2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers, September 2025.
Group E
15:00 CET - Tbilisi (Boris Paichadzis Dinamo Arena)
GEORGIA - BULGARIA
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWEAssistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Yng SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Erwin Blank NED
UEFA Referee Observer: László Vágner HUN
UEFA Delegate: Mirosław Ryszka POL
Group G
18:00 CET - Kaunas (Dariaus ir Girėno stadionas)
LITHUANIA - NETHERLANDS
Referee: Elçin Məsiyev AZE
Assistant Referee 1: Elşad Abdullayev AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Pərvin Talıbov AZE
Fourth Official: Əliyar Ağayev AZE
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Mathieu Vernice FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE
UEFA Delegate: Kurt Zuppinger SUI
Group J
18:00 CET - Skopje (Nacionalna arena “Todor Proeski”)
NORTH MACEDONIA - LIECHTENSTEIN
Referee: Horațiu Mircea Feșnic ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Valentin Gabriel Avram ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Alexandru Cerei ROU
Fourth Official: Marian Alexandru Barbu ROU
Video Assistant Referee: Ovidiu Alin Hațegan ROU
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Adrian Sorin Costreie ROU
UEFA Referee Observer: Rien Koopman NED
UEFA Delegate: David Moran IRL
Group A
20:45 CET - Cologne (RheinEnergieSTADION)
GERMANY - NORTHERN IRELAND
Referee: Espen Andreas Eskås NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Erik Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Anders Olav Dale NOR
Fourth Official: Sigurd Smehus Kringstad NOR
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Tom Harald Hagen NOR
UEFA Referee Observer: Iain Robertson Brines SCO
UEFA Delegate: Per Eliasson SWE
Group A
20:45 CET - Luxembourg (Stade de Luxembourg)
LUXEMBOURG - SLOVAKIA
Referee: Nicholas Walsh SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel McFarlane SCOAssistant Referee 2: Ross Macleod SCO
Fourth Official: Matthew MacDermid SCO
Video Assistant Referee: Andrew Dallas SCO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Steven McLean SCO
UEFA Referee Observer: Volodymyr Petrov UKR
UEFA Delegate: Philippe Prudhon FRA
Group E
20:45 CET - Konya (Medaş Konya Büyükşehir Stadyumu)
TÜRKİYE - SPAIN
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gillett AUS/ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Darren England ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Antonio Damato ITA
UEFA Delegate: Jovan Šurbatović SRB
Group G
20:45 CET - Chorzów (Superauto.pl Stadion Śląski)
POLAND - FINLAND
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVNAssistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Matej Jug SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Asmir Sagrković SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Augustus Viorel Constantin ROU
UEFA Delegate: Andrey Medintsev BUL
Group J
20:45 CET - Brussels (Lotto Park)
BELGIUM - KAZAKHSTAN
Referee: Radu Marian Petrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Radu Adrian Ștefan Ghinguleac ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Mircea Mihail Grigoriu ROU
Fourth Official: Andrei Florin Chivulete ROU
Video Assistant Referee: Cătălin Sorin Popa ROU
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Marcel Bîrsan ROU
UEFA Referee Observer: Lucílio Cardoso Cortez Batista POR
UEFA Delegate: Maria Mifsud MLT
Monday 8 September 2025
Group B
20:45 CET - Pristina (Stadiumi “Fadil Vokrri”)
KOSOVO - SWEDEN
Referee: Allard Lindhout NED
Assistant Referee 1: Rogier Honig NED
Assistant Referee 2: Johan Balder NED
Fourth Official: Joey Kooij NED
Video Assistant Referee: Clay Ruperti NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jeroen Manschot NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Stávros Tritsónis GRE
UEFA Delegate: Patrick Duffy IRL
Group B
20:45 CET - Basel (St. Jakob-Park)
SWITZERLAND - SLOVENIA
Referee: François Letexier FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Romain Lissorgue FRA
Video Assistant Referee: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bastien Dechepy FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Alfredo Trentalange ITA
UEFA Delegate: Jeroen Roest NED
Group C
20:45 CET - Zalaegerszeg, HUN (ZTE Aréna)
BELARUS - SCOTLAND
Referee: Nikola Dabanović MNE
Assistant Referee 1: Vladan Todorović MNE
Assistant Referee 2: Srđan Jovanović MNE
Fourth Official: Miloš Bošković MNE
Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek CRO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Mario Zebec CRO
UEFA Referee Observer: Alberto Undiano Mallenco ESP
UEFA Delegate: Aldi Topçiu ALB
Group C
20:45 CET - Piraeus (Stádio Geórgios Karaïskákis)
GREECE - DENMARK
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Robertas Valikonis LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Fedayi San SUI
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Donatas Šimėnas LTU
UEFA Referee Observer: David Fernández Borbalán ESP
UEFA Delegate: Thura Win ENG
Group I
20:45 CET - Debrecen, HUN (Nagyerdei Stadion)
ISRAEL - ITALY
Referee: Slavko Vinčič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Christian Dingert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sascha Stegemann GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Chrístos Nikolaḯdis CYP
