UEFA Youth League Final 2022: Osmers (GER)

25 April 2022

Winner Semi-final 1 – Winner Semi-final 2
Referee: Harm Osmers (GER, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Eduard Beitinger (GER)
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager (GER)

Semi-finals (22 April 2022)

Juventus – Benfica
Referee: Allard Lindhout (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Charles Schaap (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Roy de Nas (NED)
Fourth Official: Lionel Tschudi (SUI)

Atletico de Madrid – FC Salzburg
Referee: Horațiu Feșnic (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Valentin Avram (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Alexandru Cerei (ROU)
Fourth Official: Jeremie Pignard (FRA)

TFF Referees Committee has resigned

The referee earthquake in Turkey started in March, when TFF removed several top referees, including Cuneyt Cakir, from the First Division, with immediate effect. The Referees Committee justified the process at the time with a rejuvenation they wanted to initiate; there was no criminal background. Few weeks later, the TFF Appeals Committee declared the removal of the referees to be unlawful and allowed them to continue to do their job. Despite this verdict, the referee chairman, Ferhat Gündogdu, decided to not use these referees. His decision provoked strong reactions that led to the Referees Committee resignation. The TFF president, Servet Yardimci, appointed former FIFA referee Sabri Celik (photo) as the new chairman of Turkish referees, with the new members to be announced as soon as possible. It is expected that the new Referees Committee will follow the decision of the Appeals Committee and will reinstate the referees and observers removed by Gündogdu.

Source: TFF

CAF Confederation Cup 2021/2022 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

17 April 2022

Pyramids FC – TP Mazembe
Referee: Dahane Beida (MTN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Sidiki Sidibe (GUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Carine Atezambong (CMR)
Fourth Official: Blaise Ngwa (CMR)
VAR: Adil Zourak (MAR)

Simba SC – Orlando Pirates
Referee: Haythem Guirat (TUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Khalil Hassani (TUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Samuel Pwadutakam (NGA)
Fourth Official: Sadok Selmi (TUN)
VAR: Ahmed Al-Ghandour (EGY)

Al Ittihad – Al Ahly
Referee: Mohamed Maarouf (EGY)
Assistant Referee 1: Mahmoud El-Regal (EGY)
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed El-Din (EGY)
Fourth Official: Amin Omar (EGY)
VAR: Mahmoud El-Banna (EGY)

El Masry – RSB Berkane
Referee: Boubou Traore (MLI)
Assistant Referee 1: Seydou Tiama (BFA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mahamadou Yahaya (NIG)
Fourth Official: Jean Ndala Ngambo (COD)
VAR: Mehdi Abid Charef (ALG)

AFC Champions League 2022 – Group Stage (East Region, Matchday 1)

15-16 April 2022

Kawasaki Frontale – Ulsan Hyundai
Referee: Khamis Al Marri (QAT, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Zahy Al Shammari (QAT)
Assistant Referee 2: Faisal Al Shammari (QAT)
Fourth Official: Chen Hsin-Chuan (TPE)

Johor Darul Tazim – Guangzhou FC
Referee: Mohammed Al Hoish (KSA)
Assistant Referee 1: Khalaf Al Shammari (KSA)
Assistant Referee 2: Yasser Al Sultan (KSA)
Fourth Official: Omar Al Yaqoubi (OMA)

Shandong Taishan – Daegu FC
Referee: Khalid Al Turais (KSA)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammed Al Abakry (KSA)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdulrahim Al Shammari (KSA)
Fourth Official: Ahmed Al Ali (JOR)

Lion City Sailors – Urawa Red Diamonds
Referee: Salman Falahi (QAT)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammed Al Burshaid (QAT)
Assistant Referee 2: Yousuf Al Shammari (QAT)
Fourth Official: Omar Al Ali (UAE)

