Welch to become first female referee in Premier League

Rebecca Welch will become the first female referee for a Premier League fixture when she officiates Fulham's match against Burnley on 23 December. Welch, 40, began refereeing in 2010, and in January became the first woman to referee a men's Championship game. Sam Allison will also take charge of a top-flight match in December, making him the Premier League's first black referee for 15 years. He will oversee Sheffield United's match against Luton on 26 December. Uriah Rennie - the league's last black referee - retired from officiating in English football's top four divisions in 2009. The EFL's last non-white referee - Jarnail Singh - retired in 2010.

"These are pivotal moments for Rebecca and Sam, who are two officials of real quality," referees' chief Howard Webb told BBC Sport. "They deserve their opportunity." Former firefighter Allison, who has previously spoken about encouraging more officials from under-represented backgrounds, was promoted to the Football League in 2020 and was moved up to the Championship earlier this year. Welch has also refereed in the Championship this year, as well as taking charge of Women's Super League and Women's Champions League matches and refereeing at the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in the summer.She was the first woman to take charge of an FA Cup third-round tie in 2022 after being added to the EFL's national list for men's football, which oversees both League One and League Two fixtures. Welch made history in November when she became the first woman to be involved in the Premier League in a refereeing capacity, taking up the role of fourth official when Manchester United beat Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage. "Rebecca has been exposed to some big games and I am really confident she will deliver a game in the Premier League and be a really good model for women and girls to think refereeing is for them," said Webb. "Sam deserves his chance as well. Maybe that will serve as a role model for other young people who maybe previously thought refereeing might not be for them. Hopefully they can show that refereeing can be for anybody - if you have the love of the game and the qualities required, you can make it to the very top."

Source: BBC

FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024 Qualifiers (UEFA) – Elite Round (Matchday 5)

14-15 December 2023

Spain – Czechia
Referee 1: Vlad Ciobanu ROU (photo)
Referee 2: Bogdan Hanceariuc ROU
Third Referee: Liviu Chita ROU
Timekeeper: Carlos Rodrigo Miguel ESP
Referee Observer: Timo Onatsu FIN

Kazakhstan – Netherlands
Referee 1: Admir Zahovič SVN
Referee 2: Aleš Mocnik Peric SVN
Third Referee: Jernej Petek SVN
Timekeeper: Aslan Galayev KAZ
Referee Observer: Patrick Willemarck BEL

France – Slovakia
Referee 1: Besar Beqiri KOS
Referee 2: Besart Ismajli KOS
Third Referee: Oliver Rodriguez-Ballinger ENG
Timekeeper: Victor Chaix FRA
Referee Observer: Victor van Helvoirt NED

Portugal – Finland
Referee 1: Telmen Undrakh NOR
Referee 2: Rastislav Behancin SVK
Third Referee: Dag Erik Tangvik NOR

Timekeeper: Miguel Castilho POR
Referee Observer: Silvio Borosak SVN

Azerbaijan – Romania
Referee 1: Damian Grabowski POL
Referee 2: Slawomir Steczko POL
Third Referee: Monika Czudzinowicz POL
Timekeeper: Ramil Namazov AZE
Referee Observer: Gjergji Bitri MLT

Armenia – Georgia
Referee 1: Ingus Purins LVA
Referee 2: Eduards Fatkulins LVA
Third Referee: Maksim Dzeikala BLR
Timekeeper: Mihran Kudoyan ARM
Referee Observer: Tarik Keco BIH

Serbia – Poland
Referee 1: Kamil Çetin TUR
Referee 2: Ozan Soykan TUR
Third Referee: Hakan Tezcan TUR
Timekeeper: Nikola Marković SRB
Referee Observer: Bogdan Sorescu ROU

Ukraine – Belgium
Referee 1: Gabor Kovacs HUN
Referee 2: Norbert Szilagyi HUN
Third Referee: Peter Zimonyi HUN
Timekeeper: Levente Balla HUN
Referee Observer: Alessandro Malfer ITA

Slovenia – Italy
Referee 1: Cedric Pelissier FRA
Referee 2: Julien Lang FRA
Third Referee: Jordan Feltesse FRA
Timekeeper: Azra Ahmetovic SVN
Referee Observer: Sreten Vasić SRB