UEFA Delegate: Per Svärd SWE
Group L
20:45 CET - Gibraltar (Europa Point Stadium)
GIBRALTAR - FAROE ISLANDS
Referee: Mohammed Al-Hakim SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mehmet Culum SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Fredrik Klyver SWE
Fourth Official: Joakim Östling SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Jan Boterberg BEL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Nathan Verboomen BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: João Francisco Lopes Ferreira POR
UEFA Delegate: Haraldur Haraldsson ISL
Group L
20:45 CET - Zagreb (Stadion Maksimir)
CROATIA - MONTENEGRO
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Dietz GER
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Katrin Rafalski GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Alain Sars FRA
UEFA Delegate: Filip Popovski MKD
Tuesday 9 September 2025
Group D
18:00 CET - Baku (Tofiq Bəhramov adına Respublika Stadionu)
AZERBAIJAN - UKRAINE
Referee: Vasílios Fotiás GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Andréas Meïndanás GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Michaíl Papadákis GRE
Fourth Official: Anastásios Papapétrou GRE
Video Assistant Referee: Ángelos Evangélou GRE
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Ioánnis Papadópoulos GRE
UEFA Referee Observer: Kóstas Kapitanís CYP
UEFA Delegate: Oljas Abraev KAZ
UEFA Delegate: Oljas Abraev KAZ
Group F
18:00 CET - Yerevan (Vazgen Sargsyan anvan Hanrapetakan Marzadasht)
ARMENIA - REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Referee: Goga Kikacheishvili GEO
Assistant Referee 1: Davit Akhvlediani GEO
Assistant Referee 2: Davit Gabisonia GEO
Fourth Official: Giorgi Kruashvili GEO
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Richard Martens NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Alain Hamer LUX
UEFA Delegate: Tomáš Bárta CZE
Group D
20:45 CET - Paris (Parc des Princes)
FRANCE - ICELAND
Referee: António Emanuel de Carvalho Nobre POR
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Ricardo Ferreira Ribeiro POR
Assistant Referee 2: Nélson Filipe Vila Pereira POR
Fourth Official: Miguel Bértolo Nogueira POR
Video Assistant Referee: André Filipe Domingues da Silva Narciso POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Fábio Oliveira de Melo POR
UEFA Referee Observer: William Young SCO
UEFA Delegate: Kim Hallberg DEN
Group F
20:45 CET - Budapest (Puskás Aréna)
HUNGARY - PORTUGAL
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: Bert Put BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Nenad Đokić SRB
UEFA Delegate: Metin Kazancıoğlu TUR
Group H
20:45 CET - Nicosia (Stádio GSP)
CYPRUS - ROMANIA
Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Matej Žunič SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Manuel Vidali SVN
Fourth Official: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Asmir Sagrković SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Martin Hansson SWE
UEFA Delegate: Sviatlana Hrynkievič BLR
Group H
20:45 CET - Zenica (Stadion Bilino polje)
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - AUSTRIA
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESPAssistant Referee 1: Diego Barbero Sevilla ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Ángel Nevado Rodríguez ESP
Fourth Official: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
Video Assistant Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Domagoj Vučkov CRO
UEFA Delegate: Rainer Koch GER
Group I
20:45 CET - Oslo (Ullevaal Stadion)
NORWAY - MOLDOVA
Referee: Balázs Berke HUN
Assistant Referee 1: Vencel Tóth HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Balázs Szert HUN
Fourth Official: Mihály Káprály HUN
Video Assistant Referee: Tamás Bognár HUN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Ferenc Karakó HUN
UEFA Referee Observer: Stefan Meßner AUTUEFA Delegate: Eugène Westerink NED
Group K
20:45 CET - Belgrade (Stadion Rajko Mitić)
SERBIA - ENGLAND
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pagès FRA
Fourth Official: Stéphanie Frappart FRA
Video Assistant Referee: Willy Delajod FRA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jérémie Pignard FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Markus Nobs SUI
UEFA Delegate: Emil Ubias CZE
Group K
20:45 CET - Tirana (Air Albania Stadium)
ALBANIA - LATVIA
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Paweł Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz POL
Fourth Official: Damian Kos POL
Video Assistant Referee: Piotr Lasyk POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Paweł Malec POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Hannes Kaasik EST
UEFA Delegate: Mark Bos NED
I expect antonio nobre and luis godinho appointment
ReplyDeleteFelix Zwayer to Croatia - Montenegro on Monday
ReplyDeleteReferee : Felix Zwayer (GER)
AR1 : Robert Kempter (GER)
AR2 : Christian Dietz (GER)
FO : Florian Badstübner (GER)
VAR : Bastian Dankert (GER)
AVAR : Katrin Rafalski (GER)
Source : DFB Schiris Instagram
Vladimir Šajn (SVN) is appointed for the Slavia Praga - Bodo Glimt game…Maybe a debut?
ReplyDeleteAnother Slovenian!?
