Copa America 2015 – Group Stage (Matches 1-6)

11 June 2015
Chile – Ecuador
Referee: Nestor Pitana (ARG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Hernan Maidana (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Belatti (ARG)
Fourth Official: Joel Aguilar (SLV)
Fifth Official: Ricardo Morgan (JAM)
Referee Observer: Carlos Alarcon (PAR)

12 June 2015
Mexico – Bolivia
Referee: Enrique Caceres (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Rodney Aquino (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Caceres (PAR)
Fourth Official: Andres Cunha (URU)
Fifth Official: Carlos Pastorino (URU)
Referee Observer: Abel Gnecco (ARG)

13 June 2015
Uruguay – Jamaica
Referee: Jose Argote (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Jairo Romero (VEN)
Fourth Official: Jorge Osorio (CHI)
Fifth Official: Javier Bustillos (BOL)
Referee Observer: Ivan Guerrero (CHI)

Argentina – Paraguay
Referee: Wilmar Roldán (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzmán (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Christian De la Cruz (COL)
Fourth Official: Julio Bascuñan (CHI)
Fifth Official: Raúl Orellana (CHI)
Referee Observer: Guido Aros (CHI)

14 June 2015
Colombia – Venezuela
Referee: Andres Cunha (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Mauricio Espinosa (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Pastorino (URU)
Fourth Official: Enrique Cáceres (PAR)
Fifth Official: Carlos Cáceres (PAR)
Referee Observer: Wilson Seneme (BRA)

Brazil – Peru
Referee: Roberto Garcia (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Camargo (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Marvin Torrentera (MEX)
Fourth Official: Raúl Orosco (BOL)
Fifth Official: Juan Montano (BOL)
Referee Observer: Carlos Alarcon (PAR)

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 – Group Stage (Matches 13-16)

11 June 2015

Germany – Norway
Referee: Teodora Albon (ROU, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Petruta Iugulescu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Maria Sukenikova (SVK)
Fourth Official: Anna-Marie Keighley (NZL)
Fifth Official: Lata Kaumatule (TGA)

Cote d’Ivoire – Thailand
Referee: Margaret Domka (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Princess Brown (JAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Elizabeth Aguilar (SLV)
Fourth Official: Marilin Miranda (PAR)
Fifth Official: Lata Kaumatule (TGA)

China – Netherlands
Referee: Yeimy Martinez (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Janette Arcanjo (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Liliana Bejarano (BOL)
Fourth Official: Lucila Venegas (MEX)
Fifth Official: Loreto Toloza (CHI)

Canada – New Zealand
Referee: Bibiana Steinhaus (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Katrin Rafalski (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Marina Wozniak (GER)
Fourth Official: Abirami Naidu (SIN)
Fifth Official: Loreto Toloza (CHI)

FIFA U-20 World Cup 2015 – Round of 16

10 June 2015
Serbia – Hungary
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrian Devis (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Diaz Perez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Ovidiu Hategan (ROU)

Ghana – Mali
Referee: Ghead Grisha (EGY)
Assistant Referee 1: Waleed Ahmed (SDN)
Assistant Referee 2: Berhe Tesfagiorghis (ERI)
Fourth Official: Bernard Camille (SEY)

USA – Colombia
Referee: Ivan Bebek (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Tomislav Petrovic (CRO)
Assistant Referee 2: Miro Grgic (CRO)
Fourth Official: Matt Conger (NZL)

Ukraine – Senegal
Referee: Ricardo Marques (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Kleber Gil (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Bruno Boschilia (BRA)
Fourth Official: Daniele Orsato (ITA)

11 June 2015
Austria – Uzbekistan
Referee: John Pitti (PAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Baines (PAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Victoria (PAN)
Fourth Official: Daniel Fedorczuk (URU)

