Young referee attacked by a player policeman in Spain

Hector Giner Tarazon, a 17-years-old referee, has lost the spleen after being attacked by a player during a soccer match held last Sunday in the Valencian town of Burjassot (Spain). The National Police arrested on the same day a 27-years-old police officer, whose initials are Alberto M., for an alleged assault. The victim was admitted to a hospital in Valencia. "It's a little better and was able to sit down," said the boy's father, Jose Giner, "although it has lost all enthusiasm to referee, not talking about anything that happened". The hashtag #TotsambHector has been created on Twitter, where people can send him messages of support.

The brutal attack happened during a match of the Regional Second Division between Los Silos and Mislata UF. During the match, referee Hector Giner (photo) whistled a foul against Mislata and the aggressor showed his displeasure and insulted him. Upon receiving a red card and being sent-off, Alberto M. attacked Giner. The assailant punched him and, when he was on the ground, kicked him several times, according to confirmed police sources. His spleen burst. "Our players were there to protect him" says the president of Los Silos, Vicente Contreras, "but he was all bruised on the right side". The child was rushed to hospital Arnau de Vilanova, 10 minutes away from the football field, where he had to undergo surgery to remove his spleen. Right now, he is stable in the hospital, according to the Ministry of Health.

The assailant was detained in the camp itself, which closed its doors after the attack to prevent escape. The player has no history and is accused of an alleged assault. The National Police has confirmed that he actually is a police agent with the protection and safety unit! "It is justice and if necessary we will open a disciplinary inquiry", police sources said, who want to preserve the identity of the perpetrator "not because he is a cop, but because we proceed in the same way if it is a firefighter or journalist". Sources from the Valencian Superior Court of Justice in Paterna reported that the magistrate on duty ordered the release of the policeman from custody. The agent is charged in an ongoing case for serious injuries. The court has notified the Police "to adopt appropriate internal measures". Meanwhile, Mislata has dismissed the offender from the football club. The Referees Committee of Valencia regretted the incident and now expects to receive the match report, which could not be completed by the referee right after the game. Within two weeks, estimated time when it is complete, will decide whether to suspend the aggressor for life or just for a season, because he has nohistory. The Committee has made available to the child for legal services if he wants to raise a complaint and to ensure that the police filed an ex-officio report.

Source: El Pais

CONCACAF U-20 Championship 2013

Mexico, 18 February - 2 March 2013

Referees
1. Raul Castro (HON, 1982)
2. Hugo Cruz (CRC, 1982)
3. David Gantar (CAN, 1975)
4. Edvin Jurisevic (USA, 1975)
5. Jose Penaloza (MEX, 1974, photo)
6. Jafeth Perea (PAN, 1981)
7. Javier Santos (PUR, 1978)
8. Oscar Reyna (GUA, 1983)
9. Sherwin Johnson (GUY, 1979)
10. Enrico Wijngaarde (SUR, 1974)

Assistant Referees
1. Frank Anderson (USA, 1975)
2. Alejandro Ayala (MEX, 1976)
3. Philippe Briere (CAN, 1979)
4. Graeme Browne (SKN, 1977)
5. Warner Castro (CRC, 1980)
6. Melvyn Cruz (HON, 1978)
7. Dion Inniss (GUY, 1976)
8. Jairo Morales (PUR, 1979)
9. Dion Neil (TRI, 1973)
10. Gabriel Victoria (PAN, 1973)

UEFA Champions League – Round of 16 (First Leg)

19 February 2013
Arsenal London – Bayern Munchen

Referee: Svein Oddvar Moen (NOR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Kim Haglund (NOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Frank Andas (NOR)
Additional AR 1: Ken Henry Johnsen (NOR)
Additional AR 2: Dag Vidar Hafsas (NOR)
Fourth Official: Sven Erik Midthjell (NOR)
Referee Observer: Vítor Melo Pereira (POR)