ReplyDeleteOT: Anyone know what happened with Paul Tierney, is he still active as main referee?
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know, Tierney hasn't appeared as main referee (or 4th official) in PL or cup competitions since May 2024. No main/4th appointments for the whole 24/25 season and nothing yet in 25/26. Lots of VAR appointments though.
DeleteThere was a note somewhere that he was appointed 4th official in a pre-season game back in August (Fulham v Frankfurt, I believe). This hinted he may come back. But this information may have been false - I didn't see the match and 4th official appointments for friendly matches are not well documented :). Or perhaps it was true but only because it was a friendly game.
I don't think there was ever an announcement, but it appears he is only VAR now. Who knows if he'll return as main referee, he is 44 so still has time but I guess it depends what the reason for him stepping back was.
POLAND – FINLAND is nothing less than a fight for the play-off spot. And possibly even more, should the Netherlands falter.
ReplyDeleteAn Elite referee would not have been out of place for such a match. Instead, UEFA assigns a Category 1 official – one whose last season was far from convincing. The question is: why?
Same situation in Republic of Ireland-Hungary. This match can decide second place of the group while Anthony Taylor got a crystal clear Armenia-Portugal. But you know Italy needs an Elite referee all of matches. But I think Harm Osmers is a better option for a fight for the play-off sport, than Rade Obrenovic.
DeleteSanchez yesterday??? The laws: When a throw-inn is taken from the wrong place, the throw-inn shall go over to the opponent! Time 89.27 Slovenian can take it again instead going over to Sweden and they score after after that. The referees goes they own way too early ften without actions from responsible persons! 66.25 Why not a caution?
ReplyDeleteRumsas? Someone is joking...
ReplyDeleteItaly seems to be getting very special treatment, just as some had predicted here. Will Germany receive the same treatment after their first defeat? I doubt it. In Germany, the spotlight is far less on the referee. In Italy, the referee is quickly made the scapegoat, whereas in Germany the criticism is aimed at Die Mannschaft’s performance. And of course, Rosetti is mindful of his own reputation… :)
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, we’re seeing a lot of big Elite names, and I wonder whether those same referees will also be appointed for UCL Matchday 1 — assignments that were decided before the WC qualification matches had even been played.
It is indeed a special treatment, I'm sorry for some readers who think that same would be done with other (big) national teams, but what I observed in the years is clear to me. It wasn't difficult to think that after Pinheiro for a game like Italy - Estonia, an even bigger referee would have got Israel - Italy. Even more because the game will be discussed outside the pitch. Rosetti mostly care about that, what is technical follows maybe in second instance.
DeleteAnd.. you can see they have changed the VAR for him, after all we discussed on the blog, the same was shared by committee and here you have Dingert (coming from the DEN - SCO mistake, in my opinion). Strange that Dankert is not appointed if I have missed something, maybe he is not available.
But Borosak is ok with Obrenovic...that's how it works, committee makes choices based on how much a game is important for THEM (mediatic or not), not that much based on the potential development of a referee.
Dankert appointed as Zwayer’s VAR in Zagreb.
DeleteBy the way, four Dutch refs in this qualifying round – pretty unusual. I suspect one of them was a replacement or a last-minute call. Maybe Gözübüyük with Carballo – the KNVB didn’t publish his appointment either. Instead, on Monday they accidentally posted the DM and SVDE appointments way too early… and then quickly took them down again ;)
ReplyDeleteYes, the fact that KNVB didn't publish the assignment could indicate that Gozubuyuk was a late replacement and maybe Velasco was planned to observe another referee. Of course we can't be sure but given that they publish all assignments very quickly and when this doesn't happen, one can't find a real explanation.
DeleteAfter the incident between Osmers and Hungary all of newspaper in Hungary talking about that Ireland played 12 player on field with Osmers. They are talking about obvious fraud, like the head coach and the players. To be honest I feel that Rosetti got burned Osmers. Everyone talking about the performance of the referess lik Italy. So can ask ? Hungary will get Elite referee in the future like Italy ? What will hapenning with Lambrechts in Puskas Arena in Hungary-Portugal ? I feel this match deserved more experienced referees.Especially after yesterday's incidents, everyone will be much more sensitive. But Rosetti risks promising careers with his irresponsible decisions just to protect his own nation. Nonsense
ReplyDeleteItaly get the elite referees, you know that.
DeleteWhen you have a italian boss at uefa the will give italy the most experienced referees.
My first reaction after the appointments for tuesday are little bittle surprising yess
I'm pretty sure Osmers wasn't the first choice for this match. The assistant referees seemed to favour Stieler more. It would have made more sense to have Stieler referee the match, as he is an experienced elite referee.
DeleteNow watching some sites and the accusations towards Osmers and outrage is very big,I dont think he or any german will in near future handle Hungary or their teams.
DeleteIt's not all his fault cause match was hot from the get go,but then again,we all know who will be pointed after the match.