Croatia – Germany
Referee 1: Cristiano Santos POR
Referee 2: Ruben Santos POR
Third Referee: Filipe Duarte POR
Timekeeper: Mislav Džeko CRO
Referee Observer: Ainar Kuusk EST

Collina: “Attacks on match officials could kill football”

Attacked on the field by the president of a top Turkish football team, referee Halil Umut Meler desperately tried to cover his head to shield himself from the kicks of angry fans. Monday's shocking scene at the end of a Turkish league game was an example of the violence and abuse directed toward officials that, it was claimed on Wednesday, have included incidents as extreme as car bombs. Meler was hospitalized after being punched by MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca at the end of a 1-1 draw with Caykur Rizespor. He fell to the ground and was also kicked in a melee when fans invaded the pitch after Rizespor scored a last-minute equalizer. Meler was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. Koca and two other people have been placed under pre-trial detention, facing charges of causing injury to a public official. The Turkish Football Federation suspended all league games in response.

“It’s a responsibility for all those who love the ‘beautiful game’ to take action and do something. Before it’s too late, before this cancer will kill football,” Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA’s Referees Committee, said Wednesday. “A referee cannot be beaten because of a decision they took, even if it’s wrong. His or her car cannot be bombed or set on fire because of a penalty kick," Collina said in a statement that did not provide examples. "Unfortunately, this is not an exaggeration, as car bombs and cars being set on fire is something that has happened in some countries, and not so rarely. The image of Halil Umut lying on the ground, with his hands protecting his head while he was kicked by his assaulters, as well as the image of the bruise under his eye, are horrific,” Collina said. “But even more horrific is to know that there are thousands of referees around the world who are verbally and physically abused at lower levels of the game across the world, without being reported by media.”

In recent times there have been a number of high profile incidents involving attacks or threats made toward officials in football. In Brazil, the president of fourth-division club Sergipe was suspended after he came onto the pitch and punched a referee in March. Last month, an official with Brazilian club Corinthians tried to break into the VAR room after one of the team's players was sent off. English referee Anthony Taylor and his family had to be escorted away by security at an airport in Hungary after Roma fans targeted him and threw a chair in his direction after the Europa League final in May. More extreme incidents include the gun-toting owner of Greek team PAOK Thessaloniki marching onto the field following a disputed goal in 2018. And a weekend football player was sentenced to at least eight years in prison in 2015 in the United States for a punch that killed a referee.

Source: Yahoo Sports

FIFA Club World Cup 2023 – Second Round

15 December 2023

Club Leon – Urawa Red Diamonds
Referee: Jean Ndala (COD, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Elvis Noupue (CMR)
Assistant Referee 2: Arsenio Marengula (MOZ)
Fourth Official: Szymon Marciniak (POL)
Reserve AR: Adam Kupsik (POL)
VAR: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP)
AVAR: Adil Zourak (MAR)
OVAR: Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL)
SVAR: Ivan Bebek (CRO)

Al Ahly – Al Ittihad
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno (VEN)
Fourth Official: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (NZL)
Reserve AR: Brooke Mayo (USA)
VAR: Juan Soto (VEN)
AVAR: Juan Lara (CHI)
OVAR: Kathryn Nesbitt (USA)
SVAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)

Eskas: “Fantastic way to end a surreal season on big stage”

Espen Eskas and his team, with assistant referees Jan Erik Engan and Isaak Elias Bashevkin and fourth referee Rohit Saggi, had a brilliant end to the season on Tuesday evening. The decisive Champions League match between football giants Manchester United and Bayern Munich was refereed in a very steady manner. “Both personally and for the team, this was a fantastic way to end the season. You don't get a bigger stage and setting than that. We are very humble when it comes to the task and at the same time proud of the achievements that we have had this year, and in the match yesterday”, says Eskas. He talks about a lot of good feedback after the match, which ended with 1-0 to the visitors from Germany. “We knew it could potentially be a difficult match, but we made good preparations and knew what we were going for. We were prepared for several types of scenarios and felt we were very good at the beginning to the game and how we solved it. It also showed the development of the match, as everyone bought into what we were doing. Then you gain trust, he says. Then of course there are things to learn and take with you for further development, but we are building on this”, he continues. The match at Old Trafford capped off a brilliant season for the team, with matches at several major venues. “Now we have been allowed to present ourselves on the top stage. Who would have thought that we got to referee at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, the Stadio Olimpico in Rome and Old Trafford in the space of one year. It is fantastic. Now we have to establish ourselves at the level and show that we can be permanent fixtures and a refereeing team that UEFA can trust”, says Eskas.