FC Porto – Malaga

Referee: Mark Clattenburg (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Simon Beck (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Stuart Burt (ENG)
Additional AR 1: Lee Probert (ENG)
Additional AR 2: Michael Dean (ENG)
Fourth Official: Simon Long (ENG)
Referee Observer: Alfredo Trentalange (ITA)

20 February 2013
Galatasaray – Schalke
Referee: William Collum (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Cryans (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: William Conquer (SCO)
Additional AR 1: Robert Madden (SCO)
Additional AR 2: John Beaton (SCO)
Fourth Official: Alan Mulvanny (SCO)
Referee Observer: Pierluigi Collina (ITA)

AC Milan – FC Barcelona
Referee: Craig Thomson (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: Derek Rose (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Alasdair Ross (SCO)
Additional AR 1: Steven McLean (SCO)
Additional AR 2: Kevin Clancy (SCO)
Fourth Official: Graham Chambers (SCO)
Referee Observer: Laszlo Vagner (HUN)

Copa Libertadores – Group Stage (Matchday 2)

19 February 2013
Olimpia – Universidad de Chile
Referee: Martin Vazquez (URU, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Miguel Nievas (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Pastorino (URU)
Fourth Official: Julio Quintana (URU)
Referee Observer: Carlos Alarcon (PAR)

Millonarios – Tijuana
Referee: Marlon Escalante (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Sanchez (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Jorge Urrego (VEN)
Fourth Official: Wilson Lamouroux (COL)
Referee Observer: Otalvaro Polanco (COL)

Toluca – Nacional
Referee: Wilmar Roldan (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Wilmar Navarro (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Alexander Guzman (COL)
Fourth Official: Roberto Garcia (MEX)
Referee Observer: Jose Ramirez (MEX)

Penarol – Emelec
Referee: Sandro Ricci (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Alessandro Rocha (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Emerson Carvalho (BRA)
Fourth Official: Daniel Fedorczuk (URU)
Referee Observer: Ernesto Filippi (URU)

20 February 2013
Huachipato – Caracas
Referee: Raul Orosco (BOL)
Assistant Referee 1: Efrain Castro (BOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Arol Valda (BOL)
Fourth Official: Patricio Polic (CHI)
Referee Observer: Pablo Pozo (CHI)

Velez Sarsfield – Deportes Iquique
Referee: Carlos Amarilla (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Milciades Saldivar (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Dario Gaona (PAR)
Fourth Official: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
Referee Observer: Miguel Scime (ARG)

San Jose – Corinthians
Referee: Carlos Vera (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Lescano (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Byron Romero (ECU)
Fourth Official: Gery Vargas (BOL)
Referee Observer: Marcelo Ortube (BOL)

Fluminense – Gremio
Referee: Paulo Oliveira (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Marcio Santiago (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Fabricio Vilarinho (BRA)
Fourth Official: Pericles Cortez (BRA)
Referee Observer: Armando Marques (BRA)

21 February 2013
Deportivo Lara – Newell Old Boys
Referee: Ricardo Marques (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Altemir Hausmann (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Marcelo Van Gasse (BRA)
Fourth Official: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN)
Referee Observer: Adrian Gomes (VEN)

Cerro Porteno – Real Garcilaso
Referee: Patricio Loustau (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Ernesto Uziga (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Nunez (ARG)
Fourth Official: Mario Diaz (PAR)
Referee Observer: Ubaldo Aquino (PAR)

Tigre – Libertad
Referee: Roberto Silvera (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Mauricio Espinosa (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Marcelo Costa (URU)
Fourth Official: Pablo Diaz (ARG)
Referee Observer: Carlos Coradina (ARG)

Santa Fe – Deportes Tolima
Referee: Adrian Velez (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Humberto Clavijo (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Cristian de La Cruz (COL)
Fourth Official: Luis Sanchez (COL)
Referee Observer: Pablo Montova (COL)

