Friday 31 May 2024

2024 UEFA Under-17 Championship - Selected Officials - Referee Appointments

List of selected officials for 2024 UEFA Under 17 EURO Championship, to be played in Cyprus.


Referees:

Jasper Vergoote BEL
Antoni Bandic BIH
Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
Ante Čulina CRO
Menelaos Antoniou CYP
Jan Petrik CZE
Jakob Alexander Sundberg DEN
Mohammed Al-Emara FIN
Pierre Gaillouste FRA
David Fuxman ISR 
Miguel Bértolo Nogueira POR 
Nenad Minaković SRB

Assistant Referees:

Martijn Tiesters BEL
Stefan Tešanovic BIH
Petar Velizarov Mitrev BUL
Luka Pušic CRO
Kyriakos Sokratous CYP
Marek Podany CZE
Victor Skytte DEN
Turkka Valjakka FIN
Alexis Auger FRA
Rostislav Talis ISR
Nelson Filipe Vila Pereira POR
Nikola Borović SRB

Matchday 1

Monday 20 May 2024

Group A
17:00 CET - Paralimni (Dimotikó Stádio Paralimníou "Tásos Márkou")
SERBIA - UKRAINE
Referee: Jakob Alexander Sundberg DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Victor Skovbæk Skytte DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Martijn Tiesters BEL
Fourth Official: Jasper Vergoote BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO 
UEFA Delegate: Maksims Krivunecs LVA

Group B
17:00 CET - Dasáki Áchnas (Stádio Ethnikoú Áchnas)
DENMARK - WALES
Referee: Menélaos Andoníou CYP
Assistant Referee 1: Kyriákos Sokrátous CYP
Assistant Referee 2: Nélson Filipe Vila Pereira POR
Fourth Official: Miguel Bértolo Nogueira POR
UEFA Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH 
UEFA Delegate: Andi Zere ALB

Group A
19:30 CET - Larnaca (AEK Aréna - Geórgios Karapatákis)
CYPRUS - CZECHIA
Referee: Pierre Gaillouste FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Alexis Auger FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Petar Mitrev BUL
Fourth Official: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
UEFA Referee Observer: Haim Jakov ISR 
UEFA Delegate: Dominique Rappaz SUI

Group B
19:30 CET - Larnaca (Stádio Andónis Papadópoulos)
CROATIA - AUSTRIA
Referee: Jan Petřík CZE
Assistant Referee 1: Marek Podaný CZE
Assistant Referee 2: Rostislav Talis ISR
Fourth Official: David Fuxman ISR
UEFA Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis CYP
UEFA Delegate: Tammo Beishuizen NED

Tuesday 21 May 2024


Group C
17:00 CET - Paralimni (Dimotikó Stádio Paralimníou "Tásos Márkou")
SLOVAKIA - SWEDEN
Referee: Ante Čulina CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Luka Pušić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Petar Mitrev BUL
Fourth Official: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
UEFA Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH 
UEFA Delegate: Maksims Krivunecs LVA

Group D
17:00 CET - Dasáki Áchnas (Stádio Ethnikoú Áchnas)
SPAIN - PORTUGAL
Referee: Nenad Minaković SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Nikola Borović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Marek Podaný CZE
Fourth Official: Jan Petřík CZE
UEFA Referee Observer: Haim Jakov ISR
UEFA Delegate: Andi Zere ALB

Group C
19:30 CET - Larnaca (AEK Aréna - Geórgios Karapatákis)
ITALY - POLAND
Referee: Miguel Bértolo Nogueira POR
Assistant Referee 1: Nélson Filipe Vila Pereira POR
Assistant Referee 2: Turkka Joonas Valjakka FIN
Fourth Official: Mohammed Al-Emara FIN
UEFA Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis CYP 
UEFA Delegate: Dominique Rappaz SUI

Group D
19:30 CET - Larnaca (Stádio Vitex Ammóchostos-Epistrofí)
FRANCE - ENGLAND
Referee: Antoni Bandić BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Tešanović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Kyriákos Sokrátous CYP
Fourth Official: Menélaos Andoníou CYP
UEFA Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO 
UEFA Delegate: Tammo Beishuizen NED

Matchday 2

Thursday 23 May 2024

Group A
17:00 CET - Paralimni (Dimotikó Stádio Paralimníou "Tásos Márkou")
UKRAINE - CZECHIA
Referee: Mohammed Al-Emara FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Turkka Joonas Valjakka FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Luka Pušić CRO
Fourth Official: Ante Čulina CRO
UEFA Referee Observer: Haim Jakov ISR 
UEFA Delegate: Maksims Krivunecs LVA

Group B
17:00 CET - Dasáki Áchnas (Stádio Ethnikoú Áchnas)
DENMARK - CROATIA
Referee: Jasper Vergoote BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Martijn Tiesters BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Nélson Filipe Vila Pereira POR
Fourth Official: Miguel Bértolo Nogueira POR
UEFA Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO 
UEFA Delegate: Andi Zere ALB

Group A
19:30 CET - Larnaca (Stádio Andónis Papadópoulos)
CYPRUS - SERBIA
Referee: David Fuxman ISR
Assistant Referee 1: Rostislav Talis ISR
Assistant Referee 2: Victor Skovbæk Skytte DEN
Fourth Official: Jakob Alexander Sundberg DEN
UEFA Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH 
UEFA Delegate: Tammo Beishuizen NED

Group B
19:30 CET - Larnaca (Stádio Vitex Ammóchostos-Epistrofí)
AUSTRIA - WALES
Referee: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Petar Mitrev BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Stefan Tešanović BIH
Fourth Official: Antoni Bandić BIH
UEFA Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis CYP 
UEFA Delegate: Dominique Rappaz SUI

Friday 24 May 2024

Group C
17:00 CET - Larnaca (AEK Aréna - Geórgios Karapatákis)
SWEDEN - POLAND
Referee: Pierre Gaillouste FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Alexis Auger FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Martijn Tiesters BEL Turkka Joonas Valjakka FIN
Fourth Official: Jasper Vergoote BEL Miguel Bértolo Nogueira POR
UEFA Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH 
UEFA Delegate: Dominique Rappaz SUI

