First seminar for prospective ARs FIFA World Cup 2014

FIFA has decided to split the assistant referees pre-selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in two groups. The first seminar, for CAF and UEFA assistant referees, is running from 29 October to 2 November 2012 in Zurich, Switzerland. The ARs from AFC, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and OFC will attend a similar course from 12 to 16 November. Following Euro 2012, there are three replacements on the UEFA list: Darren Cann instead of Peter Kirkup (ENG), Tiago Trigo replaced Ricardo Santos (POR) and Bojan Ul instead of Gregor Rojko (SVN). Due to the snow, the sprint tests have been moved indoor (photo). During the following days, there will be in-class and on-field sessions specifically designed for assistant referees.

Prospective Assistant Referees
CAF (14): Evarist Menkouande (CMR, 1974), Peter Edibe (NGA, 1970), Marwa Range (KEN, 1977), Zakhele Siwela (RSA, 1982), Djibril Camara (SEN, 1983), Felicien Kabanda (RWA, 1971), Songuifolo Yeo (CIV, 1970), Jean-Claude Birumushahu (BDI, 1972), Jason Damoo (SEY, 1975), Angesom Ogbamariam (ERI, 1971), Abdelhak Etchiali (ALG, 1981), Redouane Achik (MAR, 1972), Bechir Hassani (TUN, 1969), Sherif Hassan (EGY, 1969).
UEFA (38): Thorsten Schiffner (GER, 1975), Mark Borsch (GER, 1977), Bahattin Duran (TUR, 1975), Tarik Ongun (TUR, 1973), Stephen Child (ENG, 1973), Simon Beck (ENG, 1972), Mathias Klasenius (SWE, 1975), Daniel Warnmark (SWE, 1974), Gabor Eros (HUN, 1971), Gyorgy Ring (HUN, 1981), Martin Wilczek (CZE, 1970), Antonin Kordula (CZE, 1969), Sander van Roekel (NED, 1974), Erwin Zeinstra (NED, 1977), Frederic Cano (FRA, 1973), Michael Annonier (FRA, 1972), Milovan Ristic (SRB, 1974), Vladimir Jovanovic (SRB, 1975), Kim Haglund (NOR, 1977), Frank Andas (NOR, 1975), Bertino Miranda (POR, 1972), Tiago Trigo (POR, 1972), Renato Faverani (ITA, 1969) , Andrea Stefani (ITA, 1969), Elenito Di Liberatore (ITA, 1973), Gianluca Cariolato (ITA, 1972), Matej Zunic (SVN, 1983), Bojan Ul (SVN, 1970), Jan-Hendrik Salver (GER, 1969), Mike Pickel (GER, 1975), Alasdair Ross (SCO, 1975), Derek Rose (SCO, 1974), Raul Cabanero Martinez (ESP, 1981), Roberto Perez Del Palomar (ESP, 1976), Roberto Alonso Fernandez (ESP, 1976), Juan Yuste Jimenez (ESP, 1975), Michael Mullarkey (ENG, 1970), Darren Cann (ENG, 1969).

Source: FIFA / Photo: Elitdomareklubben

FIFA Futsal World Cup 2012 – Group Stage (Matches 1-12)

1 November 2012
Ukraine – Paraguay
Referee 1: Wenceslaos Aguilar (PAN, photo)
Referee 2: Alexander Cline (PAN, photo)
Third Referee: Carlos Gonzalez (GUA)
Timekeeper: Eduardo Muhamane (MOZ)

Thailand – Costa Rica
Referee 1: Hector Rojas (PER)
Referee 2: Renata Leite (BRA)
Third Referee: Jaime Jativa (ECU)
Timekeeper: Daniel Rodriguez (URU)

Libya – Portugal
Referee 1: Alireza Sohrabi (IRN)
Referee 2: Zhang Youze (CHN)
Third Referee: Shukhrat Pulatov (UZB)
Timekeeper: Kim Jang Kwan (KOR)