Chaibou investigated for match fixing

It was in the final minutes of a June 2011 soccer game between Nigeria and Argentina when the little green flags on computer screens in London started to change color. Nigeria was leading 4-0 in the exhibition match of little significance, and more and more money was being laid down around the world on the possibility that one of the teams would score another goal before the game was over. Monitors hired by the soccer governing body FIFA to detect deviations from expected betting patterns — helped by computer algorithms — spotted something fishy. The game's 90 minutes of regular time ended without another goal. Referee Ibrahim Chaibou (photo) ordered additional time added to the clock — normal in most soccer games to make up for stoppages in play throughout the contest for injuries or other minor delays. He added six minutes — a substantial amount for such a minor game. When that time ran out, the game continued, with the score still at 4-0. The clock reached 98 minutes. That's when Chaibou called Nigerian defender Efe Ambrose for touching the ball with his hand — an infraction that brought a penalty kick for Argentina. Ambrose couldn't believe it. Video replays showed the ball touching him halfway up his thigh, with his arm behind his back and his hand nowhere near the ball. The replay also suggested that Chaibou had a clear view of the play. But the referee pointed straight to the spot and patted his elbow twice as if to confirm his call beyond any doubt. Nigerian players crowded around him, one even laughing in bemusement. Argentina scored the penalty, and the game ended 4-1. Within days, both FIFA and the Nigerian Football Association announced they would look into the possibility that the match had been fixed.