Pathum United – Melbourne Victory
Referee: Mooud Bonyadifard (IRN)
Assistant Referee 1: Ali Mirzabeigi (IRN)
Assistant Referee 2: Saeid Ghasemi (IRN)
Fourth Official: Zaid Mohammed (IRQ)

United City – Jeonnam Dragons
Referee: Ammar Al Jneibi (UAE)
Assistant Referee 1: Ahmed Al Rashdi (UAE)
Assistant Referee 2: Jasem Al Ali (UAE)
Fourth Official: Qasim Al Hatmi (OMA)

Hoang Anh Gia Lai – Yokohama Marinos
Referee: Mongkolchai Pechsri (THA)
Assistant Referee 1: Pattarapong Kijsathit (THA)
Assistant Referee 2: Hassan Zeheyri (IRN)
Fourth Official: Hasan Akrami (IRN)

Jeonbuk Motors – Sydney FC
Referee: Ahmad Al Ali (KUW)
Assistant Referee 1: Abbas Gholoum (KUW)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdulhadi Manea (KUW)
Fourth Official: Ammar Mahfoodh (BHR)

Kitchee SC – Chiangrai United
Referee: Kim Woo-Sung (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Kim Kyoung-Min (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Fadi Mahmoud (SYR)
Fourth Official: Masoud Tufaylieh (SYR)

CAF Champions League 2021/2022 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

15-16 April 2022

ES Setif – ES Tunis
Referee: Victor Gomes (RSA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Zakhele Siwela (RSA)
Assistant Referee 2: Souru Phatsoane (LES)
Fourth Official: Joshua Bondo (BOT)
VAR: Bamlak Tessema (ETH)

Al Ahly – Raja Casablanca
Referee: Jean Ndala Ngambo (COD)
Assistant Referee 1: Olivier Safari (COD)
Assistant Referee 2: Soulaimane Amaldine (COM)
Fourth Official: Blaise Ngwa (CMR)
VAR: Mehdi Abid Charef (ALG)

CR Belouizdad – Wydad AC
Referee: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (BDI)
Assistant Referee 1: Elvis Noupue (CMR)
Assistant Referee 2: Liban Abdourazak (DJI)
Fourth Official: Daniel Laryea (GHA)
VAR: Mahmoud Ashour (EGY)

Atletico de Luanda – Mamelodi Sundowns
Referee: Janny Sikazwe (ZAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Arsenio Marengula (MOZ)
Assistant Referee 2: James Emile (SEY)
Fourth Official: Bernard Camille (SEY)
VAR: Bakary Gassama (GAM)

AFC Champions League 2022 – Group Stage (West Region, Matchday 3)

14-15 April 2022

Al Jazira – Mumbai City
Referee: Kim Jong-Hyeok (KOR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Kwak Seung-Soon (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Yaqoub Al-Mutairi (KUW)
Fourth Official: Nasrullo Kabirov (TJK)

Al Quwa – Al Shabab
Referee: Sivakorn Pu-Udom (THA)
Assistant Referee 1: Rawut Nakrit (THA)
Assistant Referee 2: Tanate Chuchuen (THA)
Fourth Official: Jansen Foo (THA)

Foolad – Ahal
Referee: Ali Al Qaysi (IRQ)
Assistant Referee 1: Hayder Ali (IRQ)
Assistant Referee 2: Ameer Hussein (IRQ)
Fourth Official: Ali Reda (LBN)

Al Gharafa – Al Ahli
Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (MAS)
Assistant Referee 1: Zairul Tan (MAS)
Assistant Referee 2: Rashad Al Hakmani (OMA)
Fourth Official: Shaun Evans (AUS)

Al Duhail – Paxtakor
Referee: Kim Dae-Yong (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Park Gyun-Yong (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Bang Gi-Yeol (KOR)
Fourth Official: Kim Hee-Gon (KOR)

Al Taawoun –Sepahan
Referee: Ma Ning (CHN)
Assistant Referee 1: Shi Xiang (CHN)
Assistant Referee 2: Cao Yi (CHN)
Fourth Official: Fu Ming (CHN)