Brazil – Japan
Referee 1: Gabor Kovacs (HUN)
Referee 2: Ivan Shabanov (RUS)
Third Referee: Fernando Gutierrez (ESP)
Timekeeper: Saheed Ayeni (NGR)

2 November 2012
Italy – Australia
Referee 1: Eduardo Mahumane (MOZ)
Referee 2: Said Kadara (EGY)
Third Referee: Geovanny Lopez (CRC)
Timekeeper: Oswaldo Gomez (COL)

Argentina – Mexico
Referee 1: Eduardo Fernandes (POR)
Referee 2: Jose Katemo (ANG)
Third Referee: Borut Sivic (SVN)
Timekeeper: Danijel Janosevic (CRO)

Panama – Morocco
Referee 1: Amitesh Behari (FIJ)
Referee 2: Rex Kamusu (SOL)
Third Referee: Nurdin Bukuev (KGZ)
Timekeeper: Naoki Miyatani (JPN)

Spain – Iran
Referee 1: Francisco Rivera (MEX)
Referee 2: Sergio Cabrera (CUB)
Third Referee: Joel Ruiz (PAR)
Timekeeper: Dario Santamaria (ARG)

3 November 2012
Guatemala – Colombia
Referee 1: Karel Henych (CZE)
Referee 2: Marc Birkett (ENG)
Third Referee: Francesco Massini (ITA)
Timekeeper: Pascal Lemal (BEL)

Russia – Solomon Islands
Referee 1: Kim Jang Kwan (KOR)
Referee 2: Shukhrat Pulatov (UZB)
Third Referee: Mohamad Chami (LIB)
Timekeeper: Scott Kidson (AUS)

Czech Republic – Kuwait
Referee 1: Dario Santamaria (ARG)
Referee 2: Oswaldo Gomez (COL)
Third Referee: Renata Leite (BRA)
Timekeeper: Hector Rojas (PER)

Egypt – Serbia
Referee 1: Joel Ruiz (PAR)
Referee 2: Sandro Brechane (BRA)
Third Referee: Sergio Cabrera (CUB)
Timekeeper: Francisco Rivera (MEX)

Copa Sudamericana 2012 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

30 October 2012
Gremio – Millonarios
Referee: Julio Bascunan (CHI, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Sergio Roman (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Marcelo Barraza (CHI)
Fourth Official: Eduardo Gamboa (CHI)
Referee Observer: Salvio Fagundes (BRA)

31 October 2012
Universidad de Chile – Sao Paulo
Referee: Martin Vazquez (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Miguel Nievas (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Marcelo Costa (URU)
Fourth Official: Daniel Fedorczuk (URU)
Referee Observer: Gaston Castro (CHI)

1 November 2012
Cerro Porteno – Tigre
Referee: Jose Buitrago (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Abraham Gonzalez (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Alexander Guzman (COL)
Fourth Official: Adrian Velez (COL)
Referee Observer: Cecilio Bejanaro (PAR)

Independiente – Universidad Catolica
Referee: Leandro Vuaden (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Emerson Carvalho (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Rodrigo Joia (BRA)
Fourth Official: Pericles Cortez (BRA)
Referee Observer: Juan Loustau (ARG)

CAF Champions League Final 2012

First Leg, 4 November 2012
Al Ahly – Esperance Tunis
Referee: Djamel Haimoudi (ALG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Abdelhak Etchiali (ALG)
Assistant Referee 2: Redouane Achik (MAR)

Second Leg, 17 November 2012
Esperance Tunis – Al Ahly
Referee: Bouchaib El Ahrach (MAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Bouazza Rouani (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdelaziz El Mehraji (MAR)

Webb: "Referees should always be anonymously competent"