This summer they refereed the final of the Euro U-21 and recently they also got the chance in the U-17 World Cup. There they managed the opening match of the host nation Indonesia, the big match between Brazil and Argentina, and not least the final between France and Germany. “It was surreal. Coming down to another part of the world, with a climate we are not used to and special conditions. It was "only" U-17, but a World Cup is big in itself. We are also incredibly humbled that UEFA and FIFA have faith in us. Then it was about being present and seizing the opportunities that were given. We apparently did that since we got the final, and it ended up being a fantastic experience there too”, he sums up. “Tournament life is something special. In a match like yesterday, we travel there, referee and go back home within three days, while in a tournament you stay over a month and don't know if you will get more matches. You live a bit in uncertainty for a longer period. Being in that competitive situation is also special and requires a lot mentally, both yourself and as a team. We managed to master that in a good way, and we are incredibly proud that we got the opportunity in a final. It shows that the team is doing something right”, continues the referee.

The 35-year-old hopes the 2023 season can contribute to further development next year and points out that nothing comes of itself. “The season has exceeded all expectations. We have opened doors that were closed before the season. It is inspiring for us and for the entire group of referees in Norway, and I hope that we and the whole of referees in Norway can build on this and give hopes for 2024. Then we must still stay focused, prepare well, and do the groundwork. There is no reason to take off, we have a lot of work to do to take new steps. However, that job is easier with so many good experiences behind it.” On Wednesday afternoon, they returned home from Manchester for a long-awaited holiday after a long season. “It will be lovely to have a holiday now, and I have to mention those who are at home for us. They are there on a daily basis, support us 100% and help us to stick with refereeing. It largely contributes to us being able to perform as we do, so all credit to them”, concludes Eskas.

Source: NFF

UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 – Group Stage (Matchday 6)

14 December 2023

Legia Warszawa – AZ Alkmaar
Referee: Harald Lechner AUT (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Heidenreich AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Maximilian Kolbitsch AUT
Fourth Official: Julian Weinberger AUT
VAR: Manuel Schüttengruber AUT
AVAR: Andreas Heiss AUT
Referee Observer: Albano Janku ALB

HSK Zrinjski – Aston Villa
Referee: Balazs Berke HUN
Assistant Referee 1: Vencel Toth HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Balazs Szert HUN
Fourth Official: Gergő Bogar HUN
VAR: Tamas Bognar HUN
AVAR: Ferenc Karako HUN
Referee Observer: Matteo Trefoloni ITA

KRC Genk – FK Čukarički
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann MLT
Assistant Referee 1: Luke Portelli MLT
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Vella MLT
Fourth Official: Ishmael Barbara MLT
VAR: Bartosz Frankowski POL
AVAR: Pawel Pskit POL
Referee Observer: Dimitar Mečkarovski MKD

Ferencvarosi TC – ACF Fiorentina
Referee: Luis Godinho POR
Assistant Referee 1: Rui Teixeira POR
Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Mota POR
Fourth Official: Ricardo Baixinho POR
VAR: Helder Malheiro POR
AVAR: Vasco Santos POR
Referee Observer: Orhan Erdemir TUR

PAOK FC – HJK Helsinki
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili GEO
Assistant Referee 1: Levan Varamishvili GEO
Assistant Referee 2: Zaza Pipia GEO
Fourth Official: Aleko Aptsiauri GEO
VAR: Cesar Soto Grado ESP
AVAR: Eduardo Prieto Iglesias ESP
Referee Observer: Volodymyr Petrov UKR

Aberdeen FC – Eintracht Frankfurt
Referee: Miguel Nogueira POR
Assistant Referee 1: Tiago Costa POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luis Campos POR
Fourth Official: Bruno Costa POR
VAR: Fabio Melo POR
AVAR: Gustavo Correia POR
Referee Observer: Michaíl Argyroú CYP