* MD1 UCL Preview :)
ReplyDeleteA few things stand out. Some big Elite names didn’t appear in the qualifiers: Mariani, Kovács, Schärer, Peljto. Likely they’re being held back for MD1? Stieler and Bastien are also options, though UEFA often uses them for tough UEL games.
MD1 usually brings a mix of senior figures and fresh faces. On the observers side, I noticed that quite a few observers are part of UEFA’s “Development Panel”, so be ready for some surprises. To sum up:
• Slavia – Bodø/Glimt: debut with Sajn.
• Sporting – Qairat: debut with Velasco Carballo.
• Athletic – Arsenal: Observer is Kuipers. Seems too big for a debut – maybe an early check on Italy’s no.1, or even Jovanović returning at the highest level.
• Liverpool – Atlético with De Bleeckere (development panel): I agree with the mentioned options: Schärer, Peljto, Nyberg, Eskas.
• Real – Marseille: Rocchi is interesting here. The Italian is part of the development panel, a FIFA instructor, obviously close to Rosetti. Could be a younger Elite under the microscope, or early monitoring of a final candidate (Reminder: Vincic also started his 23/24 season with an early observation from Rizzoli).
• PSV – Union with Medina Cantalejo (development panel), possibly even a strong Category 1 imo.
• Benfica – Qarabag: Çakır regularly observes younger refs, and is a FIFA instructor as well.
• Brugge – Monaco: Webb (development panel) - Category 1 or lower Elite?
Apart from those, just regular observers. We’ll see some “big guns”, especially in Newcastle vs Barcelona and City vs Napoli.
Btw: I also see Zwayer as the no.1 candidate for the CL final this year – wouldn’t be surprised if UEFA keep him a bit under the radar.
One aspect to consider is, that probably all the 5 U20WC referees will work on MD1, because they are not available on MD2.
DeleteRegarding debuts, I only see Sozza as a clear candidate at the moment, because he is the only one without CL game appearing in either EL PO this season or EL KO stage last season.
Otherwise, for me it would be more sensible to continue developing referees with debuts in the last two seasons like Lambrechts, Kruashvili, Kavanagh, Balakin, Schnyder...
A committee observation could also mean consideration for Elite - not only debuts.
I agree that Athletic-Arsenal appears too big for First Group - so could be one of your ideas or maybe some early check regarding a final.
The nomination of Björn Kuipers may be related to the fact that according to Wikipedia exactly 139,872 spectators are expected. ;-)
Deletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E2%80%9326_UEFA_Champions_League_league_phase#Athletic_Bilbao_v_Arsenal
Someone seems to have read my post; now the dubious attendance prediction has disappeared from Wikipedia. ;-)
DeleteI think it's time for Sylwestrzak to make his debut in a Champions League match.
ReplyDeleteGreat first half from Nyberg. Finally he is not afraid to show early mandatory yellow cards. Looks like he will have great season and take that last step that will make him top 10 in Europe.
ReplyDelete71' foul against attacker whistled by Məsiyev and 4-2 by Netherlands disallowed. I think very soft if not totally wrong decision, but VAR can't intervene.
ReplyDeleteFor me also a wrong call. But Məsiyev is very easily fooled the whole match
Deletehttps://www.streambug.io/cv/502687
DeleteI think it's a good call by the Azeri ref, the defender was goalside of the attacker, and the latter commits a subtle push to try and win an advantage. Masiyev waited until the ball was in the net before blowing, so Var could have come if it was deemed a c/o mistake.
It was good that he waited but subtle push.. Come on.. Please watch it again and tell me where the "push" is.
DeleteOT: Someone of you express expectations about possible CL debuts. For me,there are Minakovic and Szylwestrak. From experenced firt cat referees in CL this year I expect Dabanovic and Jug.
ReplyDeleteI also expect Kikacheishvili to make his debut.
DeleteI'd add Masiyev, Barbu and van der Eijk to the possible CL debuts, besides Minaković & Sylwestrzak
Delete@Ref Fot Jug & Dabanović already have CL GS experience.
I know Quilava about Dabanovic and Jug, I just mention that I expect this year them also, not in way of debuts.
DeleteKikacheishvili, Masiyev and van der Eijk haven't even done their EL debuts, so far too early to consider CL for them, I think.
DeleteMinakovic, Sylwestrzak and Barbu have each done one EL season, but no KO or PO games yet.
IMO one doesn't need to hurry with CL debuts, but should let them gain more experience first.
Out of the 44 referees used in the last CL season, nearly all are still available and expected to be appointed again. So there is no requirement for many debuts this season.
I would expect the debutants to come from the list of participants in the Advanced Course for Top Referees last January (although not all of them seem equally realistic):
DeleteSebastian Gishamer AUT
Jérôme Brisard FRA
Anastasios Papapetrou GRE
Simone Sozza ITA
Damian Sylwestrzak POL
John Beaton SCO
Beaton already debuted in champions league
DeleteGishamer is a good shout. He did well in the knock-outs last season, and Austria needs more presence
Delete@Whistlersmum Only qualifiers, not the actual competition
DeleteVery good performance by Eskas in Cologne. Rather easy and fair game but still.