Speaking recently at the FA Refereeing Awards, Howard Webb explained how he has never let the criticisms that face match officials bother him and he is still full of enthusiasm for the job he loves. “A love of the game is important to become a referee and we need to recognize that a lot of people who do become involved in refereeing do so because of their love for the game, because they are so passionate about the game of football. I think you need an awful lot of self-discipline, self-belief. You need good communication skills and you need to be able to manage people. When you combine all these things together, you’ve got the recipe for someone who can do a job in refereeing. As long as I have still got that same excited feeling at five to three, that same desire to do well in the game, the same emotions, as long as the same positive feelings are there, I will keep doing what I do. I’m a privileged guy; I have got a great seat in the house, every Saturday or Sunday afternoon, taking charge of Premier League games and Football League games as well. It’s a great place to be and I would recommend it to anybody who is thinking of getting involved in the game. It’s something that has developed me as a person, it will enhance your personal characteristics and attributes, it will keep you fit and will give you a real sense of satisfaction to contribute to the game in such a positive way".

High-profile former referee Graham Poll told Footy Matters earlier this year he believed officials should have managers with them at games, just like the players do. But Webb believes that system has been in place for years, with so many different mentors and volunteers around to help improve the standard of officiating. “Mentorship is really important, it’s important for referees when they start out and still learning the skills to become a professional referee that they have someone that they can share their experiences with,” said Webb. “Somebody who can look at the game with them, talk about situations, and that coaching continues right up to Premier League level and we look at our performances post-match with refereeing coaches with the intention of developing our skills and always improving. Coaching referees is important. As somebody who has benefited so much from volunteers in my career – and I started 23 years ago and benefited from people to get to the top of the game - I’m happy to be here to support this initiative (FA Refereeing Awards) and hopefully it will highlight how important this is to helping create the next generation of Premier League referees".
The Respect campaign is often used as a stick with which to beat footballers, but Webb is of the belief that there has been a significant change in the attitude of players on the pitch. However, he believes that it is impossible to stamp out arguments on the pitch, due to the level of emotion that football creates; something Webb would hate to see disappear from the game. “I feel that they are a lot more mindful that they need to show the field of play as a positive place to get involved, be it match officials, players, coaches, spectators. We’ve seen clear evidence over the past few years that player behaviour has improved. The FA introduced the Respect campaign a few years ago, the Premier League introduced their Get On With The Game programme, and I’ve a really strong view that we’ve seen a real strengthening of relationships on the field of play in the last few years. Football’s an emotive thing, it generates emotions. That’s the beauty about it, people care. They want to win of course, they care about decisions that are made, they care whether they win or lose. We expect some emotions of course, but we’ve got to keep working hard together - players, coaches, referees, administrators - to make sure the game keeps moving in a positive way forward, while enhancing the emotions that football creates".
Arguably the highlight of Webb’s career came in 2010, when he was selected to officiate in the World Cup Final between Spain and Netherlands in South Africa, which proved a real challenge due to the unsavoury tactics of the Dutch in particular. “The World Cup was an unbelievable experience when you consider how I started back in 1989, doing Under 10s football locally in South Yorkshire, as someone who had been introduced to refereeing by my father, who was also a referee. I’d never held an ambition to become a referee, but decided to take it up. That night when I passed my exam back in 1989, I knew somebody somewhere would take charge of the 2010 World Cup Final and it turned out to be me! It is amazing what can happen in refereeing and it was a great honour, a great responsibility to be in charge of that game. As match officials, we always hope we can be anonymously competent, that we are affecting the job we have to do, but we are never spoken about, which is fine. Sometimes a game lends itself to that kind of review post-match, sometimes it doesn’t, and you have to step up to the plate and make decisions that the game demands upon. It was a difficult game, for sure, it was important for everybody involved, the biggest game of everybody’s career, including mine. For me it was important to try and be a calming influence, try and keep people’s intentions on the football, trying to do the job I was there to do, to protect the players, protect the game and it was a testing match, for sure. But looking back, it was a great honour to be asked to take the game, to referee the match, and it is something that I hold very fond memories of"
Webb may be the pinnacle right now for all aspiring referees, but he’s looking to the future and believes there is a lot of hope for match officiating for years to come. “There are lots and lots of young referees. It’s quite different now from when I started back in the late 80s; there weren’t many young referees involved in the game. That’s one of the things that attracted me into refereeing. When we compare that to now, we’ve got a lot of good young people getting involved in the game from the mid-teens to late teens, male and female, and I think it’s really good for the game, it’s good for the future of refereeing. There are strong, positive numbers involved for the future of refereeing and it’s good for the future of the game. We need as many games as possible covered by qualified referees up and down the country. That enhances the enjoyment of the game and it ensures that fair play is respected and players are protected as well.” The game has played a pivotal part in Webb’s life for the best part of a quarter of a century and on the question of why it matters so much to him he added: "It’s everything to me. I have been asked to write down my hobbies in questionnaires and you know what? Football is everything".