PFK Ludogorets – FC Nordsjaelland
Referee: Ovidiu Hațegan ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Mircea Grigoriu ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Sebastian Gheorghe ROU
Fourth Official: Radu Petrescu ROU
VAR: Horațiu Feșnic ROU
AVAR: Sebastian Colțescu ROU
Referee Observer: Gunnar Jonsson ISL

Fenerbahçe – Spartak Trnava
Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev MKD
Assistant Referee 1: Dejan Kostadinov MKD
Assistant Referee 2: Goce Petreski MKD
Fourth Official: Ivana Projkovska MKD
VAR: Mario Zebec CRO
AVAR: Ante Čuljak CRO
Referee Observer: Igor Șațchii MDA

Slovan Bratislava – Olimpija Ljubljana
Referee: Arda Kardeşler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Mehmet Tugral TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Deniz Özaral TUR
Fourth Official: Ümit Öztürk TUR
VAR: Koray Gençerler TUR
AVAR: Erkan Engin TUR
Referee Observer: Mark Whitby WAL

LOSC Lille – KI Klaksvik
Referee: Antonio Nobre POR
Assistant Referee 1: Paulo a POR
Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Martins POR
Fourth Official: Helder Carvalho POR
VAR: Hugo Miguel POR
AVAR: Bruno Esteves POR
Referee Observer: Nenad Djokić SRB

Maccabi Tel Aviv – KAA Gent
Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Angel Nevado Rodriguez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Naranjo Perez ESP
Fourth Official: Miguel Ortiz Arias ESP
VAR: Valentin Pizarro Gomez ESP
AVAR: Isidro Diaz de Mera ESP
Referee Observer: Sven Bindels LUX

Zorya Luhansk – Breidablik
Referee: Tomaš Klíma CZE
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Patak CZE
Assistant Referee 2: Petr Caletka CZE
Fourth Official: Jan Všetečka CZE
VAR: Miroslav Zelinka CZE
AVAR: Ondrej Berka CZE
Referee Observer: Andrejs Sipailo LVA

Viktoria Plzen – Astana FK 

Referee: Willy Delajod FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Erwan Finjean FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Philippe Jeanne FRA
Fourth Official: Thomas Leonard FRA
VAR: Eric Wattellier FRA
AVAR: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Referee Observer: Viktor Kassai HUN

GNK Dinamo – FC Ballkani
Referee: Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Iker de Francisco Grijalba ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Jon Nunez Fernnadez ESP
Fourth Official: Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes ESP
VAR: Jose Munuera Montero ESP
AVAR: Mario Melero Lopez ESP
Referee Observer: Kevin Parry WAL

Club Brugge – Bodo Glimt
Referee: Anastsios Papapetrou GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Tryfon Petropoulos GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Iordanis Aptosoglou GRE
Fourth Official: Andreas Gamaris GRE
VAR: Angelos Evangelou GRE
AVAR: Evangelos Manouchos GRE
Referee Observer: Domagoj Vučkov CRO

FC Lugano – Beşiktaş
Referee: Pawel Raczkowski POL
Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Radoslaw Siejka POL
Fourth Official: Tomasz Musial POL
VAR: Piotr Lasyk POL
AVAR: Pawel Malec POL
Referee Observer: Kristinn Jakobsson ISL

UEFA Europa League 2023/2024 – Group Stage (Matchday 6)

14 December 2023

Union St. Gilloise – Liverpool FC
Referee: Orel Grinfeld ISR (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Roi Hassan ISR
Assistant Referee 2: Idan Yarkoni ISR
Fourth Official: Gal Leibovitz ISR
VAR: Ziv Adler ISR
AVAR: Roi Reinshreiber ISR
Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis CYP

LASK Linz – Toulouse FC
Referee: Fabio Maresca ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giorgio Peretti ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Bresmes ITA
Fourth Official: Matteo Marcenaro ITA
VAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
AVAR: Gianluca Aureliano ITA
Referee Observer: Goran Mihaljević MNE

Stade Rennais – Villarreal CF
Referee: Atilla Karaoglan TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Ceyhun Sesigüzel TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Cevdet Kömürcüoglu TUR
Fourth Official: Çagdaş Altay TUR
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati ITA
AVAR: Paolo Valeri ITA
Referee Observer: Nicola Rizzoli ITA