Group C
17:00 CET - Dasáki Áchnas (Stádio Ethnikoú Áchnas)
ITALY - SLOVAKIA
Referee: Jan Petřík CZE
Assistant Referee 1: Marek Podaný CZE
Assistant Referee 2: Turkka Joonas Valjakka FIN Martijn Tiesters BEL
Fourth Official: Mohammed Al-Emara FIN Jasper Vergoote BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO 
UEFA Delegate:  Andi Zere ALB

Group D
19:30 CET - Larnaca (Stádio Vitex Ammóchostos-Epistrofí)
PORTUGAL - ENGLAND
Referee: Menélaos Andoníou CYP
Assistant Referee 1: Kyriákos Sokrátous CYP
Assistant Referee 2: Luka Pušić CRO
Fourth Official: Ante Čulina CRO
UEFA Referee Observer: Haim Jakov ISR 
UEFA Delegate: Maksims Krivunecs LVA

Group D
19:30 CET - Larnaca (Stádio Andónios Papadópoulos)
FRANCE - SPAIN
Referee: Jakob Alexander Sundberg DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Victor Skovbæk Skytte DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Nikola Borović SRB
Fourth Official: Nenad Minaković SRB
UEFA Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis CYP
UEFA Delegate: Tammo Beishuizen NED

Matchday 3

Sunday 26 May 2024

Group B
17:00 CET - Paralimni (Dimotikó Stádio Paralimníou "Tásos Márkou")
AUSTRIA - DENMARK
Referee: Antoni Bandić BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Tešanović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Turkka Joonas Valjakka FIN
Fourth Official: Jasper Vergoote BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis CYP 
UEFA Delegate: Maksims Krivunecs LVA

Group B
17:00 CET - Dasáki Áchnas (Stádio Ethnikoú Áchnas)
WALES - CROATIA
Referee: Pierre Gaillouste FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Alexis Auger FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Marek Podaný CZE
Fourth Official: Jan Petřík CZE
UEFA Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO 
UEFA Delegate: Andi Zere ALB

Group A
19:30 CET - Larnaca (AEK Aréna - Geórgios Karapatákis)
UKRAINE - CYPRUS
Referee: Ante Čulina CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Luka Pušić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Victor Skovbæk Skytte DEN
Fourth Official: Jakob Alexander Sundberg DEN
UEFA Referee Observer: Haim Jakov ISR 
UEFA Delegate: Dominique Rappaz SUI 

Group A
19:30 CET - Larnaca (Stádio Vitex Ammóchostos-Epistrofí)
CZECHIA - SERBIA
Referee: Miguel Bértolo Nogueira POR
Assistant Referee 1: Nélson Filipe Vila Pereira POR
Assistant Referee 2: Rostislav Talis ISR
Fourth Official: David Fuxman ISR
UEFA Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH 
UEFA Delegate: Tammo Beishuizen NED

Monday 27 May 2024

Group C
17:00 CET - Paralimni (Dimotikó Stádio Paralimníou "Tásos Márkou")
SWEDEN - ITALY
Referee: Nenad Minaković SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Nikola Borović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Alexis Auger FRA
Fourth Official: Pierre Gaillouste FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis CYP 
UEFA Delegate: Maksims Krivunecs LVA

Group C
17:00 CET - Dasáki Áchnas (Stádio Ethnikoú Áchnas)
POLAND - SLOVAKIA
Referee: David Fuxman ISR
Assistant Referee 1: Rostislav Talis ISR
Assistant Referee 2: Kyriákos Sokrátous CYP
Fourth Official: Menélaos Andoníou CYP
UEFA Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO 
UEFA Delegate: Andi Zere ALB

Group D
19:30 CET - Larnaca (Stádio Vitex Ammóchostos-Epistrofí)
PORTUGAL - FRANCE
Referee: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Petar Mitrev BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Victor Skovbæk Skytte DEN
Fourth Official: Jakob Alexander Sundberg DEN
UEFA Referee Observer: Haim Jakov ISR 
UEFA Delegate: Dominique Rappaz SUI 

Group D
19:30 CET - Larnaca (Stádio Andónios Papadópoulos)
ENGLAND - SPAIN
Referee: Jasper Vergoote BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Martijn Tiesters BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Marek Podaný CZE
Fourth Official: Jan Petřík CZE
UEFA Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH 
UEFA Delegate: Tammo Beishuizen NED

Quarter-Finals

Wednesday 29 May 2024

16:30 CET - Larnaca (Stádio Vitex Ammóchostos-Epistrofí)
CZECHIA - DENMARK
Referee: Antoni Bandić BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Tešanović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Petar Mitrev BUL
Fourth Official: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
UEFA Referee Observer: Haim Jakov ISR 
UEFA Delegate: Tammo Beishuizen NED

19:00 CET - Larnaca (AEK Aréna - Geórgios Karapatákis)
AUSTRIA - SERBIA
Referee: Jakob Alexander Sundberg DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Victor Skovbæk Skytte DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Kyriákos Sokrátous CYP
Fourth Official: Menélaos Andoníou CYP
UEFA Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH
UEFA Delegate: Dominique Rappaz SUI

Thursday 30 May 2024

17:00 CET - Larnaca (Stádio Andónis Papadópoulos)
PORTUGAL - POLAND
Referee: Jasper Vergoote BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Martijn Tiesters BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Rostislav Talis ISR
Fourth Official: David Fuxman ISR
UEFA Referee Observer: Björn Kuipers NED
UEFA Delegate: Tammo Beishuizen NED

19:30 CET - Larnaca (AEK Aréna - Geórgios Karapatákis)
ITALY - ENGLAND
Referee: Nenad Minaković SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Nikola Borović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Luka Pušić CRO
Fourth Official: Ante Čulina CRO
UEFA Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis CYP 
UEFA Delegate: Dominique Rappaz SUI