Source: Footy Matters

UEFA DVD and workshop on AARs

A DVD produced for UEFA's national associations demonstrates the practical benefits of additional assistant referees, who are now being deployed by UEFA in its club competitions.

UEFA has produced a DVD for its 53 member national associations in which the European body provides information on implementing the additional assistant referee system which became part of the Laws of the Game this summer, and which is being deployed by UEFA in this season's club competitions. The DVD is based on a presentation given by UEFA's chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina at a meeting with the European national associations in Kyiv in July. Through key video examples – especially those related to the UEFA Euro 2012 matches, where audio communication among the referee teams was also recorded – the DVD demonstrates the practical benefits on the pitch, as well as offering solutions for utilising refereeing resources efficiently in order to implement the system. Football's lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), approved the use of additional assistant referees at its meeting on 5 July, and since then, all FIFA member associations have been free to implement the system, which proved its worth at UEFA Euro 2012, in particular as a deterrent against penalty-area incidents.
UEFA is staging a workshop on additional assistance referees in Nyon on 13 November, with national association elite referee managers invited to the House of European Football. The workshop will provide all the necessary tools and information to enable national associations to consider the implementation of this system. In addition, demonstrations of practical training for additional assistant referees are on the agenda. Pierluigi Collina and UEFA refereeing officers Hugh Dallas and Marc Batta will join other members of the UEFA Referees Committee in passing on their valuable expertise, having seen the system tried and tested at around 1,000 top UEFA matches in the past three seasons.

Source: UEFA

UEFA Europa League – Group Stage (Matchday 3)

25 October 2012

Rosenborg – Metalist

Referee: Olegario Benquerenca (POR)

Assistant Referee 1: Ricardo Santos (POR)

Assistant Referee 2: Nuno Pereira (POR)

Additional AR 1: Manuel De Sousa (POR)

Additional AR 2: Rui Costa (POR)

Fourth Official: Pedro Batista (POR)

Referee Observer: Georgios Bikas (GRE)

Rubin Kazan – Neftci

Referee: Kenn Hansen (DEN)

Assistant Referee 1: Lars Rix (DEN)

Assistant Referee 2: David Andersen (DEN)

Additional AR 1: Jakob Kehlet (DEN)

Additional AR 2: Mads-Kristoffer Kristoffersen (DEN)

Fourth Official: Henrik Kristensen (DEN)

Referee Observer: Vaclav Krondl (CZE)

Internationale – Partizan

Referee: Liran Liany (ISR)

Assistant Referee 1: Shabtai Nahmias (ISR)

Assistant Referee 2: David Biton (ISR)

Additional AR 1: Menashe Masiah (ISR)

Additional AR 2: Roy Reinshreiber (ISR)

Fourth Official: Oren Bornshtain (ISR)

Referee Observer: Juan Fernandez Marín (ESP)

Sparta Praha – Hapoel Kiryat Shmona

Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED)

Assistant Referee 1: Davie Goossens (NED)

Assistant Referee 2: Patrick Langkamp (NED)

Additional AR 1: Kevin Blom (NED)

Additional AR 2: Reinold Wiedemeijer (NED)

Fourth Official: Charles Schaap (NED)

Referee Observer: Horst Brummeier (AUT)

Olympique Lyon – Athletic Bilbao

Referee: Andre Marriner (ENG)

Assistant Referee 1: Simon Long (ENG)

