Monday, 24 March 2025

2025/26 FIFA WC European Qualifiers - Referee Appointments MD2 (24 March 2025)

2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers, MD2, games to be played on 24 March 2025. 


Monday 24 March 2025

Group G
18:00 CET - Kaunas (Dariaus ir Girėno stadionas)
LITHUANIA - FINLAND
Referee: Erik Lambrechts BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Jo De Weirdt BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Kevin Monteny BEL
Fourth Official: Jasper Vergoote BEL
Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Nathan Verboomen BEL
FIFA Referee Assessor: João Francisco Lopes Ferreira POR
FIFA Match Commissioner: Knut Bjørn Nordheim NOR

Group G
20:45 CET - Warsaw (PGE Narodowy)
POLAND - MALTA
Referee: Morten Krogh Hansen DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Dennis René Wollenberg Rasmussen DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Steffen Beck Bramsen DEN
Fourth Official: Jacob Karlsen DEN
Video Assistant Referee: Jakob Kehlet DEN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sandi Dhia Jirjis Putros DEN
FIFA Referee Assessor: Chaim Ya’akov ISR
FIFA Match Commissioner: Amil Gerina MNE

Group H
20:45 CET - Zenica (Stadion Bilino polje)
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - CYPRUS
Referee: Rohit Saggi NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Morten Jensen NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Anders Olav Dale NOR
Fourth Official: Daniel Higraff NOR
Video Assistant Referee: Tom Harald Hagen NOR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Kristoffer Hagenes NOR
FIFA Referee Assessor: Martin Atkinson ENG
FIFA Match Commissioner: Michel Schafroth SUI

Group H
20:45 CET - Serravalle (San Marino Stadium)
SAN MARINO - ROMANIA
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Paweł Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz POL
Fourth Official: Łukasz Kuźma POL
Video Assistant Referee: Piotr Lasyk POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Wojciech Myć POL
FIFA Referee Assessor: Alberto Undiano Mallenco ESP
FIFA Match Commissioner: Jonathan Leese ENG

Group K
20:45 CET - London (Wembley Stadium)
ENGLAND - LATVIA
Referee: Orel Grinfeld ISR
Assistant Referee 1: Roi Hasan ISR
Assistant Referee 2: Idan Yarkoni ISR
Fourth Official: Yigal Frid ISR
Video Assistant Referee: Ziv Adler ISR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Daniel Bar Natan ISR
FIFA Referee Assessor: Alan Mario Sant MLT
FIFA Match Commissioner: Giel Kirkels NED

Group K
20:45 CET - Tirana (Air Albania Stadium)
ALBANIA - ANDORRA
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Riedel AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Santino Schreiner AUT
Fourth Official: Walter Altmann AUT
Video Assistant Referee: Manuel Schüttengruber AUT
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sara Telek AUT
FIFA Referee Assessor: Domagoj Vučkov CRO
FIFA Match Commissioner: Giórgos Fandáros CYP
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34 comments:

  1. Michael24 March 2025 at 17:12

    Interesting situation in a Scottish non-league game on Saturday.
    Losing team brings on a 6th substitute, who is then involved in winning a penalty. Teams/officials then realise he shouldn't be on the pitch, so the substitution is reversed but the penalty stands (and is scored).
    What should the referee have done? Seems like a perfect scenario for a dropped ball...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gylfi4624 March 2025 at 18:01

      The substitution cannot be reversed once it has been completed and play resumed.
      He should’ve allowed the player to stay on and write the incident in his match report.

      Delete
    2. DM24 March 2025 at 22:30

      Its 6th tier football BUT the 6th substitute was not any sub. He is a former International with 80 international caps.

      Delete
  2. Chefren24 March 2025 at 18:03

    Big news with committee members about to take the scene in CL quarterfinals as observers...

    First Legs:
    Barcelona - Borussia Dortmund: Vladimir Šajn
    Bayern - Inter: Björn Kuipers
    Not appointed the other two first legs.

    Second legs:
    Inter - Bayern Stefan Johannesson
    Aston Villa - Paris William Young
    Real Madrid - Arsenal Gianluca Rocchi
    Not appointed Dortmund - Barcelona

    It seems as this time was rather easy to make the appointments for Bayern - Inter with an Italian team involved, and indeed, as said, I think Inter is the least problematic Italian club for committee, moreover, against a German team, the tie is fully different from other potentially hot clashes. I'm convinced, and the choices of the observers seem to confirm that, in second leg we will see a classic experienced Elite, while in first leg a relative surprise is possible. I can't have at moment different ideas than Peljto in Munich with Kuipers, would be very deserved if you ask me, and then maybe a big one among the well-known for second leg. Peljto could even be with Sajn.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Philipp S24 March 2025 at 19:55

      Kuipers and Sajn probably observe final candidates, right? So I could imagine e.g. Nyberg and Kovacs in the two games.
      IMO Peljto still too inexperienced for those games, but not impossible.
      Second legs indeed sound like referees, who already did a CL final. Maybe with the exception of Rocchi though. Could be a game for Zwayer.

      Delete
    2. MARIO25 March 2025 at 10:30

      I guess that Sajn and Kuipers will observe candidates for UCL final to make the decision: to me one is surely Letexier, the 2nd, hopefully, Makkelie

      Delete
    3. Ichigo25 March 2025 at 12:09

      Mario are you joking about Makelie to be a candidate for CL final? after Romania vs Bosnia I don't think he will get it. and how could be observe by Kuipers or maybe in Barcelona but I doubt about this. maybe he will get a compensation and that will be the Finalissima in NL, because Netherlands are out.