Semi-Finals

Sunday 2 June 2024

17:00 CET - Larnaca (AEK Aréna - Geórgios Karapatákis)
SERBIA - PORTUGAL
Referee: David Fuxman ISR
Assistant Referee 1: Rostislav Talis ISR
Assistant Referee 2: Kyriákos Sokrátous CYP
Fourth Official: Menélaos Andoníou CYP
UEFA Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH 
UEFA Delegate:

19:30 CET - Larnaca (Stádio Andónis Papadópoulos)
DENMARK - ITALY
Referee: Antoni Bandić BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Tešanović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Petar Mitrev BUL
Fourth Official: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
UEFA Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis CYP 
UEFA Delegate:

76 comments:

  1. So they've moved from 8 referees to 12, i.e. 2 GS games for every ref, just like EURO from 2000 to 2012.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A pity they've switched back to 8-teams format starting from the next season...

      Delete
  2. Poor from John Brooks/AR 1 to "allow" goal for WHU, clear handball from Soucek. Fortunately we have VAR, I didn't get the point from Wolves appeal to remove VAR, yes indeed you dissapointed with VAR consistency but I can't imagine if we didn't have VAR.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One final treat for Wolves today, with a YC upgraded to a RC for SFP after an OFR against Liverpool. Some will argue (in England), but good intervention for me.
      Another interesting one is a super rare (in England) rejected OFR by Oliver (VAR: Attwell) at Arsenal for the winning goal, concerning a possible deliberate handball in the buildup, Oliver deemed it non-punishable at the monitor

      Delete
    2. Correct call by Oliver to reject by me, I can see why Attwell called it, but it wasn't deliberate for me, even though the more expected call here is no goal.

      Clear red card the Semedo one although many similar incidents have been deemed not clearly wrong even when completely missed by the On field team.

      I can see why John Brooks and AR1 (Lee Betts) missed the handball, Both likely had obscured views of it, thats why we have VAR.

      Delete
  3. Some 'retrospect' in the build-up to the Europa League final on Wednesday: highlights from the last EL final (2011) in Dublin. Porto faced Braga in a 'derby' final, and the referee complemented an all-Iberian affair, Carlos Velasco Carballo was in charge. Perhaps later today -- for what little my view is worth thirteen years post facto :D -- I'll write some analysis about the performance.

    Link:
    https://vk.com/video400374426_456239452

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Finally :) thoughts:

      1) What a DISASTER the system of having the additional assistant referees on the contrary side to the linesmen was; absolutely risable. Whatever benefits there were of placing ‘a random second category official’ in a place where he would have spotted the Henry handball (*I know it was decided much before Nov/2009!), were completely offset by the havoc they caused the referees who had to for UEFA clubs matches completely rewire the diagonal they had run for their +20yrs long careers. This really must be underlined and, on balance, I genuinely can’t think of a worse development in a specific technical aspect in more-or-less all of recent refereeing history. Fair enough for the trials in the U19 qualifiers, even fair enough the trial season in the EL of 09/10, but how all Europa and Champions League games ended up with this terrible system for a whole season is genuine madness. More-or-less everything that would go wrong in this game was as a direct result of the wrongly-sided AARs. Okay, Velasco won this appmnt as a result of well-perceived refereeing of previous matches with this factor, but still. This performance must be seen through this prism and in this aspect, there should be full sympathy for the Spaniard (and indeed all UEFA referees of these two seasons!). Clearly an idea implemented above refereeing politicians in Nyon, sense was restored when the AARs from 2011/12 stood on the side as we ‘knew’ them, obviously a compromise made between relevant parties. 2011’s Europa League final was the penultimate ever UEFA match with the initial arrangement, and not before time that it was reversed!

      2) Unfortunately: bad performance by Carlos Velasco Carballo. Actually, he should have been rejected by Collina (he assessed him in Dublin) though I’m sure the minimum mark given was more like 8,2 for the Madrid referee. HOWEVER, I would also like to say: I liked Velasco’s refereeing of this game, and it is a pity that he went ‘off course’ in the end. His approach to disciplinary measures was textbook, in the best sense of that descriptor - early warning(s), choosing an appropriate moment for the opening card, and then continuing to issue sanctions at the requiste moments. In practice it went a bit wrong, but I still liked (a lot) what he tried to do in this game. Foul recognition was the aspect where Velasco Carballo struggled in this game, eating away all the while, and in the end it finally sunk him: he certainly tried, but running the reverse diagonal evidently ‘spooked’ him, and both the quality of calls and his confidence in them deteriorated as the evening went on. Case 1A would be the missed foul on Viana at 21’, but even the clear match error that I would assign in this game was more-or-less as a result of ‘positioning’ - and not Velasco’s fault either, in that regard at least. By the end, unfortunately it was quite a mess, and I’m sure that the Spaniard was ultimately a bit disappointed with how the game progressed.

      Delete
    2. 3) There were three incidents, and two which were judged as very controversial at the time, where Velasco might have sent a player off.

      30’ - contemporaries were more-or-less unanimous, silvio should have been expelled for his tackle from behind on hulk; generally i agree, this is a case of serious foul play, red card to be shown, lunging tackle from behind, indeed at wc1998 by only issuing a yellow here it would be ‘first plane’; while in many ways this is a textbook red card, i would personally defend the decision to only issue a yellow card, even besides the final factor, more ‘desperate’ than ‘nasty’ and remains just about within a manageable scope, in my view

      72’ - clear match error(!), porto’s romanian right fullback committed a deliberate and even reckless tripping offence in a spa scenario having already been cautioned early in the second half, and should have walked; velasco did ‘bottle’ it, to be honest, but the reason he did was, again, the reverse diagonal caused by the aars; in the ‘normal’ position, the spa-ness of the offence would have been obvious, and i’m genuinely sure velasco would have showed the cards right away; however, as it was, overthinking the ‘a bit reckless and a bit spa’ second yellow cards often leads to disaster, and velasco ‘swallowed’ what would have been a decision accepted by both teams; sapunaru survived, wrongly, missed sending off; just a final note, fourth official borbalan could have helped here, and also the missed blatant tugging at 59’, and might have been able to ‘save’ the referee both times

      80’ - kaka (no not that one) engages in threatening behaviour against velasco and, ideally, should have been sent off; however, this is by far the least ‘realistic’ of three potential reds mentioned

      -> My final mark would have been 7,8(1) with some arguments towards upgrading to 7,8(2).

