbles on and the inconsistency between match officials in their decisions has led to angry criticism from several managers and players. At present, there are five different areas to consider for each handball decision and the lack of clarity in the wording has led key figures in football to call for the rules to change. Elleray, a former FIFA and Premier League referee who retired in 2003, revealed the the new wording will be passed at the IFAB meeting in Aberdeen on 2 March 2019. “The new text will clarify those situations where players can expect contact with the arms to be penalized and where they can expect not to be penalized”, Elleray told the Times. “It will significantly reduce the grey areas around handball... we will be identifying those areas where non-deliberate contact will be penalized and when it won’t be. There will still be a reference to deliberate handball – there’s never been any discussion about getting rid of that and any deliberate handball will be penalized in any situation”. However, any changes agreed at the meeting will be not implemented immediately. The IFAB will only consider changes in time for the 2019-2020 season.

Source: Evening Standard

Tanzanian FIFA referee banned for life for manipulating matches

Referee Oden Charles Mbaga has been banned for life and fined 200,000 Swiss francs (150,962 pounds) for accepting bribes to manipulate football matches. FIFA said in a statement that its ethics committee had found Mbaga guilty of accepting bribes in violation of the FIFA code of ethics following an investigation opened in July. In a subsequent email to Reuters, FIFA said that Mbaga “accepted bribes to manipulate several national and international matches between 2009 and 2012”. It did not give any further details over which matches were involved.

Mbaga (photo) told Reuters in Dar es Salaam that he was questioned by FIFA in 2010, but had not heard anything from them since and knew nothing about match-fixing. “This is a shocking news to me. I don’t know anything about me being banned to participate football activities for life. I really don’t know this”, he said. “I know FIFA was doing an investigation and the last time they came to interview me about the issue was in 2010. I told them openly that I don’t know anything about match-fixing and I have never heard anything from them since then. For now, I cannot say anything as I don’t have clear information”. FIFA described Mbaga as a “referee affiliated to the Tanzanian Football Federation”. The ban excludes him from “from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level,” the statement added. Match-fixing is often organized by betting syndicates who bribe players or officials to manipulate matches and make money by correctly gambling on the result. Last month, former international referee Ibrahim Chaibou from Niger was banned for life and fined 200,000 Swiss francs after being found guilty of taking bribes. FIFA did not give any further details on that case. 

Source: Reuters

Concacaf Champions League – Round of 16 (Second Leg)

26-28 February 2019

Houston Dynamo – CD Guastatoya
Referee: Hector Martinez (HON, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jairo Morales (PUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Raymundo Feliz (DOM)
Fourth Official: William Anderson (PUR)
Referee Assessor: Leonel Leal (CRC)

Toronto FC – CA Independiente
Referee: Juan Calderon (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Mora (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Fernandez (CRC)
Fourth Official: Benjamin Pineda (CRC)
Referee Assessor: George Ramsey (SKN)

Tigres UANL – Deportivo Saprissa
Referee: Joel Aguilar (SLV)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Zumba (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Henry Pupiro (NCA)
Fourth Official: Trevester Richards (SKN)

Santos Laguna – CD Marathon
Referee: Drew Fischer (CAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Michael Barwegen (CAN)
Fourth Official: Sherwin Johnson (GUY)

New York Red Bulls – CA Pantoja
Referee: John Pitti (PAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Alejandro Camarena (PAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Ramirez (HON)
Fourth Official: Jose Kellys (PAN)

Monterrey – Alianza
Referee: David Gantar (CAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Chris Wattam (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Philippe Briere (CAN)
Fourth Official: Jose Torres (PUR)

Atlanta United – CS Herediano
Referee: Oshane Nation (JAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicholas Anderson (JAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Joseph Bertrand (JAM)
Fourth Official: Oliver Vergara (PAN)

Deportivo Toluca – Sporting Kansas City
Referee: Mario Escobar (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Gerson Lopez (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Humberto Panjoj (GUA)
Fourth Official: Bryan Lopez (GUA)

Clattenburg and Mazic will be professional referees in China

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced in Suzhou that they will form its own professional referee team including both domestic and overseas distinguished football referees. At the briefing, CFA confirmed that the professional referee team will be built by a combination of domestic elite referees and signed overseas professional referees. It was said that Ma Ning, Fu Ming, Zhang Lei and two foreign referees, Mark Clattenburg and Milorad Mazic, will become the first professional referees in China.