Chaibou, a slim, bald 46-year-old from the West African country of Niger, is one of football's most-investigated international referees. Matches in which he officiated have been investigated by FIFA, the Nigerian Football Association and the South African Football Association. At least five of his matches have been flagged as suspicious by betting monitoring companies, an action that usually prompts FIFA and national football organizations to look into the possibility that it was fixed. None of those have resulted in formal charges or sanctions, and Chaibou denies any connection to match-fixing. He says he has retired from soccer and now works in Niger's military. In a telephone interview from his home in Niger's capital of Niamey, Chaibou acknowledged that soccer authorities have been questioning him about matches he officiated, including the Argentina-Nigeria game. "The people from FIFA have already asked me. They asked me all the questions about this goal. They asked around everywhere, a bit to everyone," he said. "I judged it to be a penalty, so I gave a penalty... to make everyone happy. That's it." It wasn't the first time Chaibou had officiated a suspicious match. In 2010 and 2011, he was the referee at five exhibition matches between national teams in Africa, the Middle East and South America that were flagged by a leading betting monitoring company as potentially fixed, according to confidential company reports seen by the AP. Before the FIFA-South African investigation was completed, Chaibou turned 45 and was forced to retire from FIFA's approved international referee list in December 2011 due to age limits. That also automatically canceled the investigation, since FIFA investigates only active referees, and no sanctions were issued. "Ibrahim Chaibou left football before FIFA could launch any potential disciplinary action against him," the FIFA media department said in an email, adding that Chaibou "could of course be investigated again, should he return to soccer". Chris Eaton, a former security chief for FIFA, said the governing body's investigators tried and failed to question Chaibou in the six months before his retirement, a development he called disappointing. "People who have serious allegations of corruption against them ought to be properly investigated, if only to clear them of the allegations or confirm them", he said.
In 2010, Chaibou was hired for matches in South Africa, Bahrain, Bolivia and Ecuador and small tournaments played in Egypt. Many of them were organized by Wilson Raj Perumal, who has been convicted of match-fixing in Finland for Asian crime syndicates, and wrote about the fixes in a series of jailhouse letters to a Singaporean journalist in which he linked Chaibou to suspicious matches in South America. After serving his sentence and being released, Perumal has been helping law enforcement authorities in Hungary and Italy uncover rigged games. He has given testimony that is considered a major breakthrough in uncovering match-fixing in Europe. Perumal's company hired Chaibou to officiate at two games in 2010 — South Africa-Guatemala and Bahrain-Togo. The first was investigated by FIFA and the South African soccer federation; the second involved a team of impostors. Eaton said that when Perumal was arrested in Finland in February 2011, he had Chaibou's number on his phone. Chaibou also officiated two other games in South America — Bolivia-Venezuela and Ecuador-Venezuela — in October and November 2010, respectively, according to documents provided by FIFA. Both of those matches raised flags with betting monitors, according to confidential betting reports. In a letter written from jail, Perumal claimed the Bolivia match was "sold to an investor in China" — a euphemism for Asian crime gangs. In Ecuador, the home team won 4-1, helped by penalties scored by both teams that were "similarly questionable," according to a confidential betting monitoring report. When asked by the AP whether he knew Perumal, Chaibou became combative. "You already asked me this question last time. I told you I don't know him. I don't know him!" he said, his voice rising. "I told you I don't know these people." In two previous calls to Chaibou, AP had not mentioned the name.
In 2010, Bahrain's soccer federation hired Perumal to arrange an exhibition match between its national team and that of Togo. But when the match was played in the Bahraini capital of Manama in September of that year, the rag-tag team from Togo contained none of the players from its national squad. Its coach was not that of the Togolese team, but rather Tchanile Bana, who was serving a two-year ban by Togo for a previous soccer scam. Bahrain won 3-0, but its coach still complained angrily after the game; the score would have been even more lopsided if officials had not nullified several Bahraini goals on offside calls. The referee was Chaibou. From his prison cell in Finland, Perumal wrote to a Singaporean journalist that "Ibrahim Chaibo (sic) was put in charge of this match to keep the score as low as possible." Perumal said he wagered "against the current" of other Singapore bettors who knew about his ties to the Togo game and who put down money on the Africans losing by a lot. Chaibou denied that anyone influenced the match: "These are refereeing decisions. That's all." Asked whether Perumal had dictated the outcome, Chaibou hung up. He did not answer further calls from the AP. FIFA did not investigate because there was no formal complaint by either national federation about the match, which has become notorious in the soccer world for hurting the image of international exhibitions.
Two weeks before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Chaibou refereed another game that caught the eye of journalists as well as betting monitors, who watch information from 300 betting agencies. The South African Football Association had hired the Football4U agency, later linked to Perumal, to arrange a string of exhibitions, including a May 31 match against Guatemala. Chaibou was the referee. The monitoring systems noted suspiciously strong pre-match backing for a South African victory, despite the fact the team was resting several regulars, and for at least three goals to be scored in the game, according to a confidential monitoring report. South Africa won 5-0, with two of the goals coming from the three handball penalties awarded by Chaibou. The first was called on defender Gustavo Cabrera, who replays showed was clearly standing outside the penalty area. Guatemala was awarded a penalty in the 50th minute when South Africa defender Lucas Thwala blocked a shot with his chest; the South African goalkeeper made the save on the ensuing penalty kick. Chaibou gave South Africa another penalty kick four minutes later, and the team scored. The South African Football Association immediately became suspicious and dropped all of Perumal's referees, canceling Chaibou's plans to officiate its next game against Denmark. Chaibou denied that anyone had pressured him to influence the outcome of the match. According to Sunday World, South African referee Robert Sithole, who was an official at the South Africa-Guatemala match, told FIFA investigators that he escorted Chaibou to the Bidvest Bank in Polokwane, where "he saw him deposit an estimated $100,000 in $100 notes, which he then transferred to his wife in Niger". On 15 December 2012, the South African Football Association announced that a FIFA report found "compelling evidence" that one or more of its games was fixed in 2010. It said referees hired by Perumal were thought to have manipulated its exhibition games before the World Cup for betting purposes, adding that no players were thought to have been involved. It did not name the referees. It has not imposed sanctions but the investigation continues.
Eaton, who has since joined the Qatari-funded International Centre for Sport Security, said he will continue to investigate Chaibou. It is his responsibility, he said, "to protect all sport from the influence of criminals infiltrating sport and corrupting individuals within sport. The allegations against referee Chaibou mean he is a person of interest to the ICSS Integrity Unit and its investigators," Eaton said. Chaibou insists he has never fixed a match. "It's got nothing to do with me," he said. "I refereed my matches and went home peacefully. End of story."