      4) This game displayed strengths for Velasco Carballo, including fitness and movement where he excelled, but also hinted at weaknesses which would be evident later in his career. It is worth saying though: FULLY motivated impression from him from 1’-90’, that was never ever in his question during this match. As I already said, his approach was (very) good - trying to use disciplinary tools in the best way possible. However, a noteable weakness came in his reactions towards potential dissenting behaviours: always the same, distant gestures, pointing up into the air, never really fully achieving its target, and by the end it surely wore a bit thin. If there was one scene in particular which was ‘Velasco’s WC2014-coded’, it was 59’ - he tried to reason with protesting young braga player mossoro, who then turned and shouted at the linesman, so he was issued a caution, and when mossoro carried on, it was obvious even by the look on his face, velasco carballo did not know what to do and looked quite powerless. The impression from this match is that we saw a good referee, but definitely not a charismatic referee. To send this official, ‘stripped bare’ of his cards as they were in 2014, to Brazil-Colombia was absolutely a ‘crime’, and the logical consequence of that assignment absolutely ensued. A pity, for everyone, that it had to happen that way.

      Delete
    3. 5) Very good impression from both linesmen! Good calls by (especially) Roberto Alonso Fernández, he of four major tournaments (as late as EURO 2020!), and Jesús Calvo Guadamuro. Alonso Fernández’s positioning to rule the only goal of the game onside was absolutely optimal, and thus he could confidently make a great call (VAR might have something to say nowadays…). J.Calvo accompanied Mejuto to EURO 2008, but that would remain his only ever major tournament - he was ejected from this crew in time for the 2012 EURO, in favour of this match’s reserve linesman, Juan Carlos Yuste Jiménez. Velasco-Alonso-Yuste formed Spain’s refereeing crew for three straight major tournaments. Ironically, for all the trouble that the side of their presence caused, very little work at all for Carlos Clos Gómez and Antonio Rubinos Pérez, the latter’s presence causing a smile I’m sure for those inside Spanish refereeeing :).

      Enjoyable game and certainly an interesting one from the officiating perspective. Maybe I’m being too forgiving for ‘the AARs thing’, but I left rewatching this game was an improved opinion of Carlos Velasco Carballo than I had before it. Amazing achievement by him to reach this game in the double quick time he did — analysis of that I can leave for others — but one cannot deny that in the final analysis, this wasn’t really a good evening on the pitch for Spain’s then-new no.1 referee.

      Delete
  4. Penalty not given despite OFR in Norway:

    https://www.tv2.no/sport/fotball/eliteserien/ekspertene-rystet-etter-var-drama-absurd/16699078/

    ReplyDelete
  5. Damian Sylwestrzak, who refereed Euro U17 matches a year ago, was invited by the Japanese Football Federation and will officiate 5 J-League matches in the coming weeks. This is a great distinction for the young Polish referee who, as you probably remember, did very well at Euro U17 last year.

    ReplyDelete
  6. An incident from Cyprus - Czech Republic:
    https://streambug.org/cv/2dcfe6
    Would you justify the penalty call by Gaillouste for what happened after the very clean action on the ball by defender?
    The player was booked and I guess for reckless action.
    In my opinion given how ball was fairly played before, this situation is expected as a play on, despite of the following contact with opponent's foot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Play on. This is fair play by the defender playing the ball. There are such examples in recent RAP materials. The contact is with the leg that he plays the ball and fully accidential due to attacker being late.

      Also the 5th goal if a difficult situation but an offside. Very bad that there is no VAR in such tournaments.

      Delete
    2. Thanks for your opinion.
      More generally, I think that UEFA should start to make some considerations about such youth tournaments. Maybe the case of Under 17 is different than U19 and U21, but still, we all remember what happened one year ago in Under21, with VAR introduced during the tournament after some crucial mistakes. Today the Elite football at top level, and maybe one should also consider these tournaments as part of that, can't be seen without VAR. Evident mistakes will be committed. The same referees are all used with VAR, and going back to an old football can be difficult. Teams can complain. So maybe we can't find a reason if a French Ligue 1 referee, very used to VAR, goes to this tournament and he makes such mistake.
      One can also mention Letexier in the Olympic play off, youth level, and definitely the same argument. Games are still important. I know that it a big challenge to put VAR everywhere, but still, such tournaments are starting to lose the fashion, if analyzed in the context of the modern football and refereeing. You should only accept the very blatant mistakes by referee, but not all are inclined to do that.

      Delete
    3. Well, by deciding to go back to 8-teams-only format starting from the next season, UEFA clearly showed the lack of interest in developing those youth tournaments. A pity because they could easily make big events of those, like FIFA U17 and U20 World Cups.