Germany – Nigeria
Referee: Fahad Al Mirdasi (KSA)
Assistant Referee 1: Abdullah Al Shalwai (KSA)
Assistant Referee 2: Abu Al Amri (OMA)
Fourth Official: Henry Bejarano (CRC)

Portugal – New Zealand
Referee: Kim Jong-Hyeok (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Yoon Kwangyeol (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Yang Byoung Eun (KOR)
Fourth Official: Ryuji Sato (JPN)

Brazil – Uruguay
Referee: Istvan Vad (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Istvan Albert (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Vencel Toth (HUN)
Fourth Official: Roddy Zambrano (ECU)

Webb leaves PGMOL to undertake consultancy opportunities

Former World Cup referee Howard Webb is to leave his role as Select Group Performance Director with Professional Game Match Officials at the end of June. The 43-year-old, who retired from officiating to assume the post with PGMOL last August, intends to undertake more freelance professional services work.

The organisation's general manager Mike Riley said in a statement: "PGMOL will always be grateful for the job Howard has done in promoting English refereeing over the last two decades. “He was at the very forefront of our profession and has left a lasting legacy, inspiring a generation to take up the whistle. His unparalleled success on the field is matched by respect he has garnered representing refereeing off the pitch. I have enjoyed working with Howard during the last season and wish him every success in his new venture”.

Rotherham-born Webb, who was chosen to referee the 2010 World Cup final between Spain and Holland in South Africa, added: 'I'm very grateful to Mike Riley, the board and the management team of PGMOL for the opportunity they gave me last season. “I have seen at first hand the fantastic work being done, and planned, to ensure that England remains a standard-bearer for refereeing. I've spent many years working hard to promote refereeing and improve standards, and now I'd like the chance to undertake different consultancy opportunities. I want to wish the PGMOL and the select group all the best for the future. I truly believe they are the best group of match officials in world football”. 

Source: Daily Mail

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 – Group Stage (Matches 9-12)

9 June 2015

France – England
Referee: Efthalia Mitsi (GRE, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Chrysoula Kourompylia (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Angela Kyriakou (CYP)
Fourth Official: Michelle Pye (CAN)
Fifth Official: Suzanne Morisset (CAN)

Colombia – Mexico
Referee: Therese Neguel (CMR)
Assistant Referee 1: Mana Dzodope (TOG)
Assistant Referee 2: Souad Oulhaj (MAR)
Fourth Official: Ledya Tafesse (ETH)
Fifth Official: Suzanne Morisset (CAN)

Spain – Costa Rica
Referee: Salome Di Iorio (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Maria Rocco (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Mariana De Almeida (ARG)
Fourth Official: Olga Miranda (PAR)
Fifth Official: Allison Flynn (AUS)

Brazil – Korea
Referee: Esther Staubli (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Ella De Vries (BEL)
Assistant Referee 2: Lucie Ratajova (CZE)
Fourth Official: Carina Vitulano (ITA)
Fifth Official: Allison Flynn (AUS)

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 – Group Stage (Matches 5-8)

8 June 2015

Cameroon – Ecuador
Referee: Katalin Kulcsar (HUN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Natalie Aspinall (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Anna Nystrom (SWE)
Fourth Official: Tupou Patia (COK)
Fifth Official: Katrin Rafalski (GER)

Sweden – Nigeria
Referee: Ri Hyang-Ok (PRK)
Assistant Referee 1: Hong Kum Nyo (PRK)
Assistant Referee 2: Kim Kyoung Min (KOR)
Fourth Official: Abirami Naidu (SIN)
Fifth Official: Widiya Shamsuri (MAS)

USA – Australia
Referee: Claudia Umpierrez (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Luciana Mascarana (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Loreto Toloza (CHI)
Fourth Official: Gladys Lengwe (ZAM)
Fifth Official: Widiya Shamsuri (MAS)

Japan – Switzerland
Referee: Lucila Venegas (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Kimberly Moreira (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Shirley Perello (HON)
Fourth Official: Yeimi Martinez (COL)
Fifth Official: Janette Arcanjo (BRA)

Cakir looking forward to a "European football celebration"

Cüneyt Çakır is looking forward to a "European football celebration" when he referees the UEFA Champions League final, with the Berlin assignment being "something to be proud of".