"Introducing the professional referee system will promote the comprehensive development of Chinese football referees, the levels and standards of referees will be improved to ensure all football leagues in China play a fair and impartial game", said Chen Yongliang, the director of CFA Super League. Chen also said that CFA Super League will set up special funds to encourage all teams to play with more net match time. The Super League will set the 60 minutes net match time goal for the teams. Any team which achieves the goal will be awarded with a "60 minutes net match time" trophy and 100,000 yuan ($15,000). The League will also set the "season net match time biggest improvement award" and the "highest season net match time award", they both required at least 55 minutes and will be grant one million and two million yuan ($150,000 and $300,000) respectively. Chen also said that the CFA Super League will publish the top 80 domestic players ranked by their comprehensive abilities in every round of the Super League Game. "It will help Chinese national football team pick players with more scientific basis", Chen said. (Source: China Daily)

Mark Clattenburg will return to full-time refereeing in the Chinese Super League from 1 March 2019. The English official has finished a two-year stay as director of refereeing in Saudi Arabia and has accepted an offer from the Chinese Football Association. He will be one of five professional referees in the CSL from next month, including Serbian Milorad Mazic. We understand the move could open doors for foreign officials to take charge of matches in domestic competitions beyond their own country. Clattenburg, 43-year-old, presided over both the Champions League and European Championships finals in 2016 and he was the Premier League’s top referee when he quit two years ago and moved to Saudi. He told Sportsmail: “I’m excited by the new challenge. The Chinese Super League has grown markedly in recent years and they want the standard of refereeing to grow with it. I’m looking forward to being part of that. You look at the quality of the players, so many in the peak of their career, and it is clear to see the ambition of the league and the clubs within it.” (Source: Daily Mail)

CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores – Third Round (Second Leg)

27 February – 1 March 2019

Caracas – Melgar
Referee: Esteban Ostojich (URU, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Nievas (URU)
Fourth Official: Gustavo Tejera (URU)
Referee Assessor: Henry Gambetta (PER)

Palestino – Talleres
Referee: Leodan Gonzalez (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Richard Trinidad (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Popovits (URU)
Fourth Official: Andres Matonte (URU)
Referee Assessor: Jose Buitrago (COL)

Atletico Mineiro – Defensor
Referee: Andres Rojas (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Wilmar Navarro (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Roldan (COL)
Fourth Official: John Ospina (COL)
Referee Assessor: Ubaldo Aquino (PAR)

Atletico Nacional – Club Libertad
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Pires (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Guilherme Dias (BRA)
Fourth Official: Ricardo Marques (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Jose Carpio (ECU)

CONMEBOL Copa Sudamericana – First Round (Second Leg, II)

26-28 February 2019

Santos – River Plate
Referee: Mauro Vigliano (ARG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Bonfa (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Julio Fernandez (ARG)
Fourth Official: German Delfino (ARG)
Referee Assessor: Claudio Puga (CHI)

Monagas – Royal Pari
Referee: Rodolpho Toski (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Alessandro Rocha (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Fabricio Vilarinho (BRA)
Fourth Official: Dewson Freitas (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Imer Machado (COL)

Racing Club – Corinthians
Referee: Wilmar Roldan (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Dionisio Ruiz (COL)
Fourth Official: Gustavo Murillo (COL)
Referee Assessor: Martin Vazquez (URU)

Guabira – Macara
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Franchescoly Chacon (VEN)
Fourth Official: Juan Soto (VEN)
Referee Assessor: Ana Oliveira (BRA)