      Delete
  7. Highlights

    SRBUKR (Sundberg, Skytte, Tiesters, Vergoote)
    https://we.tl/t-kg4WguyqPm

    DENWAL (Andoníou, Sokrátous, Vila Pereira, Nogueira)
    https://we.tl/t-hwrK53w2o0

    ReplyDelete
  8. Any news who will be refereeing the playoff on may 26 for promotion to Premiership?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Leeds - Southampton: Brooks, Bennett, Robathan, Harrington - Gillett, Cann

      Delete
  9. Stéphanie Frappart has been appointed to the Greek Cup final between Panathinaikos and Aris (25.05).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A view of the referees appointed in the 10 play-off rounds in Greece:
      Round 1: Obrenovic R. (Slo), Schlager D. (Ger), Manouhos E. (Gre)
      Round 2: Jug M. (Slo), Perrakis K. (Gre), Redder M. (Den)
      Round 3: Pereira C. (Por), Katsikogiannis A. (Gre), Wattellier E. (Fra)
      Round 4: Stieler T. (Ger), Stavrev A. (Mkd), Tsakalidis A. (Gre)
      Round 5: Manouhos E. (Gre), Papapetrou A. (Gre), Delajod W. (Fra)
      Round 6: Nogueira M. (Por), Vergetis C. (Gre), Evangelou A. (Gre)
      Round 7: Delajod W. (Fra), Obrenovic R. (Slo), Katsikogiannis A. (Gre)
      Round 8: Aghayev A. (Aze), Schroder R. (Ger), Diamantopoulos A. (Gre)
      Round 9: Sidiropoulos A. (Gre), Lindhout A. (Ned), Stieler T. (Ger)
      Round 10: Krogh M. (Den), Grinfeld O. (Isr), Branco Godinho L. M. (Por)

      30 games: 11 Greek referees, 19 foreigners: France -3, Germany -4, Portugal -3, Slovenia -3 and Denmark -2. A relatively small pool of federations. Mkd, Isr, Ned and Aze had a represenative only one time. Grinfeld and Stieler are the only Elite. Except for the last round with the decisive games, there was at least one Greek referee in every round.

      Delete
  10. Highlights

    CYPCZE (Gaillouste, Auger, Mitrev, Gidzhenov)
    https://files.fm/u/wqg4hjfsfm

    CROAUT (Petřík, Podaný, Talis, Fuxman)
    https://files.fm/u/bd4sbq4n25

    ReplyDelete
  11. Highlights

    SVKSWE (Čulina, Pušić, Mitrev, Gidzhenov)
    https://files.fm/u/pbg3qeyqrj

    ESPPOR (Minaković, Borović, Podaný, Petřík)
    https://files.fm/u/b65phjbguj

    ReplyDelete
  12. Highlights

    ITAPOL (Bértolo Nogueira, Vila Pereira, Valjakka, Al-Emara)
    https://files.fm/u/hrswcr5hr8

    FRAENG (Bandić, Tešanović, Sokrátous, Andoníou)
    https://files.fm/u/ypthn5deqq

    ReplyDelete
  13. Copa América referee list announced. Mariani will attend the tournament as UEFA exchange representative.

    Wilton Sampaio (BRA)
    Raphael Claus (BRA)
    Edina Alves (BRA)
    Darío Herrera (ARG)
    Yael Falcón (ARG)
    Andrés Matonte (URU)
    Gustavo Tejera (URU)
    Piero Maza (CHI)
    Cristian Garay (CHI)
    Wilmar Roldán (COL)
    Jhon Ospina (COL)
    Jesús Valenzuela (VEN)
    Alexis Herrera (VEN)
    Juan Benítez (PAR)
    Augusto Aragón (ECU)
    Kevin Ortega (PER)
    Ivo Méndez (BOL)
    Maurizio Mariani (ITA)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also, 5 Concacaf refs:

      César Ramos (MEX)
      Iván Barton (SLV)
      Mario Escobar (GUA)
      Ismail Elfath (USA)
      Tori Penso (USA)

      23 referees for 24 GS games. Crazy.

      Delete
  14. Mohammed Al-Emara got injured in the 71st minute of the UKRCZE game and therefore is not included in further appointments.

    ReplyDelete
  15. There were changes in MD2 due to Al-Emara's injury:

    SWEDEN - POLAND
    Referee: Pierre Gaillouste FRA
    Assistant Referee 1: Alexis Auger FRA
    Assistant Referee 2: Turkka Joonas Valjakka FIN
    Fourth Official: Miguel Bértolo Nogueira POR

    ITALY - SLOVAKIA
    Referee: Jan Petřík CZE
    Assistant Referee 1: Marek Podaný CZE
    Assistant Referee 2: Martijn Tiesters BEL
    Fourth Official: Jasper Vergoote BEL

    ReplyDelete
  16. Massa with an absolute disaster in Empoli-Roma. Small decisions wrong all night, then he misses a 2YC in 92nd minute and that player scores 1 minute later, to relegate Frosinone! Unbelievable

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's an incredibile miss indeed. Then player scored and Frosinone was relegated in serie B after that.
      I think that Massa missed the intensity of the challenge, we are very close to a SFP for the force used, but OK, with YC nobody would have questioned. Assistant referee was in a better positioning for having a view on the scene (frontal), but he didn't help. The first card for the same player had been issued about a minute earlier, for protests after a possible missed foul and he was complaining to referee for that.
      Maybe also for this reason there wasn't a specific focus by Massa (same player with another YC in a very short time), nevertheless I think he didn't realize the severity of the foul at all, as said.
      The mistake has been not perceived as big one on the media because no direct impact on the opponents, Roma, but on another team (Frosinone) that was relegated, and there is something more about that.
      On previous matchday Guida replaced Orsato in Udinese - Empoli, another hot game for relegation, here there was a wrong OFR called by Irrati (Rocchi committee has confirmed that this shouldn't have happened) for a disallowed goal against Empoli. A elbow in face was punished, but there wasn't any very clear evidence. Every now and then Irrati makes such mistakes, but very rare. Then, missed penalty by Guida in the very last minutes of the game and OFR, Udinese scored 1-1. This penalty was absolutely a clear one, but Empoli of course complained. Now they should be happy that a player who had to be sent off, scored, but clearly they don't report / talk about that. Talking about referees only when having something to complain...