Assistant Referee 2: Peter Bankes (ENG)

Additional AR 1: Jonathan Moss (ENG)

Additional AR 2: Lee Mason (ENG)

Fourth Official: Charles Breakspear (ENG)

Referee Observer: Kyros Georgiou (CYP)

Panathinaikos – Lazio

Referee: Carlos Clos Gomez (ESP)

Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrian Devis (ESP)

Assistant Referee 2: Javier Aguilar Rodriguez (ESP)

Additional AR 1: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP)

Additional AR 2: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP)

Fourth Official: Roberto Diaz Del Palomar (ESP)

Referee Observer: Kaj Natri (FIN)

Maribor – Tottenham

Referee: Sergei Karasev (RUS)

Assistant Referee 1: Anton Averianov (RUS)

Assistant Referee 2: Tikhon Kalugin (RUS)

Additional AR 1: Maksim Layushkin (RUS)

Additional AR 2: Aleksei Nikolaev (RUS)

Fourth Official: Dmitry Mosyakin (RUS)

Referee Observer: Zdravko Jokic (SRB)

Rapid Wien – Leverkusen  

Referee: Fernando Teixeira Vitienes (ESP)

Assistant Referee 1: Jesus Calvo Guadamuro (ESP)

Assistant Referee 2: Juan Yuste Jimenez (ESP)

Additional AR 1: Cesar Muniz Fernandez (ESP)

Additional AR 2: Javier Estrada Fernandez (ESP)

Fourth Official: Roberto Alonso Fernandez (ESP)

Referee Observer: Asim Khudiyev (AZE)

Helsingborg – Hannover

Referee: Stephan Studer (SUI)

Assistant Referee 1: Sandro Pozzi (SUI)

Assistant Referee 2: Johannes Vogel (SUI)

Additional AR 1: Alain Bieri (SUI)

Additional AR 2: Daniel Wermelinger (SUI)

Fourth Official: Raffael Zeder (SUI)

Referee Observer: Uno Tutk (EST)

Levante – Twente

Referee: Vladislav Bezborodov (RUS)

Assistant Referee 1: Nikolay Golubev (RUS)

Assistant Referee 2: Vyacheslav Semenov (RUS)

Additional AR 1: Aleksei Eskov (RUS)

Additional AR 2: Vladimir Kazmenko (RUS)

Fourth Official: Aleksei Lebedev (RUS)

Referee Observer: Guy Goethals (BEL)

Videoton – Basel

Referee: Miroslav Zelinka (CZE)

Assistant Referee 1: Ondrej Pelikan (CZE)

Assistant Referee 2: Ivo Nadvornik (CZE)

Additional AR 1: Radek Matejek (CZE)

Additional AR 2: Jan Jilek (CZE)

Fourth Official: Patrik Filipek (CZE)

Referee Observer: Luis Medina Cantalejo (ESP)

KRC Genk – Sporting

Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL)

Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki (POL)

Assistant Referee 2: Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL)

Additional AR 1: Hubert Siejewicz (POL)

Additional AR 2: Pawel Raczkowski (POL)

Fourth Official: Radoslaw Siejka (POL)

Referee Observer: Herbert Fandel (GER)

Liverpool – Anzhi

Referee: Bas Nijhuis (NED)

Assistant Referee 1: Angelo Boonman (NED)

Assistant Referee 2: Rob van de Ven (NED)

Additional AR 1: Pol van Boekel (NED)

Additional AR 2: Dennis Higler (NED)

Fourth Official: Erwin Zeinstra (NED)

Referee Observer: Lutz-Michael Frohlich (GER)

Young Boys – Udinese

Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)

Assistant Referee 1: Eric Dansault (FRA)

Assistant Referee 2: Nicolas Danos (FRA)

Additional AR 1: Said Ennjimi (FRA)

Additional AR 2: Ruddy Buquet (FRA)

Fourth Official: Laurent Stien (FRA)

Referee Observer: Edgar Steinborn (GER)

Hapoel Tel Aviv – Viktoria Plzen

Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER)