"What I'm going to do is waiting for the Champions League anthem to play and then simply enjoy the moment." Turkish referee Cüneyt Çakır is ready for what he hopes will be "a European football celebration" when he takes charge of Saturday's UEFA Champions League final between Juventus and FC Barcelona in Berlin. Nevertheless, while Çakır is fully aware that he is part of something special, and there is an obvious feeling of anticipation, the 38-year-old match official from Istanbul – an international referee since 2006 – also stresses that he and his colleagues will handle the occasion like any other game. Çakır will be assisted by compatriots Bahattin Duran and Tarık Ongun. Sweden's Jonas Eriksson will be the fourth official, and the two additional assistant referees, Hüseyin Göçek and Barış Şimşek, are also from Turkey. A Turkish reserve assistant referee – Mustafa Eyisoy – completes the refereeing team. "For me, it was an unforgettable moment," says Çakır of the instant when he learned of his assignment in Berlin. "When [UEFA] called me to tell me that I and my team had been chosen to referee the final of the Champions League, I was extremely pleased. When I think about my team, my family, all the refereeing coaches that helped me become the referee I am today, and all those who believed I could make it this far, it makes me even more pleased. Obviously, this is something to be proud of, as well as being a big responsibility. It's the first time that a Turkish referee, and a Turkish team of referees, has been in charge of a Champions League final, and this doubles our responsibility."

Çakır, who graduated in business studies and worked in insurance, owes his start in refereeing to his father. "When I was young, I used to play football," he says, "and I wanted to become a football player. However, my father was a referee and thanks to him I was really aware of how the refereeing world works – and I really liked it. I used to watch his games, and then we would analyse the games together, and it was as if I was his assistant referee. When I was 17, there was a refereeing course that was being offered, so I signed up, and ever since then I have been refereeing. It is something I really enjoy doing."

A member of the refereeing lineup at UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Çakır says that hard work and dedication are key to his reaching his current position. "Today football has reached such a level, and as a referee you really have to prepare yourself for games," he reflects. "Being a referee is much more than just 90 minutes on the pitch. Apart from the actual game, as a referee you have to get ready physically as well as technically and mentally, and you have to dedicate a lot of time to it. "My philosophy has always been to give my best, whatever I do. Of course I had certain objectives when I first started as a referee, such as being a first-class referee and taking part in big games such as finals. I always worked that way, set my objectives and was patient. If you work hard, then you get rewarded.” Nowadays the importance of match officials working together as a solid team in the high-pace, high-stakes modern game cannot be emphasised enough, and Çakır is keen to promote the backing he receives from his colleagues. "The referees really are a team, whether that is on or off the pitch," he says. "You cannot achieve anything individually, and you have to work and prepare as a team. My success as a referee I owe to my whole team, we have been preparing as well as refereeing games together, and I would like to thank them for what we have achieved together, because if they weren't there, neither would I be." Preparation for Saturday will be "business as usual". "Actually, there isn't much difference between this game and other games," Çakır explains. "We prepare the same way we do for any other game, because we are always ready to the best of our abilities. Sure, [it] is a final, and a special day, but we prepare the same way and we are as disciplined as we would be for any game." Nevertheless, an obvious feeling of anticipation cannot be denied. "Just like the players, we are a part of the game," the Turkish referee adds, "and just like them, we will be excitedly waiting for the game to take place. We will be looking forward to the exciting feeling of being in the tunnel and the feeling of going out onto the pitch." Finally, what are Cüneyt Çakır's hopes for the showdown in the German capital? "I hope it will be an enjoyable game for everyone, because we have to see it this way: it's the final of the Champions League, it's a European football celebration". 

Source: UEFA