Sharjah FC – Al Rayyan
Referee: Hettikamkanamge Perera (SRI)
Assistant Referee 1: Palitha Hemathunga (SRI)
Assistant Referee 2: Sanjeewa Premalal (SRI)
Fourth Official: Baraa Aisha (PAL)

Al Hilal – FK Istiqlol
Referee: Ahmed Al Kaf (OMA)
Assistant Referee 1: Abu Al Amri (OMA)
Assistant Referee 2: Rashid Al Ghaithi (OMA)
Fourth Official: Mahmood Al Majarafi (OMA)

Al Sadd – Al Wehdat
Referee: Mohanad Sarray (IRQ)
Assistant Referee 1: Watheq Al Swaiedi (IRQ)
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed Al Baghdadi (IRQ)
Fourth Official: Khalid Al Shaqsi (OMA)

FC Nasaf – Al Faisaly
Referee: Jumpei Iida (JPN)
Assistant Referee 1: Isao Nishihashi (JPN)
Assistant Referee 2: Takumi Takagi (JPN)
Fourth Official: Hiroyuki Kimura (JPN)

Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield 2022

Puerto Rico, 15-24 April 2022

Referees
1. Ricangel de Leca (ARU)

2. Ben Hoskins (CAN)
3. Fabrizio Stasolla (CAN)
4. Randy Encarnation (DOM)
5. Shavin Greene (GUY)
6. Odette Hamilton (JAM)
7. Daneon Parchment (JAM)
8. Fernando Moron (PAN)
9. Jose Torres (PUR)
10. Reginald Gumbs (SKN)
11. Kwinsi Williams (TRI)
12. Ekaterina Koroleva (USA, photo)

Assistant Referees
1. Wasnah Bernarde (ATG)
2. Angelo Doyle (BRB)
3. Clinton Hayward (BER)
4. Kedlee Powell (CAY)
5. Clide Cadette (DOM)
6. Shirley Perello (HON)
7. Princess Brown (JAM)
8. Melvin Reid (JAM)
9. Klenon Lindey (GUY)
10. Pedro Figueroa (PUR)
11. Denroy Barker (SVG)
12. Ainsley Rochard (TRI)

Orsato: from electrician to Champions League final referee

Referee Daniele Orsato discussed his on-pitch personality, the 2020 Champions League final and the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. The 46-year-old Italian referee started officiating in 2002 in Serie C, eventually rising up to the top flight in 2006. Since then, he has overseen hundreds of Serie A matches, becoming an experienced and respected official.

In an interview with Corriere del Veneto, Orsato first discussed his on-pitch personality. “On the pitch I am serious and even gruff, but in everyday life I am different, much calmer and more cheerful. It’s the role I play for 90 minutes that makes me strict and sometimes even tough.” He touched on what his childhood dream was. “When I was a boy, I was curious to know why the light turned on and my goal was to become an electrician. I studied at the vocational training centre in Trissino and then found a job. On the first day, I put on my blue jacket and held my toolbox in my hand, I left the house and waited on the road for my colleagues to pick me up. On that road, as I waited, I thought that I had achieved my dream.” The 46-year-old spoke about how it felt to officiate the 2020 Champions League final. “I was training in Recoaro when I got a video call from Rosetti, the UEFA Chief Referee Officer. He asked me a question: are you ready to referee another match? But at that time the only game left to be play was the Champions League final between Paris Saint Germain and Bayern Munich. I came home, sat on the bed and cried. When my children saw me with tears in my eyes, they knew immediately that I had been assigned the final and we hugged each other. I must say that the news of that appointment was an even bigger emotion than refereeing the match.”