ReplyDeletePOLFIN (Rade Obrenovič)
ReplyDeleteKMIs
69' correct no penalty/FK, no handball
https://streambug.org/cv/460358
78' long VAR check regarding offside, then PAI to assess
https://streambug.org/cv/d5d765
88' very good onside by Jure Praprotnik at 3:[1] goal
https://streambug.org/cv/e4e4f0
90+3' goal FIN correctly disallowed for a foul (push) of the goal scorer
https://streambug.org/cv/104e2b
Other incidents:
Deletehttps://streambug.org/cv/71a0df
I finally saw big potential in Obrenovič. Very focused (even though the game was not overly challenging), alert and preventive. The lenient disciplinary line was not an issue in this game. Missed (rather careless) studs-up challenge in 4' and breaking up a counterattack in 42' were the only bigger mistakes.
Any reason why the Adidas tracksuits/match kits used for these haven't been refreshed for many years?
ReplyDeleteBecause it’s FIFA they are notoriously tight in updating kit
DeleteI think it's refreshed for every world cup so i will not be surprise to see a new kit next summer
Delete@crn.ple If you check Footy Headlines, the design of Adidas referee kits for WC26 has already been leaked.
DeleteHowever, it's strange to see referees in these qualifiers (not only in UEFA but in every confederation) still using the 2022 kits instead of 2024 ones, that so far are only being worn by referees in some domestic competitions (Germany, Japan, Sweden, Czech Republic...)
Thanks for the info, and agree with you don’t know why the updated version is not use in qualifiers.
Delete
ReplyDeleteChefren, your prediction for UCL matchday 1.
PSV - UnionSG Kruzliak SVK
DeleteAthletic - Arsenal Peljto BIH
Real Madrid - Marseille Schärer SUI
Benfica - Qarabag Kabakov BUL
Juventus - Borussia Dortmund Makkelie NED
Tottenham - Villarreal Vinčić SVN
Olympiakos - Pafos Petrescu ROU
Slavia Praha - Bodø/Glimt Sozza ITA
PSG - Atalanta Oliver ENG
Bayern - Chelsea Letexier FRA
Liverpool - Atlético Eskas NOR
Ajax - Inter Turpin FRA
Club Brugge - Monaco Massa ITA
Copenhagen - Leverkusen Rumsas LTU
Manchester City - Napoli Zwayer GER
Eintracht Frankfurt - Galatasaray Nyberg SWE
Sporting - Qairat Sylwestrzak POL
Newcastle - Barcelona Mariani ITA
PSG - Atalanta has Martin Atkinson as observer Chefren ;)
DeleteBig mistake here!
DeleteSo, let's send Gozubuyuk to PSG...
4' Supportable (at least, somebody maybe can disagree) decision to whistle a foul on keeper before a goal scored by Israel. No intervention in case of goal allowed, I think.
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, dear Chefren: NOT supportable.
DeleteSoft foul given by Vincic in my opinion to disallow Israel goal.
ReplyDeleteChallenging game for Vincic, now another penalty appeal by Israel for a late challenge by Donnarumma...
ReplyDeleteVideo of the disallowed goal:
ReplyDeletehttps://streamin.me/v/65de0ee0
Dear Chefren, having looked at it a few times - do you still think, Vincic's decision is "supportabel"? If so - where was the foul?
DeleteWhere is the foul ? I didnt see anything. Crucial mistake .This qualifiers in September a nightmare for Rosetti.
DeleteThe Italian goal in this situation would be allowed without any hesitations.
DeleteMissed intervention for me. No foul at all
DeleteSupportable 2nd YC to MNE player,once foul whistled,no other option than YC and RC.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm biased, but I think two yellow cards for Bulatović are too soft. IMO both supportable, but neither mandatory
ReplyDeleteFull sequences for Vincic:
ReplyDelete4min - https://streambug.org/cv/08660e
12min - https://streambug.org/cv/79df51
Mikael, how would you assess Vincic's decision in min 4?
DeleteVincic was right in my opinion - the Israel player holds even both of the goalkeeper's arms at one time, impeding his ability to field the ball (ask yourself: people can make mistakes, but is logical that one of the world's best goalkeepers would punch the ball into his own goal?). The episode reminds me of the Rumsas U21 semifinal where everyone was convinced the referee was wrong and the gk had made a mistake in a professional game which one would only expect from an inebriated person. 12' is clearly not a foul. The famous Slovenian referee handled the game -- albeit without many fans it wasn't too challenging -- in a more or less exemplery manner with regards management, but Israel do have some grounds for complaint in the end, because there is surely a foul at exactly +90:01 before Italy score the winning goal (a further wrong foul was given against Israel in 2half additional time).
DeleteYC given to Belarus on 51 minutes. Given the pace of the challenge and contact on the ankle I think red card would be much more preferable
ReplyDeleteJust seen this - textbook red card, should result in a 7,9 mark imo.