Assistant Referee 1: Markus Hacker (GER)

Assistant Referee 2: Mark Borsch (GER)

Additional AR 1: Christian Dingert (GER)

Additional AR 2: Tobias Welz (GER)

Fourth Official: Christoph Bornhorst (GER)

Referee Observer: Christos Skapoullis (CYP)

Atletico Madrid – Academica

Referee: Robert Madden (SCO)

Assistant Referee 1: Martin Cryans (SCO)

Assistant Referee 2: Stuart Stevenson (SCO)

Additional AR 1: Alan Muir (SCO)

Additional AR 2: Allan Crawford (SCO)

Fourth Official: James Bee (SCO)

Referee Observer: Paul Allaerts (BEL)

AEL Limassol – Fenerbahce

Referee: Alexandru Tudor (ROU)

Assistant Referee 1: Cristian Nica (ROU)

Assistant Referee 2: Aurel Onita (ROU)

Additional AR 1: Ovidiu Hategan (ROU)

Additional AR 2: Cristian Balaj (ROU)

Fourth Official: Octavian Sovre (ROU)

Referee Observer: Cosimo Bolognino (ITA)

Borussia Monchengladbach – Olympique Marseille

Referee: Serge Gumienny (BEL)

Assistant Referee 1: Walter Vromans (BEL)

Assistant Referee 2: Yves De Neve (BEL)

Additional AR 1: Luc Wouters (BEL)

Additional AR 2: Alexandre Boucaut (BEL)

Fourth Official: Kristof Meers (BEL)

Referee Observer: Sergey Zuev (RUS)

Maritimo – Bordeaux

Referee: Anastassios Kakos (GRE)

Assistant Referee 1: Christos Akrivos (GRE)

Assistant Referee 2: Dimitrios Tatsis (GRE)

Additional AR 1: Michael Koukoulakis (GRE)

Additional AR 2: Ilias Spathas (GRE)

Fourth Official: Dimitrios Saraidaris (GRE)

Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine (NIR)

Newcastle United – FC Brugge

Referee: Martin Hansson (SWE)

Assistant Referee 1: Fredrik Nilsson (SWE)

Assistant Referee 2: Joakim Flink (SWE)

Additional AR 1: Michael Lerjeus (SWE)

Additional AR 2: Andreas Ekberg (SWE)

Fourth Official: Magnus Sjoblom (SWE)

Referee Observer: Patrick Kelly (IRL)

VfB Stuttgart – Kobenhaven

Referee: Artur Soares Dias (POR)

Assistant Referee 1: Rui Tavares (POR)

Assistant Referee 2: Antonio Godinho (POR)

Additional AR 1: Joao Ferreira (POR)

Additional AR 2: Carlos Xistra (POR)

Fourth Official: Joao Santos (POR)

Referee Observer: Bertrand Layec (FRA)

Steaua – Molde

Referee: Laurent Duhamel (FRA)

Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Gringore (FRA)

Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Capelli (FRA)

Additional AR 1: Nicolas Rainville (FRA)

Additional AR 2: Alexandre Castro (FRA)

Fourth Official: Huseyin Ocak (FRA)

Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan (ARM)

Dnipro – Napoli

Referee: Huseyin Gocek (TUR)

Assistant Referee 1: Emre Eyisoy (TUR)

Assistant Referee 2: Orkun Aktas (TUR)

Additional AR 1: Baris Simsek (TUR)

Additional AR 2: Mete Kalkavan (TUR)

Fourth Official: Cem Satman (TUR)

Referee Observer: Francesco Bianchi (SUI)

PSV Eindhoven – AIK Solna

Referee: Emir Aleckovic (BIH)

Assistant Referee 1: Dalibor Draskovic (BIH)

Assistant Referee 2: Hrvoje Turudic (BIH)

Additional AR 1: Elmir Pilav (BIH)

Additional AR 2: Edin Jakupovic (BIH)

Fourth Official: Senad Ibrisimbegovic (BIH)

Referee Observer: Marc Batta (FRA)