Panathinaikos – Maccabi Haifa
Referee: Georgi Kabakov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Margaritov BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Diyan Valkov BUL
Fourth Official: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
VAR: Dragomir Draganov BUL
AVAR: Ivaylo Stoyanov BUL
Referee Observer: William Young SCO

AS Roma – Sheriff Tiraspol
Referee: Jerôme Brisard FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Aurelien Drouet FRA
Fourth Official: Jeremy Stinat FRA
VAR: Benoît Millot FRA
AVAR: Rob Dieperink NED
Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan ARM

Slavia Praha – Servette FC
Referee: Nicolas Walsh SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Graeme Stewart SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Calum Spence SCO
Fourth Official: Christopher Graham SCO
VAR: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
AVAR: Donald Robertson SCO
Referee Observer: Georgios Bikas GRE

Bayer Leverkusen – Molde FK
Referee: Robert Jones ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Neil Davies ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Thomas Bramall ENG
VAR: David Coote ENG
AVAR: Dennis Higler NED
Referee Observer: Björn Kuipers NED

Qarabag FK – BK Häcken
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Dojando Myftari ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Rejdi Avdo ALB
Fourth Official: Olsion Yzeiraj ALB
VAR: Luca Pairetto ITA
AVAR: Valerio Marini ITA
Referee Observer: Alan Sant MLT

West Ham United – SC Freiburg
Referee: Joao Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia POR
Fourth Official: Joao Goncalves POR
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: Nejc Kajtazovič SVN
Referee Observer: Martin Hansson SWE

Olympiacos – TSC Bačka Topola
Referee: Morten Krogh DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Dennis Rasmussen DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Steffen Bramsen DEN
Fourth Official: Peter Kjaersgaard DEN
VAR: Maurizio Mariani ITA
AVAR: Daniele Doveri ITA
Referee Observer: Augustus Constantin ROU

AFC Ajax – AEK Athens
Referee: Craig Pawson ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Simon Bennett ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Lee Betts ENG
Fourth Official: Darren England ENG
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Marco Fritz GER
Referee Observer: Antonio Damato ITA

Brighton & Hove Albion – Olympique de Marseille
Referee: Jose Sanchez Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raul Cabanero Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Inigo Prieto Lopez ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Muniz Ruiz ESP
VAR: Juan Martinez Munuera ESP
AVAR: Christian Dingert GER
Referee Observer: Markus Strömbergsson SWE

Real Betis – Rangers FC
Referee: Srdjan Jovanović SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Uroš Stojković SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Milan Mihajlović SRB
Fourth Official: Novak Simović SRB
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Clay Ruperti NED
Referee Observer: Uno Tutk EST

Aris Limassol – Sparta Praha
Referee: Harm Osmers GER
Assistant Referee 1: Eduard Beitinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Dominik Schaal GER
Fourth Official: Tobias Reichel GER
VAR: Benjamin Brand GER
AVAR: Robert Schröder GER
Referee Observer: Michael Riley ENG

Sporting CP – Sturm Graz
Referee: William Collum SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Francis Connor SCO
Assistant Referee 2: David McGeachie SCO
Fourth Official: Kevin Clancy SCO
VAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
AVAR: Cătălin Popa ROU
Referee Observer: Rene Temmink NED

Rakow Czestochowa – Atalanta BC
Referee: Enea Jorgji ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Denis Rexha ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Ridiger Çokaj ALB
Fourth Official: Florian Lata ALB
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez ESP
Referee Observer: Marian Ružbarsky SVK

AFC Champions League 2023/2024 – Group Stage (Matchday 7)

11-13 December 2023

Ulsan Hyundai – Kawasaki Frontale
Referee: Alireza Faghani (AUS, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Anton Shchetinin (AUS)
Assistant Referee 2: Ashley Beecham (AUS)
Fourth Official: Adam Kersey (AUS)
VAR: Casey Reibelt (AUS)
AVAR: Abdullah Al Shehri (KSA)

Melbourne City – Zhejiang FC
Referee: Kim Hee-Gon (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Yoon Jae-Yeol (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Kwak Seung-Soon (KOR)
Fourth Official: Kim Woo-Sung (KOR)
VAR: Kim Jong-Hyeok (KOR)
AVAR: Song Bong-Keun (KOR)