VAR decisions explained by UEFA

VAR protocol correctly applied for two penalty decisions during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 match FC Schalke - Manchester City (2-3) with emphasis put on “accuracy over speed”. Both instances occurred during a period of approximately 10 minutes in which a technical issue experienced by the VAR technical supplier impacted the ability to deliver replay images to the pitchside referee review area. When such a malfunction of the system occurs, the IFAB protocol allows for the VAR to describe to the referee what can be seen on the TV replay(s) but not tell him the decision that should be taken. The referee then makes a final decision based on his own perception and the information received orally from the VAR. In regards to the first decision, the inability to access the incident replays at the pitchside review area led to a delay in reaching the correct decision to award a penalty kick for a handball offence, while the VAR orally described the situation to the referee to allow him to make a final decision, and for the referee to then provide an explanation to the two team captains to clarify the circumstances regarding the pitchside review area and the decision-making process. The second decision was also correctly made on the basis of the Laws of the Game (Law 11 – Offside) which stipulates: “if a player in an offside position is moving towards the ball with the intention of playing the ball and is fouled before playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the foul is penalised as it has occurred before the offside offence”.

The images in the picture above - taken at the exact same moment from two different angles - clearly show that a foul is committed inside the box before the Schalke player could even attempt to play the ball and hence such offence must be punished with the awarding of a penalty kick. Commenting on these two decisions, UEFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer Roberto Rosetti said: “I am pleased that even without the possibility for the referee to review the incidents with his own eyes, the excellent cooperation of the team of officials led to correct decisions being made. It must also be underlined that – as described in the VAR protocol - accuracy is always in principle more important than speed when reaching a decision. Clearly, last night’s technical issues had a big impact on the time taken to reach decisions, but we are fully aware that reducing the time factor is key to the success of VAR and we are doing our utmost to make reviews as quick and efficient as possible. However, what we ultimately want is correct decisions in such match-changing situations and this is what we got yesterday”. UEFA will be addressing the matter of the technical failure with its VAR technical supplier to ensure that such issue does not happen again in the future. 

Source: UEFA

Concacaf Champions League – Round of 16 (First Leg)

19-21 February 2019

CA Independiente – Toronto FC
Referee: Ivan Barton (SLV, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: David Moran (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Geovany Garcia (SLV)
Fourth Official: Ricangel de Leca (ARU)

Deportivo Saprissa – Tigres UANL
Referee: Jair Marrufo (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Frank Anderson (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Corey Rockwell (USA)
Fourth Official: Reon Radix (GRN)

CD Guastatoya – Houston Dynamo
Referee: Kimbell Ward (SKN)
Assistant Referee 1: Graeme Browne (SKN)
Assistant Referee 2: Mario Parry (SKN)
Fourth Official: Tristley Bassue (SKN)
Referee Assessor: Carlos Gonzalez (MEX)

CA Pantoja – New York Red Bulls
Referee: Ismael Cornejo (SLV)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Mangandi (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Douglas Bermudez (SLV)
Fourth Official: Jaime Herrera (SLV)

CD Marathon – Santos Laguna
Referee: Marcos Brea (CUB)
Assistant Referee 1: Yordanis Gomez (CUB)
Assistant Referee 2: Rene Ochoa (GUA)
Fourth Official: Yadel Martinez (CUB)

Alianza – Monterrey
Referee: Kevin Morrison (JAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Richard Washington (JAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Kedlee Powell (CAY)
Fourth Official: Benjamin Pineda (CRC)

Sporting Kansas City – Deportivo Toluca
Referee: Henry Bejarano (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: William Arrieta (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Octavio Jara (CRC)
Fourth Official: Keylor Herrera (CRC)

CS Herediano – Atlanta United
Referee: Cesar Ramos (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Miguel Hernandez (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Morin (MEX)
Fourth Official: Jorge Perez (MEX)
Referee Assessor: Abilio Perez (CUB)