DeleteClip: https://www.streambug.io/cv/2c40b6
A very late and forceful challenge in Hungry, BEL- SCO! Dabanovic opted for yellow and var backed him, i would say RC! var should have sent him to the monitor!
ReplyDeleteHe went for the ball, he was late, a strong start, his foot was completely low to the ground, a clear yellow card.
DeleteNonsense. Was a retaliatory challenge if there ever was one. Contact on the ankle
DeleteSecond YC by Zwayer:
ReplyDeletehttps://streamin.me/v/36efddd4
AZE - UKR:
ReplyDeleteNot convincing start from Fotiás.
Called to OFR for revoking a penalty he had called for a push from behind, but it was only an arm on shoulder without any intensity. Correct decision for me to remove the original decision, but too long time in front of monitor, referee very unsure. In the end it turned out that in case it had to be free kick (foul outside the box), but referee didn't give it (and I agree with this decision).
But let me also say something in favor of the Greek, today it's very hard with such decisions INSIDE / OUTSIDE, then you have to understand whether genuine or not. Many options. Nevertheless, a better management was expected here
42', correct YC for reckless challenge by attacker, late attempt to play ball, classic foul on keeper that can look more serious because the latter is always on the ground, I think no more than YC is OK. Very boring first half with nothing happened for the rest.
DeleteAs interesting note, he counted with hand the seconds while keepers were holding the ball.
Referee committee is looking for a new Greek elite and that is more than obvious. However, I'm not sure they made a good choice... I know, Fotias was invited to the U21 where he refereed the semi-final and now he has been invited to WC U17.
DeleteI don't expect a referee at his age and with that experience to shine, nor to referee at the level of an elite referee, but for a referee who has this much support from the committee and who is really pushed so far I have not gotten the impression that he has such potential, nor do I remember any of his matches where he showed extra talent, no hard feelings. I know, refereeing the U21 semi-final is no small thing and he wouldn't have refereed that semi-final if the committee wasn't satisfied with his performance in the tournament, the invitation to WC U17 confirms that he still has support... but maybe I'm crazy and don't see anything special about the Greek referee and never convinced me that he is or can be strong referee...
I hope he will convince me in the future, I would love to be wrong.
Your opinion?
Thank you for sharing your opinion. I also agree that he is a referee who is under focus a lot and that he has the trust of the committee, unlike other officials. In short, he is clearly seen as the hope for the post Sidiropoulos era as a potential Elite referee from his nation. Now, I believe there is little to judge so far to give the "final assessment", and we certainly need to wait, but if we go by the performances shown so far, we might not notice that extra something that should be there, given the way he is being managed. So I mostly agree with you. Let's see how things will go in future: in any case, considering Greece's difficult times, the hope for a referee who could reach even perhaps hig, but not very top, levels (you know what I mean, maybe not top class, but just behind) is very high. Background certainly plays a big role too; it is a nation with potential at a certain level, but lately they haven’t really managed to produce much. So you see all the expectations on the single name, once "selected" for that.
DeleteArm-irl
ReplyDeleteThe Georgian completely missed an out of control challenge by Armenian defender. Was at least a yellow card in my opinion only throw in given
Is video available?
DeleteShould be this one:
Deletehttps://streambug.org/cv/d9b9bd
I think a missed YC.
70' Second OFR of the game for the Greek referee, but this time no blame in my opinion, classic aerial handball, very difficult to spot, needed many replays to be sure. Correct call by VAR.
ReplyDeleteIn 57' a correct YC to Ukraine for reckless challenge.
The extra whistles in the crowd in Belgrade is beyond annoying
ReplyDeleteSRB-ENG 27': Close to mandatory for me, but he let him off the hook
ReplyDeleteAlbania – Latvia
ReplyDelete24': Sylwestrzak awards a correct and clear penalty for handball with arm over shoulder.
Very good refereeing
DeleteFrance - Island
ReplyDeleteStep-on-foot incident missed by Carvalho Nobre in 44'.
Penalty and YC given after OFR.
Second OFR, SFP: https://streambug.org/cv/da5af5
DeleteHe had issued YC.
Definitely not the best performance by the Portuguese referee, and in my opinion it's not a case that after Pinheiro it seems UEFA gave up with other names from that country. Really sorry because a very important nation of football.
Kikacheishvili penalty call in Armenia - Ireland:
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/d074bd
I think made by AR2, with a better view.
Classic situation where attacker puts himself ahead while defender has already started his action, but seen always as penalty in modern refereeing. Will be surely assessed as correct call.
Then to report a very good ONSIDE by AR1 when Armenia scored second goal, while a VAR intervention in the last minutes for a missed offside with same AR1 involved (bua absolutely no faults for me here).
Didn't watch the full game but I will try to find the incident reported by Neil.
If that is a penalty, we are done.
DeleteMy answer if this is a penalty lays in the question what exactly is punishable in the defender's action?
DeleteFrom the angle we have-absolutely nothing... IMO this is never penalty and VAR should intervene.