Finally, Orsato commented on his long career and the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. “I am the oldest referee in the run for the World Cup. I am continuing my preparation for the selection at the end of May. Let’s say that my goal was to referee at last year’s Euro and I have achieved it, so I consider myself very satisfied. Today I am 46 years old and I am the oldest referee candidate for the World Cup, even if I have no problems with technical and fitness tests. I have to add that the friendship with the new Italian designator, Gianluca Rocchi, has been important because after the Champions League final and the Euro I could have had a drop in motivation, but he pushed me to hold on and to think about the pitch because it is from here that great satisfactions always come. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the next satisfaction of my career coincides with the World Cup in Qatar.”

Orsato has overseen several important finals throughout his career, with highlights being the 2020 UEFA Champions League final, the 2013 Coppa Italia final between Lazio and Roma and the 2015 Coppa Italia final between Juventus and Lazio. The 46-year-old Italian was named world’s best referee in 2020 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics.

Source: Football Italia

AFC increases their FIFA VMO quota

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Referees Committee held its fifth meeting and applauded the world-class standards of Asian refereeing whilst reiterating its ambitions towards increasing the talent pool and opportunities for AFC match officials to maintain the Continent’s proud record on the world stage. In the virtual meeting, chaired by His Excellency (HE) Du Zhaocai, the Committee commended the continued appointments of Asia’s match officials to some of the most prominent matches in global football. Since its last meeting, the AFC’s match officials were appointed to manage the finals of both the FIFA Club World Cup 2021 in the United Arab Emirates as well as the Algarve Cup 2022 in Portugal. At the same time, members also noted the remarkable achievements of the largest-ever cast of AFC women’s match officials at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022, who were instrumental in the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system from the Quarter-finals for the first time in the tournament’s history before the final was officiated by an all-female team.

As part of efforts to further develop the capabilities of the AFC match officials and in anticipation of growing demands, the Committee approved the recommendation to increase the limit of the FIFA Video Match Officials (VMOs) International Nomination List, from seven men and two women VMOs, to a maximum of seven men and four women, subject to the approval of FIFA. The nominated VMOs must fulfil the relevant FIFA criteria which include officiating regularly at the highest levels in their Member Associations (MAs) for at least two years, possessing comprehensive experience in at least 15 matches as a VMO and certification by FIFA or the AFC. Meanwhile, in recognising the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee also agreed to maintain the current AFC MAs International Referees Quota as decided in March 2020, for the 2023-2024 competitions’ cycle.

Underlining its commitment to nurture a more sustainable pathway for promising AFC match officials and to ensure Asian refereeing continued to dominate the world stage, the Committee also decided to include FIFA registered AFC Referee Academy graduates to the upcoming AFC age-group competitions, paving the way for more equal opportunities and a robust assessment of refereeing abilities. Since its launch in 2017, the first-of-its-kind AFC Referee Academy has produced or is in the midst of benefitting 109 match officials from 33 MAs, with as many as 46 now registered on the FIFA international list.

Source: AFC

UEFA Europa League 2021/2022 – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

14 April 2022

Atalanta BC – RB Leipzig
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrian Devis (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Diaz Perez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Jose Munuera Montero (ESP)
VAR: Juan Martinez Munuera (ESP)
AVAR: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea (ESP)
Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan (ARM)

FC Barcelona – Eintracht Frankfurt
Referee: Artur Soares Dias (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Rui Tavares (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulo Soares (POR)
Fourth Official: Fabio Veríssimo (POR)
VAR: Joao Pinheiro (POR)
AVAR: Tiago Martins (POR)
Referee Observer: Michael Riley (ENG)

Olympique Lyonnais – West Ham United
Referee: Sandro Schärer (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Stephane De Almeida (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Bekim Zogaj (SUI)
Fourth Official: Davide Massa (ITA)
VAR: Marco Di Bello (ITA)
AVAR: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
Referee Observer: Domenico Messina (ITA)

Rangers FC – SC Braga
Referee: Francois Letexier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni (FRA)
Fourth Official: Jeremie Pignard (FRA)
VAR: Jerôme Brisard (FRA)
AVAR: Willy Delajod (FRA)
Referee Observer: Stavros Tritsonis (GRE)