Buriram United – Ventforet Kofu
Referee: Abdullah Jamali (KUW)
Assistant Referee 1: Abdulhadi Manea (KUW)
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmad Sadeq (KUW)
Fourth Official: Ammar Ashkanani (KUW)
VAR: Askandaria Rghioui (UAE)
AVAR: Mohammed Khadim (UAE)

Johor Darul Tazim – Pathum United
Referee: Ma Ning (CHN)
Assistant Referee 1: Zhou Fei (CHN)
Assistant Referee 2: Shi Xiang (CHN)
Fourth Official: Rustam Lutfullin (UZB)
VAR: Zhang Lei (CHN)
AVAR: Hanna Hattab (SYR)

Yokohama Marinos – Shandong Taishan
Referee: Sivakorn Pu-Udom (THA)
Assistant Referee 1: Rawut Nakrit (THA)
Assistant Referee 2: Tanate Chuchuen (THA)
Fourth Official: Wiwat Jumpaoon (THA)
VAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari (SIN)
AVAR: Torphong Somsing (THA)

Kaya Iloilo – Incheon United
Referee: Ahmed Al Kaf (OMA)
Assistant Referee 1: Abu Al Amri (OMA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mohammed Al Ghazali (OMA)
Fourth Official: Ahmad Al Ali (KUW)
VAR: Adham Makhadmeh (JOR)
AVAR: Ahmed Al Ali (JOR)

Jeonbuk Motors – Bangkok United
Referee: Khalid Al Turais (KSA)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammed Al Abakry (KSA)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdulrahim Al Shammari (KSA)
Fourth Official: Majed Al Shamrani (KSA)
VAR: Abdullah Al Shehri (KSA)
AVAR: Saad Al Subaie (KSA)

Lion City Sailors – Kitchee SC
Referee: Ahmed Darwish (UAE)
Assistant Referee 1: Ahmed Al Rashdi (UAE)
Assistant Referee 2: Yaser Al Murshidi (UAE)
Fourth Official: Hussein Yehia (LIB)
VAR: Yahya Al Mulla (UAE)
AVAR: Omar Al Ali (UAE)

UEFA Champions League 2023/2024 – Group Stage (Matchday 6)

12 December 2023
RC Lens – Sevilla FC
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Lupp GER
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller GER
Fourth Official: Sven Jablonski GER
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Sören Storks GER
Referee Observer: Gylfi Orrason ISL

PSV Eindhoven – Arsenal FC
Referee: Tobias Stieler GER
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Gittelmann GER
Assistant Referee 2: Mark Borsch GER
Fourth Official: Martin Petersen GER
VAR: Christian Dingert GER
AVAR: Tiago Martins POR
Referee Observer: Michael Ross NIR

Manchester United – Bayern München
Referee: Espen Eskas NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Rohit Saggi NOR
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Clay Ruperti NED
Referee Observer: Juan Fernandez Marin ESP

FC Copenhagen – Galatasaray
Referee: Daniele Orsato ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Ciro Carbone ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alessandro Giallatini ITA
Fourth Official: Michael Fabbri ITA
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati ITA
AVAR Paolo Valeri ITA
Referee Observer: Michal Beneš CZE

SSC Napoli – SC Braga
Referee: Slavko Vinčić SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
VAR: Nejc Kajtazovič SVN
AVAR: Rob Dieperink NED
Referee Observer: Cyril Zimmermann SUI

Union Berlin – Real Madrid
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotink SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Matej Jug SVN
VAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
AVAR: David Coote ENG
Referee Observer: Laurent Duhamel FRA

Inter Milano – Real Sociedad
Referee: Sandro Schärer SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Bekim Zogaj SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Jonas Erni SUI
Fourth Official: Lionel Tschudi SUI
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Benoît Millot FRA
Referee Observer: Murat Ilgaz TUR

FC Salzburg – SL Benfica
Referee: Daniel Sebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager GER
VAR: Marco Fritz GER
AVAR: Dennis Higler NED
Referee Observer: Emil Bozinovski MKD

13 December 2023
RB Leipzig – BSC Young Boys
Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Mangirdas Mirauskas LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Vytenis Kazlauskas LTU
Fourth Official: Vilius Paulauskas LTU
VAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
AVAR: Nejc Kajtazović SVN
Referee Observer: Bernardino Gonzalez Vazquez ESP