Source: AP/IBN/SW

Proenca: "I am privileged to be in the refereeing world"

Pedro Proenca was featured in a promotional video posted on the UEFA web site, where he left a message for younger referees. "Enjoy every moment you have to become better referees. Do not try to cut corners because the success will come naturally", said the Portuguese referee. "If a person has the capacity to be humble, works hard, loves football and believes that refereeing suits their personality, it is possible to get there. One should embrace refereeing, as I did, and be sure that one day the success will come their way", added Proenca.

"Part of being a referee is something that is born with us, but the rest is gained through hard work. Intellectual abilities and mental strength that are acquired through experience, accumulated through refereeing matches", he said. "I am a privileged, but I also put in a lot of effort", says Pedro Proenca, who last year refereed both the Champions League final and the Euro final. He felt that "a good motivation to be a referee is the opportunity to participate in a fantastic spectacle that is football", admitted to being a "privileged", but highlighted his hard work and dedication. "I recognize that today I am privileged within the world of referees, but it was hard work, effort and dedication; having left much behind, I got to where I am", he explained. Proenca said that his inspiration was the old Portuguese referee Victor Correia: "A man I knew, I learned to admire and who taught me what I am now as a referee".

Source: UEFA

UEFA Europa League – Round of 32 (First Leg)

14 February 2013

Zenit St. Petersburg – Liverpool
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Alonso Fernandez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Yuste Jimenez (ESP)
Additional AR1: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP)
Additional AR2: Javier Estrada Fernandez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Jose Fernandez Miranda (ESP)
Referee Observer: Ryszard Wojcik (POL)

Anji – Hannover
Referee: Marijo Strahonja (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Sinisa Premuzaj (CRO)
Assistant Referee 2: Goran Pataki (CRO)
Additional AR1: Igor Pristovnik (CRO)
Additional AR2: Ante Vucemilovic-Simunovic (CRO)
Fourth Official: Ivica Modric (CRO)
Referee Observer: Vaclav Krondl (CZE)

Sparta Praha – Chelsea
Referee: Daniele Orsato (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Elenito Di Liberatore (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Massimiliano Grilli (ITA)
Additional AR1: Andrea Gervasoni (ITA)
Additional AR2: Domenico Celi (ITA)
Fourth Official: Nicola Nicoletti (ITA)
Referee Observer: Eugen Strigel (GER) 

Levante – Olympiacos
Referee: Manuel Grafe (GER) 
Assistant Referee 1: Markus Hacker (GER) 
Assistant Referee 2: Holger Henschel (GER) 
Additional AR1: Christian Dingert (GER) 
Additional AR2: Guido Winkmann (GER) 
Fourth Official: Guido Kleve (GER) 
Referee Observer: Roberto Rosetti (ITA) 

SSC Napoli – Viktoria Plzen 
Referee: Pol van Boekel (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Berry Simons (NED) 
Assistant Referee 2: Patrick Langkamp (NED) 
Additional AR1: Danny Makkelie (NED) 
Additional AR2: Ed Janssen (NED) 
Fourth Official: Davie Goossens (NED) 
Referee Observer: Nikolai Levnikov (RUS) 

Dynamo Kyiv – Bordeaux
Referee: Alexandru Tudor (ROU) 
Assistant Referee 1: Cristian Nica (ROU) 
Assistant Referee 2: Aurel Onita (ROU) 
Additional AR1: Ovidiu Hategan (ROU) 
Additional AR2: Cristian Balaj (ROU) 
Fourth Official: Octavian Sovre (ROU) 
Referee Observer: Jorn-West Larsen (DEN) 

Leverkusen –Benfica
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP) 
Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrian Devis (ESP) 
Assistant Referee 2: Javier Aguilar Rodriguez (ESP) 
Additional AR1: Carlos Clos Gomez (ESP) 
Additional AR2: Jose Gonzalez Gonzalez (ESP) 
Fourth Official: Teodoro Sobrino Magan (ESP) 
Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen (NOR) 