      Delete
    4. RefSoccer341227 March 2025 at 19:28

      Arsenal London - Real Madrid : Stavros Tritsonis (GRE)
      Paris SG - Aston Villa : Costas Kapitanis (CYP)

      Second Leg

      Dortmund - Barcelona : Terje Hauge (NOR)

      Delete
  3. AlexD24 March 2025 at 18:26

    Very good penalty and YC awarded by Lambrechts in 15'. Late and reckless challenge by Lithuanian defender after Finnish opponent shot on goal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chefren24 March 2025 at 18:56

      https://streamin.me/v/768ebb9f
      Good, indeed this should be the best example of a clearly reckless challenge and YC, with a penalty to be whistled even when attacker has already kicked ball (there are always discussions on these incidents...).

      Delete
    2. M_24 March 2025 at 19:17

      Now clear missed YC to LTU 11 for clear late stamping by Lambrechts.

      Delete
    3. M_24 March 2025 at 19:20

      The previous in min 55'. And another intresting situation in min 39' as a potential foul before Lithuanian goal. Var checks and allows. For me more foul than not but maybe not clear and obvious.

      Delete
    4. Chefren24 March 2025 at 19:54

      55'
      https://streambug.org/cv/47c06d

      39'
      https://streambug.org/cv/9f9937

      Delete
  4. Eric van Marwijk24 March 2025 at 19:01

    Saturday 21:00
    Zwolle-RKC
    ref:Makkelie
    Steegstra, De Vries
    4th:Teuben
    VAR:Hensgens,Waleveld

    PSV-Ajax on sunday 14:30
    ref: Gozubuyuk
    Zeinstra, Inia
    4th Nagtegaal
    VAR Van Boekel, Osseweijer

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. M24 March 2025 at 22:42

      Gozubuyuk gets match that will maybe determine champion.

      Delete
  5. AlexD24 March 2025 at 21:27

    England - Latvia.
    VAR checked a potential penalty incident in 27'.
    The goalkeeper from Latvia completely misses the ball and hits the English attacker.
    In my book, this should have been a penalty kick, but still an on-field decision.
    Lack of intensity is an argument for VAR non-intervention.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chefren25 March 2025 at 08:12

      https://streambug.org/cv/ca5c88
      Penalty that should have been whistled by referee, agree with you, but the contact doesn't look as sufficient for calling an OFR, would be rather controversial if after OFR.
      But... no reaction by Israeli referee live, I think he totally missed the incident and this could have been another element to allow him to rewatch (but still correct by VAR to stay silent in the end)

      Delete
  6. Oliver24 March 2025 at 22:02

    Possible second yellow for Bellingham for a scissor tackle deep in Latvia’s half. Grinfeld let him off with a stern warning (the first yellow was rather soft)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown24 March 2025 at 22:11

      I haven’t seen the first Yc but as far as I’m concerned this is a simple black-and-white 2nd Yc. Tackle with speed, not playing the ball and a reckless contact with the trailing leg (65.).

      Delete
    2. Oliver24 March 2025 at 22:16

      I agree

      Delete
    3. Ersöglü7724 March 2025 at 22:19

      Such a reckless challenge near the corner flag should be a yellow card, which in this case would be the second for Bellingham.

      Delete
    4. Chefren25 March 2025 at 08:00

      https://streambug.org/cv/894718
      A clear reckless YC, no action on the ball.
      I think player was lucky it happened on the side without AR, otherwise...

      Delete
    5. Chefren25 March 2025 at 08:23

      And the first YC was not soft, but a very good decision.
      Clearly a reckless action, also difficult to spot...
      https://streambug.org/cv/7ae488

      Delete
  7. Quilava24 March 2025 at 22:13

    Correct PK by Sylwestrzak in SMRROU, careless trip.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Quilava24 March 2025 at 22:26

      Another PK for Romania, eerily similar to the one given by Lambrechts in LTUFIN, reckless challenge on attacker after shot on goal.

      Delete
    2. Elliot24 March 2025 at 22:38

      Before also a poor OFR by Lasyk correctly ignored by Sylwestrzak, after ball was deliberately played by defender onto his own arm. Never a penalty.

      Delete
    3. Chefren25 March 2025 at 07:48

      1) clear penalty https://streamin.me/v/88217e7e
      2) very similar to Lambrechts indeed, correct penalty and YC (important thing to check that ball was not out when contact) https://streamin.me/v/88217e7e
      Will post the OFR incident soon...

      Delete
    4. Chefren25 March 2025 at 08:39

      About the OFR, maybe Polish VAR wasn't sure that player had kicked ball and he thought about a direct touch by arm? Otherwise no other arguments to allow this OFR...
      https://streambug.org/cv/ad8d81

      Delete
    5. Krokus7325 March 2025 at 09:43

      Three great decisions. Sylwestrzak has had a very successful last few months. He was among those called up for the U21 European Championships. I think Marciniak has a successor.

      Delete
  8. Ersöglü7724 March 2025 at 22:25

    Albania - Andorra
    58’
    https://www.streambug.io/cv/fe7049

    Possible 2nd YC for Nr8 AND using his ellbow against the face from the opponent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chefren25 March 2025 at 07:45

      Strong arguments here in favor of YC, easier and more accepted YC than no giving it.

      Delete
  9. M24 March 2025 at 22:41

    Saggi with great 2nd YC to Pittas for sarcastic applause.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ersöglü7724 March 2025 at 22:53

      The 2nd YC is, of course, correct, but Saggi’s body language was anything but good. It was clear that he had forgotten the player had already been booked, and that shouldn’t happen at this level IMO.

      Delete
    2. Chefren25 March 2025 at 07:43

      https://streamin.me/v/d565fd44
      Indeed very good and expected decision, but he forgot that player was already booked and you can't approach a player for a second YC to be issued in this way.

      Delete

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