      Delete
  17. Big 5 league statistics, now that regular seasons are over:

    LaLiga: 4.62 YCs per game, 0.28 RCs p/g, 0.28 PKs p/g, 25.87 fouls p/g

    Premier League: 4.22 YCs p/g, 0.15 RCs p/g, 0.28 PKs p/g, 22.12 fouls p/g

    Bundesliga: 3.99 YCs p/g, 0.18 RCs p/g, 0.33 PKs p/g, 22.49 fouls p/g

    Serie A: 4.14 YCs p/g, 0.18 RCs p/g, 0.35 PKs p/g, 24.12 fouls p/g

    Ligue 1: 3.78 YCs p/g, 0.24 RCs p/g, 0.34 PKs p/g, 24.94 fouls p/g

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ligue 1 referees have all adopted Turpin’s lenient style now?

      Delete
    2. Interesting is that in France is the lowest YCs/game but at the same time second highest RCs/game, at a small difference to the first position.
      The fact that Spain has the highest numbers in both YCs and RCs is not surprising at all.

      Delete
  18. OT: Ligue 1 promotions and demotions

    Demoted to Ligue 2: Pierre Gaillouste (referee - FIFA listed) - Nicolas Rodrigues (AR)
    Promoted to Ligue 1: Abdelatif Kherradji (referee) - Yannick Boutry and Florian Goncalves De Araujo (ARs)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Gaillouste demotion is a really remarkable decision, considering UEFA nominated him for the current u17 championships. UEFA apparently assesses his skills very different than the French FA?

      Delete
    2. Very surprising. It should be a better cooperation between UEFA and national associations. Had UEFA known Gaillouste is going to be demoted, they wouldn't have selected him to this U17EURO...

      Delete
    3. Not the first time that a situation like this happens in France. We can remember Rainville (BTW he retired a few days ago), FIFA referee but then demoted to Ligue 2.
      In this case I think that it is even more particular, because before calling for such tournament, and being the end of season close, they could have indeed selected another name.
      There are several options for guessing what happened and in my opinion we can't be surethat your last sentence, Euro Soccer Ref, is true. Indeed it is possible that somebody inside the referee's association, wanted him and there was a forced choice, it is also possible that there wasn't communication, but I think less likely. As further option, UEFA could even be aware but they selected him because a referee from France was expected, we can't know. But this is, we can conclude, another confirmation that EURO Under 17 has not the same appeal as before and also referees committee, at least under the leadership of Rosetti, is ignoring (we can say at least partially) such youth tournaments.

      Delete
  19. Highlights

    UKRCZE (Al-Emara, Valjakka, Pušić, Čulina)
    https://files.fm/u/xrrjdzpkjn

    DENCRO (Vergoote, Tiesters, Vila Pereira, Bértolo Nogueira)
    https://files.fm/u/yxbwyrbwee

    CYPSRB (Fuxman, Talis, Skytte, Sundberg)
    https://files.fm/u/7k86y74ejy

    AUTWAL (Gidzhenov, Mitrev, Tešanović, Bandić)
    https://files.fm/u/vuxdxfj57y

    ReplyDelete
  20. Manuel Gräfe has given a very long interview, which is worth reading IMO (with the help of an online translator).
    https://www.kicker.de/graefe-im-interview-stimmen-die-kontakte-kannst-du-tun-was-du-willst-1028092/artikel

    In the interview, Manuel Gräfe addresses various issues within the world of refereeing. He discusses his background as a player and his transition to becoming a referee, emphasizing his commitment to improving football rather than pursuing personal agendas. Gräfe criticizes the selection process for referees in Germany, particularly for the EURO 2024, highlighting the lack of focus on nurturing young talent and the prevalence of regional and personal connections in appointments.
    He also criticizes the leadership of the DFB for its failure to prioritize performance over loyalty and personal connections, leading to a decline in the quality of refereeing. Gräfe points out flaws in the VAR system and the need for clearer guidelines and accountability. He expresses disappointment with the handling of his own retirement from refereeing due to age restrictions, highlighting the lack of support from higher DFB authorities.
    Gräfe concludes by expressing hope for positive changes under the new DFB president and emphasizes the importance of leadership that prioritizes performance, clarity, and transparency.

    Among other things, he claims, he would have become UEFA Elite referee in December 2011, if Fandel had not changed his opinion due to a critical interview by Gräfe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the interview. Gräfe should be right that the plan was to promote him (surely in a switch for Meyer) in the Winter/2011 revisions: the third of his CL group matches in this season, Benfica vs. Otelul Galati, was assessed by Uilenberg.

      Delete
    2. A very interesting interview for sure.
      About Zwayer, he says that the referee from Berlin is not the best in Bundesliga, but differently from other countries, and I would say Graefe is the paramount example of that, the German referees have been always treated very differently in domestic league and UEFA. The same was said about Brych, while Aytekin was considered the top referee in Germany (but he didn't progress in UEFA and then he retired internationally). So, in my opinion this situation is very particular, Zwayer can continue to be not the best Bundesliga referee, but he can reach the top if he does well in UEFA games. And like him, also the others. There is something that makes Bundesliga fully different from international games, for sure. In my opinion Graefewas in a similar situation to Aytekin, very good at home, not that much in UEFA. Also, I can't judge on Zwayer domestically, because I don't watch Bundesliga games, but I'm not in trouble to think that maybe he is not so good like UEFA matches.
      About Siebert, in this case he can be right, gift for the domestic association indeed, but the situation of the 1984-born German referee is definitely weird. He has officiated at big tournaments like EURO and World Cup, so this would be already enough to appoint him for another big occasion. The problem is that in recent times, committee made clear that they were not interested in him anymore, so at the end it sounds very unexpected to see him at this EURO. Let's say they used a bonus call for a referee with a very important pedigree, but one must have doubts whether they really believe in him or not, after some decisions they took.
      About the lack of German talents, I'm not so much expert, but I can say that indeed after Siebert and Zwayer we still don't see a very strong name and the work seems to be in progress. Stieler is not liked by UEFA, Osmers can be maybe enough only for being a solid Category 1. Stegemann didn't convince, we should see Jablonski now. But surely more names were expected. Again, I think that's something about the German culture, very different from other countries. And for some aspects, even if Graefe mentions Taylor and Oliver among others, as big talents, England could share something similar. After the two mentioned very strong names, almost nothing due to a very different way of officiating games. But for me the English problem could be more difficult to solve than the German one. We will see.