Crvena Zvezda – Manchester City
Referee: Aliyar Aghayev AZE
Assistant Referee 1: Zeynal Zeynalov AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Akif Amirali AZE
Fourth Official: Elchin Masiyev AZE
VAR: Alper Ulusoy TUR
AVAR: Abdulkadir Bitigen TUR
Referee Observer: Alberto Undiano Mallenco ESP

Atletico de Madrid – Lazio
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük NED
Assistant Referee 1: Erwin Zeinstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Johan Balder NED
Fourth Official: Joey Kooij NED
VAR: Marco Fritz GER
AVAR: Fedayi San SUI
Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin SVN

Celtic FC – Feyenoord Rotterdam
Referee: Benoît Bastien FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Zakrani FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Aurelien Berthomieu FRA
Fourth Official: Jeremie Pignard FRA
VAR: Benoît Millot FRA
AVAR: Tiago Martins POR
Referee Observer: Jon Skjervold NOR

Borussia Dortmund – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderqvist SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
VAR: Dennis Higler NED
AVAR: Pol van Boekel NED
Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman NED

Newcastle United – AC Milan
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Allard Lindhout NED
VAR: Rop Dieperink NED
AVAR: Clay Ruperti NED
Referee Observer: Andreas Schluchter SUI

FC Porto – Shakhtar Donetsk
Referee: Istvan Kovacs ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Vasile Marinescu ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ovidiu Artene ROU
Fourth Official: Marcel Birsan ROU
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati ITA
AVAR: Cătălin Popa ROU
Referee Observer: Markus Nobs SUI

Royal Antwerp – FC Barcelona
Referee: Marco Guida ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Stefano Alassio ITA
Fourth Official: Simone Sozza ITA
VAR: Paolo Valeri ITA
AVAR: David Coote ENG
Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine NIR

Turkish leagues halted after club president punches referee Meler

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended all leagues on a night of "shame" for the nation's soccer after Ankaragucu's president Faruk Koca punched the referee in the face at the end of their Super Lig home match against Rizespor. Koca entered the field and hit referee Halil Umut Meler when the final whistle blew after Rizespor scored a 97th minute equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Eryaman Stadium on Monday, footage from state broadcaster TRT showed. Ankaragucu fans invaded the pitch after the game and Meler was also kicked when he fell, though it was unclear who his assailants were. Meler eventually made it to the dressing room with the help of the police.

Meler says Koca punched him in the face under his left eye. Meler says he then fell to the ground where he was kicked by two others, according to a statement published by Turkey’s state-run news agency Anadolu. “Faruk Koca, said to me [and the other officials], ‘I will finish you.’ Addressing me, he said, ‘I will kill you,’” Meler told Anadolu. Several photos and videos show Meler with a swollen left eye and a bag of ice as he walked off the field, surrounded by security with riot shields. According to public broadcaster TRT, he was transported to the hospital by ambulance. Mehmet Yörübulut, chief doctor of Acibadem hospital, said in a video posted on X that Meler has a small crack following the punch but there is no brain damage. Yörübulut said that he is hoping Meler will be discharged on Tuesday evening or on Wednesday.

"The Turkish Football Federation has decided to suspend all games in all leagues indefinitely," the federation posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "The related club, the club chairman, club officials and all those guilty of attacking referee Umut Meler will be punished in the strongest terms possible." A detention order has been issued for Koca, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a post on X, adding that two people have already been detained as part of a judicial investigation into the incident. Yılmaz Tunç, the Turkish Minister of Justice, said on X that the three individuals who attacked the referee have been “arrested for the crime of, ‘injuring, on a sports field in a way that resulted in a fracture, [of] a public official who was performing their public duty.’” "Turkish football has been punched shamefully tonight. Everyone involved in this incident will pay the price," TFF Chairman Mehmet Buyukeksi said, according to TRT.

When reached by CNN for comment, FIFA pointed to the statement condemning the attack its president, Gianni Infantino, posted on Instagram. “There is absolutely no place for violence in football, on or off the field,” Infantino wrote on his Instagram Stories, adding that Monday’s events were “totally unacceptable and have no place in our sport or society. Without match officials there is no football. Referees, players, fans and staff have to be safe and secure to enjoy the game, and I call on the relevant authorities to ensure that this is strictly implemented and respected at all levels.”

Sources: Reuters & CNN