PS I leave the possibility that there is another angle due to which the VAR remained silent, but I strongly doubt that any angle can convince us that there is punishable action by the defender
52’ Good advantage given by Berke prior to the NOR goal (6-0)
ReplyDeleteI mean, with this result (6-0) the truth is that there is not much work for any referee with a game already defined so early, but I like Berke's work... As I said, good advantage given, only 1 YC correctly shown, possible PK requested by NOR, absolutely nothing, good displacement... the truth for now very good work, we will see if something happens in the next few minutes (64').
Delete72‘ correct RC for DOGSO issued by Turpin. Otherwise he’s also doing well in a very football focused game
ReplyDeleteSure? Pls carely also consider: i) real distance from the goal; ii) position and number of defenders potentially able to intervene…
DeleteHungary - Portugal
ReplyDeleteHandball incident for Lambrechts in 57'.
Penalty kick and YC rightly awarded, as the Hungarian defender made himself bigger while opposing a header to goal
https://streambug.org/cv/bb6836
DeleteMaybe the backward movement while facing dissent was not the best presentation, should have done the same gesture and said the same thing but standing still.
Lambrects did an OK performance yesterday. The penalty whistled a little bit later as need, maybe AR 1 helped him. Decision was correct. At the third goal for Portugal Cancelo provoked the Hungarian fans, after the goal celebrating. For me an unsporting behavior so missed a YC. ( Ronaldo said sorry for the fans at the situation). To be honest I felt Lambrechts not ready this kind of matches. He has a weak fitness , at the last period of the match he was ALWAYS! wrong place, disturbed the players, he didnt run a lot.
DeleteNot entirely convinced about that DOGSO decision. Strong argument that not all of the 4 criteria was met. Had he not been fouled the touch by Kane was taking him on a wide position and the goal scoring chance would have been diminished.
ReplyDeleteFrance - Iceland 67'
ReplyDeleteCarvalho Nobre called again to the screen for SFP.
To me, this is a clear red card to see on the pitch.
89': OFR for Turpin, a very evident penalty. Very clear body language after the short analysis at monitor, the French apologized to all people with his eyes for having missed the call.
ReplyDeleteEven in that moment hard for him, good communication with players there
DeleteA referee like Turpin should have seen that PK live.
DeletePK after OFR for England. Turpin should have seen that on the FoP by himself
ReplyDeleteTurpin called for an OFR and awarded a penalty to England correctly. Astonished he didn’t award it during live play as he got himself into a brilliant position to see the challenge.
ReplyDeleteWeird that in this position he don't react to anything, if it's not a pk then he sould have book the england player, just a big doubt in his mind i think
DeleteThird OFR for Nobre, holding against defender before scoring and then also a possible foul on keeper to be analyzed, but one can agree that the action was unfair from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Portuguese was in good positioning to see.
We can't imagine this game without VAR, that's not a good thing.
OK game for Turpin, a bad end with that OFR, without this it would have been a very good game for him, letting the game flow as always with great body language and communication.
ReplyDeleteWatching Ecuador and Argentina and what a tough and challenging match for Roldan.
ReplyDeleteBoth teams are trying their best in applying pressure towards him,but what Argentina players are doing is ridiculous and should be stopped with some fines or something.
Constant pressure without respect towards anyone.
Otamendi,Martinez, De Paul,Paredes,Mac Allister,you just dont know who is in Roldan's ear the most.
Anyway,2 RC's,missed penalty then given after OFR,crazy fouls and protests but I'm sure media will focus on Roldan and his mistakes.
This is just one of those games where as ref you cant win.
For me weak performance from Turpin in Belgrade in very easy match. First of all, YC for Lukić (no 10) not even debatable, absolutely unnecessarry, no intensity, not SPA, lot of players in front of Kane… Acting from Kane and as a result Serbia lost Lukić for very important next match.
ReplyDeleteSecond, PK for England so obvious and clear, Turpin was 5 meters away, in best possible position, and just waved his hands. Very big mistake.
Third, most important: if that was RC for Milenkovic, then many RC should be given. He was lat player, but other defenders were coming and that wasn’t DOGSO because Kane and specially the ball were not going directly towards goal, they were wide positioned - the ball was going closer to the corner and not to the goal.
So for me two crucial decisions absolutely incorrect, and YC in first half as well. And I repeat: all of that in very easy game. Too much.
Concerning RC for Milenkovic I wouldn’t be so sure for a correct decision of Turpin. For a DOGSO you must always consider also that these circumstances have to be carely considered: i) real distance from the goal; ii) position and number of defenders potentially able to intervene… The distance was really great to not have any doubt on a effective defenders intervention (whereas they were running fastly not so far the impact).
DeleteSo to be honest these circumstances were not in. That’s all, Kane or not Kane doesn’t matter.
Thus IMO, no RC although that decision can really originate very different opinion.