      Delete
    3. I think, that Zwayer actually had a very good domestic season - with the exception of the mentioned Leverkusen-Stuttgart.
      Also Siebert was mostly good this season.
      However the overall impression (considering multiple years) remains correct. And Aytekin and Jablonski are indeed seen as the best Bundesliga referees by the wider public - also deserved.

      Regarding future names, I am not that pessimistic.
      Osmers should be one of the main candidates for a CL debut next season after his ECL R16 2nd leg as only referee without CL experience in that whole round.
      Then we have Jablonski, but also Schlager, who even made quicker progress in Europe in some aspects (but isn't that convincing domestically).
      And of course, Siebert himself is still relatively young and could continue until WC30, if his performances are good enough. Even Zwayer remains eligible until EURO28.
      So Jablonski, Osmers, Siebert and Zwayer looks like a good and not unrealistic German CL squad for the 27/28 season. :)

      Overall remark for the interview: As it is discussed in the beginning, one needs to ponder, how fair and objective Gräfe's assessments are and how much they are influenced by personal disappointments. Probably something in between.

      Delete
    4. Yes, what Philipp says.
      Former referees criticizing the current generation, where have I seen that before? :)

      I don’t think Germany has bigger issues than other countries. Although Germany doesn’t have one clear top Elite, the overall level in width in Bundesliga is not bad compared to other countries.

      The comparison with England is a bad one. Taylor and Oliver didn't perform that well and behind them there is nothing. The fact is that the introduction of VAR does not make referees better, but worse. Gräfe criticizes late promotions. Perhaps he should have a look at Italy. Talking about late promotions domestically and on the FIFA list (Guida..)

      The French referees are praised, they have two strong refs atm, however it is worth considering that Turpin was never Rosetti’s go-to choice in most heated games. Letexier did well in flow-based games and has incredible potential to do well in all different contexts, but still needs to build experience and status to deal with most challenging games.

      What Gräfe says about Zwayer: not an absolute top referee based on skills, personality and duel assessments. Fair enough. I tend to think, UEFA agrees with the assessment, otherwise we would have seen Zwayer in a final this season. The question is, why Siebert was invited to EURO: a bonus nomination as home referee, or do they think Zwayer and Siebert are at the same level, or do they hope that Siebert will recover soon as the German #1?

      Delete
    5. Grafe was an excellent referee, and has some decent points here, but I always hear him moaning in interviews about how he deserved more, wasn’t appreciated, shouldn’t have had to retire etc. It’s very boring now

      Delete
  21. QF appointments:

    Wednesday

    16:30 - CZEDEN: Bandić - Tešanović, Mitrev - Gidzhenov
    19:00 - AUTSRB: Sundberg - Skytte, Sokratous - Antoniou

    Thursday

    17:00 - PORPOL: Vergoote - Tiesters, Talis - Fuxman
    19:30 - ITAENG: Minaković - Borović, Pušić - Čulina

    ReplyDelete
  22. So it seems UEFA rejected Petřík, Al-Emara (injury), Gaillouste and Bértolo Nogueira

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Petrík being out of KO stage feels a bit harsh, he was fine in his games IMO.

      Al-Emara, Gaillouste and Nogueira, all for different reasons, make more sense.

      Delete
  23. Very big no penalty call by Petersen in decisive match for 2.Bundesliga.

    Ball clearly hits opponents hand so I dont know if they dont have VAR,imo very big no call.

    Wehen vs Regensburg,around 89th,90th minute.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, there is VAR (Sören Storks). My impression was rather, that it hit the shoulder of the arm in the front - but quite hard to be sure. 85' btw.

      Delete
    2. With better pictures now: You are right, it was a handball.

      Delete
  24. Finally managed to watch in full François Letexier's performance in the AFC/CAF Olympic Play-off. Please find below the refereeing highlights from this game.

    https://files.fm/u/gtyv4vga57

    As for key match incidents: one totally wrong (the foul was outside; also missed card for DOGSO) and one doubtful but maybe still supportable penalty. As a result, Indonesia felt hard done by the referee and one can understand them. However, their coach reaction after the second penalty award was really bad. He was sent off for two yellow cards but refused to leave for some time.

    A very start-stop game with many challenges to assess for the Frenchman. He opened cards very early but wasn't soo consistent later in the game. The control was more or less lost.

    One should blame FIFA for not bringing VAR for this very important game. Especially as both AFC and CAF qualifying continental tournaments were played with the VAR system. Idiotic decision to play this one game without VAR...

    ReplyDelete
  25. Florian Exner (33) is promoted to 1. Bundesliga and replaces Marco Fritz (46), who ends his career.
    In 2. Bundesliga Lukas Benen (31), Lars Erbst (29), Timo Gansloweit (27), Felix Prigan (25) and Eric Weisbach (27) are replacing Arne Aarnink (39), Pascal Müller (34) and Alexander Sather (37).

    ReplyDelete
  26. UEFA decided to extend the use of the VAR system in the qualifying rounds in the european club competitions starting from the next season (2024-2025). It will be used in all games starting with:
    1st qualifying round in UCL
    1st qualifying round in UEL
    3rd qualifying round in UECL
    Minimum requirements: 6 cameras and 1080i50 resolution

    ReplyDelete
  27. Minakovic and Sundberg's tournament could be over due to their nations having advanced to SFs, then Bandic does both QF & SF.

    So that leaves us with either Vergoote for the final (had Kuipers as an observer yesterday in ITAPOL, can't comment on his general performance but missed a clear PK for Portugal early in the 2H) or a referee straight out from the GS (Culina, Gidzhenov, Antoniou)

    ReplyDelete
  28. OT: Anyone know since when Russian Premier League (RPL) referees explains their decision after OFR?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Starting from the 19th matchday but the first case of referee announcing his decision after OFR was YC changed to RC in the 74th minute of Lokomotiv Moskva - Sochi, in the 20th matchday.