Bate – Fenerbahce
Referee: Alan Kelly (IRL) 
Assistant Referee 1: Damien MacGraith (IRL) 
Assistant Referee 2: Allen Lynch (IRL) 
Additional AR1: Neil Doyle (IRL) 
Additional AR2: Padraigh Sutton (IRL) 
Fourth Official: Kenneth Hennessy (IRL)
Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili (GEO) 

Ajax Amsterdam – Steaua Bucuresti 
Referee: Stanislav Todorov (BUL) 
Assistant Referee 1: Nikolai Angelov (BUL) 
Assistant Referee 2: Ivo Kolev (BUL) 
Additional AR1: Nikolai Yordanov (BUL) 
Additional AR2: Aleksandar Kostadinov (BUL) 
Fourth Official: Ivan Valchev (BUL) 
Referee Observer: Marc Batta (FRA) 

Basel – Dnipro
Referee: Svein Oddvar Moen (NOR) 
Assistant Referee 1: Kim Haglund (NOR) 
Assistant Referee 2: Frank Andas (NOR) 
Additional AR1: Ken Henry Johnsen (NOR) 
Additional AR2: Dag Vidar Hafsas (NOR)
Fourth Official: Svein Inge Wiken (NOR) 
Referee Observer: Oguz Sarvan (TUR) 

Inter Milano – CFR Cluj
Referee: Michael Koukoulakis (GRE) 
Assistant Referee 1: Dimitrios Saraidaris (GRE) 
Assistant Referee 2: Damianos Efthimiadis (GRE) 
Additional AR1: Stavros Tritsonis (GRE) 
Additional AR2: Anastassios Kakos (GRE) 
Fourth Official: Christos Baltas (GRE) 
Referee Observer: Johannes Reijgwaart (NED) 

Newcastle – Metalist
Referee: Tom Harald Hagen (NOR) 
Assistant Referee 1: Dag-Roger Nebben (NOR) 
Assistant Referee 2: Magnus Lundberg (NOR) 
Additional AR1: Svein-Erik Edvartsen (NOR) 
Additional AR2: Anders Johansen (NOR)
Fourth Official: Sven Erik Midthjell (NOR) 
Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas (SCO) 

VfB Stuttgart – KRC Genk 
Referee: Manuel De Sousa (POR) 
Assistant Referee 1: Ricardo Santos (POR) 
Assistant Referee 2: Rui Tavares (POR) 
Additional AR1: Artur Soares Dias (POR) 
Additional AR2: Hugo Miguel (POR) 
Fourth Official: Nuno Pereira (POR) 
Referee Observer: Christakis Skapoullis (CYP) 

Atletico Madrid – Rubin Kazan 
Referee: Istvan Vad (HUN) 
Assistant Referee 1: Vencel Toth (HUN) 
Assistant Referee 2: Istvan Albert (HUN) 
Additional AR1: Tamas Bognar (HUN) 
Additional AR2: Mihaly Fabian (HUN)
Fourth Official: Zsolt Attila Szpisjak (HUN) 
Referee Observer: Jaap Uilenberg (NED) 

Borussia Monchengladbach – Lazio Roma 
Referee: Sergei Karasev (RUS) 
Assistant Referee 1: Anton Averianov (RUS) 
Assistant Referee 2: Tikhon Kalugin (RUS) 
Additional AR1: Maksim Layushkin (RUS) 
Additional AR2: Aleksei Nikolaev (RUS)
Fourth Official: Dmitry Mosyakin (RUS) 
Referee Observer: Luis Medina Cantalejo (ESP) 

Tottenham – Olympique Lyon 
Referee: Pedro Proenca (POR) 
Assistant Referee 1: Bertino Miranda (POR) 
Assistant Referee 2: Venancio Tome (POR) 
Additional AR1: Duarte Gomes (POR) 
Additional AR2: Joao Capela (POR) 
Fourth Official: Antonio Godinho (POR) 
Referee Observer: Patrick Kelly (IRL)