People are seriously arguing that Kane didn't have an OGSO because the ball's trajectory was toward the corner flag? Come, on. He's 6-7 full yards ahead of the nearest other defender at the time of the foul. The ball is still 10 meters outside the penalty area. And it's Harry Kane. The very next touch puts him directly in on goal. We're supposed to believe that he would just keep dribbling toward the corner flag? I cannot believe the majority of comments here doubt the existence of an OGSO.
ReplyDelete+1 clear DOGSO imo
DeleteHa. To be fair, Harry Kane is not particularly fast. Nevertheless, it is important to focus on objective criteria. The other Serbian defender was already at full speed, and the ball appeared to be going wide. It is possible that Kane might have been able to dribble past the other defender, but this is not certain. I tend to agree with ITAREF: I do not believe a red card is entirely necessary in this situation. A YC is appropriate, as we must rely on assumptions regarding Kane’s pace or the defender’s “lack of speed” in order to fulfil all OGSO criteria. Furthermore, in practice, it is unlikely that the red card would be issued in a UEFA semi-final or final under similar circumstances. That being said, it is also questionable whether VAR would be able to intervene in this case. I don’t think so.
DeleteCome on guys, this is actually a textbook DOGSO.
DeleteObjective criteria :
1. Distance : 30m from the goal, fully OK.
2. Direction : globally towards the goal, as per Law 12. No need to be fully towards the goal, as per 3 or 4 years ago’s modification, and in this case, certainly not something that can turn a DOGSO into SPA.
3. Possession of the ball : full OK.
4. Position and number of defenders : no other defender than the one committing the foul. Fully OK.
This is a clear DOGSO, if we start debating about that one, there are going to be loads of debates xD.
The real question on this match is how on earth did Turpin not see that obvious penalty ? This is a relevant question.
Please define “globally “ towards goal. He either was or he wasn’t and the opinions of some here, me included, is that he was more wider than central.
DeleteLaw 12 : Sending-off offences
Delete"- denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender's goal by an offence punishable by a free kick".
The word "overall" was added in 2019/20 precisely because football expects RC every day of the week in this kind of situation. In the pre-2019 era, this was SPA. In the post-2019 era, and the apparition of the 'overall' word, this is DOGSO.
I notice that you are quoting Law but you forgot to add “unless as outlined below “ which then highlights the four key considerations. The one relevant to this incident is “general direction of play “ and all I and others think is that Kane probably was not going to be straight through on goal (OGSO). I think we’re just going to have to agree to disagree and realise that there are going to be different interpretations the way the Law is worded. I do agree with you on the missed penalty situation. Inexcusable for an elite referee and the committee should be taking a dim view of it, regardless of the score.
Deletehttps://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/breaking-david-coote-charged-referee-35880891
ReplyDeleteI hope now the sympathy for this man has finally run out.
How was Manzano if someone had the chance to see it?
ReplyDeleteI watched the game this morning. Overall decent performance, he issued a supportable SYC at the very end of the game (no KMIs to speak of otherwise). A bit too choatic management in some scenes, but the game wasn't especially difficult.
DeleteI'll upload some highlights this evening.
Highlights here:
Deletehttps://www.streambug.io/cv/732dbd
Is there a one who expects appointment for joao pinheiro bayern munich vs chelsea I expect that
ReplyDeletePinheiro has been with Cefarin in Italy. This week he officiatte a game in friday. The conjugation of the two things means that he will be in a important game, in Champions League, next week. Munique or Bilbao its my guess.
DeleteWell, who knows. But Bayern–Chelsea is the match of MD1, the one every referee would like to have. The game most eyes will be on.
DeleteLetexier, Schärer, Sanchez, Turpin, Peljto, Nyberg, Vincic, Eskas — they are all in contention for this match.
The observer is a regular one; someone you often see with an experienced Elite referee. Chelsea was not an easy team to officiate during the CWC either (Vincic had his hands full).
But then again, Nyberg also got Bayern–Man Utd two years ago. It’s MD1, the reputational risk is smaller, and both teams normally progress anyway. So perhaps there is some “room” to opt for an Elite development referee.
Croatian League
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a little late, some time has passed, but still.
In one of the matches of the last round (the week before last), something unusual happened. The visiting team scored a goal that the linesman disallowed due to offside. When scoring a goal, a potential offensive foul occurred. The problem arose when the power went out in the Var room and the Var was partially out of function. In the Var room, they determined that there was no offside. The referees could not analyze the potential offensive faul. Now, why the goal was not recognized, no one understands. In any case, the guests were damaged.
I'm curious about one more thing.
Deletehttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ByvBaooaqLM
Is this handball punishable?
Definitely yes.
DeleteFirst of all it was a block, not a challenge. The hand made the body unnaturally bigger.
Therefore, it’s punishable.
Otherwise, nothing has been awarded.
ReplyDeleteWhat Ref - predict is not available?
ReplyDelete@Chefren Please tell me we'll be available this game in this season?
Don't know sorry, I'm not responsible for the site, just a cooperation. And I can't arrange to organize a game here on the blog. Just feel free to write your predictions, if you want...
Deletethanks for you answer.
Delete