      Delete
  29. 2024 King Cup final - Jeddah
    Referee: Dario Herrera (ARG)
    Assistant referees 1: Miguel Savorani (ARG)
    Assistant referees 2: Sebastían Raineri (ARG)
    Fourth official: Sebastían Zunino (ARG)
    Video assistant referee: Jorge Baliño (ARG)
    Assistant video assistant referee: Silvio Trucco (ARG)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very very challenging game for Herrera
      Normal time 4 RC, 2 for Al Nassr (1 staff), 2 for Al Hilal (1 direct for VC)
      95' potential penalty for Al Nassr not given.
      Very poor performance from Herrera, this game is awful to watch, similar as famous Gozubuyuk game in Porto, stop and go but unfortunately this is final so he screw up with that.

      Delete
    2. I think the reaction from the Prince said all :)

      Delete
    3. The RCs were all correct and quickly detected by the referee though.
      And 95' couldn't be a penalty, because the ball hasn't been in play yet.

      Delete
    4. Indeed all RCs are correct by the book. But he's too arrogant, no talk to the players, no management, lost the game plot, whistling style so annoying. I don't think the best way to brandishing the card is when your whistle was hanging on your mouth :) Herrera do that very often.

      Delete
    5. I don't see why Herrera's performance should be labeled as very poor either tbh. From what I've seen, he solved the KMIs correctly, consistently issued cards and adopted a no-nonsense approach. A few flaws in foul detection and some whistles were blown too early, but nothing serious imo. Players are the ones to blame for this clumsy and scrappy game, as far as I'm concerned.

      Delete
  30. The 19 euro 2024 referees ranked:

    Top on the list:
    Orsato, Turpin, Makkelie, Marciniak and Kovacs

    The middle group:
    Manzano, Taylor, Letexier, Zwayer, Oliver, Meler, Nyberg, Tello, Kruzliak, Vincic, Schärer.

    The bad referees, political choices of Rosetti:
    Guida, Soares Dias and Siebert.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dias deserved to be in the European Championship. He made a very good officiating in Conference League Final. I think that is choice is much more fair than the choices of Manzano, Zwayer, Nyberg, kruzliak and Scharer (what he made, due the injuryproblem that justify the choice??
      Guida "no tiene la talla", and Siebert is a poor referee.

      Delete
    2. How is Soares Dias a political choice, but Manzano after an exceptionally poor season not? If it was purely based on performance levels during the season, Spain wouldn't even have a referee at this tournament

      Delete
    3. Also how can you say that Taylor is middle group just like Meler and Nyberg? Your "ranking" makes no sense.

      Delete
    4. Because Taylor has not a very good season and will never lead a cl final.
      At Qatar very poor and has never been far in the euros or worldcup.

      Delete
    5. Dias is for me a referee with a low attitude. Euro and worldcup never been far.
      This final at the cfl this week is for his career so far. Not for a good season.
      See the matches he has whistled this year in Europe.

      Cfl final last year del cerro at the end of his career not selecte for a good season.

      Delete
    6. So by taking into account only the last season Marciniak and Makkelie should be in the middle group.

      Delete
    7. Your last comment @referee observer makes even less sense than RvT’s initial…

      Delete
  31. Highlights

    SWEPOL (Gaillouste, Auger, Valjakka, Bértolo Nogueira)
    https://files.fm/u/hq9hgy95k8

    ITASVK (Petřík, Podaný, Tiesters, Vergoote)
    https://files.fm/u/g88gcdppqg

    ReplyDelete
  32. In my opinion trully not influence by country or politics:

    Orsato - Very good referee. Deserved.
    Turpin - Not impressive. Not good fitness but Law 12 is fine. Deserved to be at Euro.
    Makkelie - Highly self-confident. Almost every game a crucial mistake and an OFR. As a whole political referee.
    Marciniak - Fully deserved to be at EURO. A very good referee and even this bad game in UCL 1/2 cant change my mind.
    Kovacs - Fantastic movement and excellent law 12 detection. Fully deserved to be there and hope to get more important games than EURO 2020.

    Manzano - Medium. Deserved.
    Taylor - Medium. Deserved.
    Letexier - The best referee in Europe at the moment. No need of VAR for him. Always takes important decision fast and correct. Very impressive.
    Zwayer - Very good. Fully deserved.
    Oliver - Best English referee in UEFA although we are difficult to find any good English referees as a whole. Deserved.
    Meler - no opinion.
    Nyberg - Good, deserved.
    Tello - no opinion.
    Kruzliak - no opinion
    Vincic - Good referee
    Schärer - no opinion.
    Guida - Fully politcal. I cant understand. I dont see anything positive.
    Soares Dias - For me not that good. Very bad movement. Slow decision taking. Missing cards. Political.
    Siebert - Disaster.


    ReplyDelete
  33. I hope I'm wrong about what I've seen in recent times when IMO some blogger try to making bad campaign to discredit Soares Dias, Taylor, and some others, especially Soares Dias. I don't know why is he so hated? "Undeserved", "political choice", maybe you must look at Gil Manzano performance, in 2018 iinm England failed to made representation in Russia, with Manzano and Sanchez Martinez poor performance this season I think Spain could be in trouble, but fortunately this is Euro the pedigree can't higher than World Cup, so Spain could use their political position. Honestly it's not fair at all when they said Soares Dias don't deserved the call, but they're silent when it comes to Gil Manzano. Overall UEFA management still much better than CONMEBOL, you can see from Arbitro Internacional, Esteban Ostojich used in 6 of 7 round of Copa Libertadores/Sudamericana but not chosen for Copa America, even his name not in candidate for WC26, how could this happened while his age still 42!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Philipp (and to all other German readers), do you know where to find a video of the Regensburg game handball?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. https://youtu.be/dhYDAdP7pDc?si=9CpS_WUE1yJKry0p&t=400
      (if you manage to avoid any geo-blocking)

      Delete

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