Saturday, 22 March 2025

2025/26 FIFA WC European Qualifiers - Referee Appointments MD1 (22 March 2025)

2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers, MD1, games to be played on 22 March 2025. 


Saturday 22 March 2025

Group J
15:00 CET - Vaduz (Rheinpark Stadion)
LIECHTENSTEIN - NORTH MACEDONIA
Referee: Mykola Balakin UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Viktor Matyash UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Oleksandr Berkut UKR
Fourth Official: Denys Shurman UKR
Video Assistant Referee: Viktor Kopiyevsʹkyy UKR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Oleksiy Derevinsʹkyy UKR
FIFA Referee Assessor: John Ward IRL
FIFA Match Commissioner: Tibor Vámos HUN

Group I
18:00 CET - Chișinău (Stadionul Zimbru)
MOLDOVA - NORWAY
Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Matej Žunič SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Manuel Vidali SVN
Fourth Official: Novak Simović SRB
Video Assistant Referee: Asmir Sagrkovič SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Momčilo Marković SRB
FIFA Referee Assessor: Edgar Steinborn GER
FIFA Match Commissioner: Gilles Petitmangin FRA

Group L
18:00 CET - Nikšić (Gradski stadion Nikšić)
MONTENEGRO - GIBRALTAR
Referee: António Emanuel Carvalho Nobre POR
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Ricardo Ferreira Ribeiro POR
Assistant Referee 2: Nélson Filipe Vila Pereira POR
Fourth Official: Fábio José da Costa Veríssimo POR
Video Assistant Referee: André Filipe Domingues da Silva Narciso POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Fábio Oliveira de Melo POR
FIFA Referee Assessor: Frank De Bleeckere BEL
FIFA Match Commissioner: Felix Grigore ROU

Group I
20:45 CET - Debrecen, HUN (Nagyerdei Stadion)
ISRAEL - ESTONIA
Referee: Nikola Dabanović MNE
Assistant Referee 1: Vladan Todorović MNE
Assistant Referee 2: Srđan Jovanović MNE
Fourth Official: Miloš Bošković MNE
Video Assistant Referee: Mario Zebec CRO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Fran Jović CRO
FIFA Referee Assessor: Pascal Garibian FRA
FIFA Match Commissioner: Edgars Pukinsks LVA

Group J
20:45 CET - Cardiff (Cardiff City Stadium)
WALES - KAZAKHSTAN
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Donatas Šimėnas LTU
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Orestas Abramavičius LTU
FIFA Referee Assessor: Bernardino González Vázquez ESP
FIFA Match Commissioner: Romano Clavadetscher SUI

Group L
20:45 CET - Hradec Králové (Malšovická aréna)
CZECHIA - FAROE ISLANDS
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Martin Matoša SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Daniele Doveri ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Daniele Paterna ITA
FIFA Referee Assessor: Juan Antonio Fernández Marín ESP
FIFA Match Commissioner: David Pugh ENG

13 comments:

  1. The foreign officials in the teams of the Slovenian referees suggest that Vincic/Borosak have a game on Sunday - which was expected anyway.

    Otherwise a normal selection - confirming that only participants of the winter course get games.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Youth league appointments

    QF

    Salzburg - Olympiakos

    Andrea Colombo ITA
    Marco Ceccon ITA
    Khaled Bahri ITA
    Arnes Talic AUT

    Trabzonspor - Inter

    Alessandro Dudic SUI
    Pascal Hirzel SUI
    Nicolas Müller SUI

    Stuttgard - Barcelona

    Vassilis Fotias GRE
    Andreas Meintanas GRE
    Vasileios Nikolakakis GRE
    Felix Prigan GER

    AZ - Man. City

    Ivana Martinčić CRO
    Guadalupe Porras Ayuso ESP
    Susann Küng SUI
    Wouter Wiersma NED

    ReplyDelete
  3. LIE - MKD
    https://streambug.org/cv/e4a6d2
    VAR checking an offside flag following a possible penalty, but even before the flag by AR, the Ukrainian referee had already made his field assessment with clear gestures and I think NO VAR Stuff at all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Easy game. At the same time good management.

      Delete
  4. Penalty to Kazakhstan in Cardiff. Would never be given in domestic UK football but probably difficult to argue that it's a clear error

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Far far less of a penalty than the one not given in the English League Cup Final (which was accepted as the correct decision). In the UK we laugh and find that decision very questionable, but I agree, I guess not a clear error in Europe

      Delete
  5. Yellow card given in Cardiff after OFR for possible serious foul play challenge

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just about the correct decision I think. High but not much force, I think Rumatas didn't see it live.

      Delete
  6. Now a red card check for a challenge missed by Rumsas on field. A yc given after OFR. Lack of intensity is what I assume is the reason for only a yellow card

    ReplyDelete
  7. Šimėnas must be a bit sleepy in the VAR booth. Very poor agility to call Rumsas to the video monitor.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The handball incident indeed IMO if Rumsas not given on the field, VAR wouldn't call him. IMO poor work from Simenas, too long check for obvious scene.

    ReplyDelete
  9. WALKAZ:
    The handball penalty actually looks quite clear to me. The arm increasing the body surface, when trying to block an expectable ball is regularly punished nowadays.
    IMO much clearer than Makkelie's situation yesterday.

    The potential RC in 39' is borderline, I think. I prefer the RC due to the high point of contact. But the intensity wasn't too high and the impact partly sideways and not directly on the leg. (Also no complaints might be a good indicator, how it was perceived on the field...)
    The VAR intervention is however OK, because Rumsas probably missed the high contact.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree with Philipp, about the penalty I can't understand a contrary argument in this case, player standing in front of opponent with the arm in that position, increasing body volume. Enough to say penalty and even OFR in case of miss by referee live.
      Video:
      https://streambug.org/cv/50146e
      But very long check by Lithuanian VAR (not in the clip, he confirmed only two minutes after), that, according to how UEFA sees handballs, seems not to have a real explanation, unless some possible offside / other situations in the same action.



      Possible RC:
      Strong criterion for red card is indeed the point of contact and I think this was reason why the VAR called referee. But as for the rest, the intensity is rather low and it's hard to think about a very SFP. Nevertheless, missed YC stays as important mistake before OFR, so the VAR could have some arguments here. One can accept the final outcome as YC after OFR but according to the very strict VAR protocol maybe in this case no OFR even with a miss by referee on the pitch. This is a classic situation in which a missed decision by referee puts in trouble VAR whether to intervene or not.
      Video:
      https://streambug.org/cv/bd9e51

      Delete

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