Kick off for the new edition of UEFA Nations League. Please find below the appointments for MD1.
Thursday 24 September 2026
League D, Group 1
18:00 CET - Encamp (Estadi FAF)
ANDORRA vs. MALTA
Referee: Joey Kooij NED
Assistant Referee 1: Dyon Fikkert NED
Assistant Referee 2: Murat Kücükerbir NED
Fourth Official: Jannick van der Laan NED
Video Assistant Referee: Richard Martens NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Robin Hensgens NED
UEFA Referee Observer: David Malcolm NIR
UEFA Delegate:Jiří Novák CZE
League A, Group 2
20:45 CET - Amsterdam (Johan Cruijff ArenA)
NETHERLANDS vs. GERMANY
Referee: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández ESP
Assistant Referee 1: José Enrique Naranjo Pérez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sánchez Rojo ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Quintero González ESP
Video Assistant Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Javier Iglesias Villanueva ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Domenico Messina ITA
UEFA Delegate: Philippe Prudhon FRA
League A, Group 2
20:45 CET - Belgrade (Stadion Rajko Mitić)
SERBIA vs. GREECE
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: César Soto Grado ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Fredy Fautrel FRA
UEFA Delegate: Armen Minasyan ARM
League A, Group 4
20:45 CET - Lisbon (Estádio José Alvalade)
PORTUGAL vs. WALES
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Robertas Valikonis LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Sören Storks GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Donatas Šimėnas LTU
UEFA Referee Observer: Gianluca Rocchi ITA
UEFA Delegate: Charles Schaack LUX
League A, Group 4
20:45 CET - Oslo (Ullevaal Stadion)
NORWAY vs. DENMARK
Referee: Tobias Stieler GER
Assistant Referee 1: Lasse Koslowski GER
Assistant Referee 2: Jonas Weickenmeier GER
Fourth Official: Matthias Jöllenbeck GER
Video Assistant Referee: Robert Schröder GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Patrick Hanslbauer GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine NIR
UEFA Delegate: Peter Oskam NED
League B, Group 3
20:45 CET - Linz (Raiffeisen Arena)
AUSTRIA vs. ISRAEL
Referee: Georgi Kabakov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Margaritov BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Martin Venev BUL
Fourth Official: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Bruno Lopes Martins POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Nikola Popov BUL
UEFA Referee Observer: Draženko Kovačić CRO
UEFA Delegate: Virgar Hvidbro FRO
League B, Group 3
20:45 CET - Pristina (Stadiumi “Fadil Vokrri”)
KOSOVO vs. REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Referee: Lawrence Visser BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Ruben Wyns BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Michele Seeldraeyers BEL
Fourth Official: Kevin Van Damme BEL
Video Assistant Referee: Jan Boterberg BEL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Simon Bourdeaud'hui BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: William Young SCO
UEFA Delegate: Andrey Medintsev BUL
League D, Group 2
20:45 CET - Vaduz (Rheinpark Stadion)
LIECHTENSTEIN vs. LITHUANIA
Referee: Ante Čulina CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Dario Kolarević CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Kristijan Novosel CRO
Fourth Official: Antonio Melnjak CRO
Video Assistant Referee: Tihomir Pejin CRO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Fran Jović CRO
UEFA Referee Observer: Augustus Viorel Constantin ROU
UEFA Delegate: Andrew Dickson SCO
Friday 25 September 2026
League B, Group 2
18:00 CET - Tbilisi (Boris Paichadze National Stadium)
GEORGIA vs. NORTHERN IRELAND
Referee: Orel Grinfeeld ISRAssistant Referee 1: Roy Hassan ISR
Assistant Referee 2: Idan Yarkoni ISR
Fourth Official: Snir Levy ISR
Video Assistant Referee: Eli Hacmon ISR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Gal Leibovitz ISR
UEFA Referee Observer: Hannes Kaasik EST
UEFA Delegate: Adrian D. Casha MLT
League C, Group 2
18:00 CET - Yerevan (Republican Stadium after Vazgen Sargsyan)
ARMENIA vs. LATVIA
Referee: Martin Matoša SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Matej Žunič SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksandar Kasapovič SVN
Fourth Official: Mihael Antič SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Aleksandar Matkovič SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Matej Žunič SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksandar Kasapovič SVN
Fourth Official: Mihael Antič SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Aleksandar Matkovič SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE
UEFA Delegate: Olzhas Abrayev KAZ
League A, Group 1
20:45 CET - Rome (Stadio Olimpico)
ITALY vs. BELGIUM
Referee: Daniel Siebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Sascha Stegemann GER
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Pascal Müller GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO
UEFA Delegate: Peter Lundström FIN
League A, Group 1
20:45 CET - Kocaeli (Turka Kocaeli Stadyumu)
TÜRKIYE vs. FRANCE
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER Assistant Referee 2: Nikolai Kimmeyer GER
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
Video Assistant Referee: Christian Dingert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Johann Pfeifer GER
UEFA Referee Observer: René H.J. Temmink NED
UEFA Delegate: Bakar Jordania GEO
League B, Group 2
20:45 CET - Budapest (Puskás Aréna)
HUNGARY vs. UKRAINE
Referee: Jarred Gillett ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Neil Davies ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Nick Greenhalgh ENG
Fourth Official: Robert Jones ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Andrew Dallas SCO
Fourth Official: Robert Jones ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Andrew Dallas SCO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Peter Bankes ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Carlos Velasco Carballo ESP
UEFA Delegate: Hristo Zapryanov BUL
League B, Group 4
20:45 CET - Warsaw (PGE Narodowy)
POLAND vs. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Referee: Anastasios Papapetrou GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Tryfon Petropoulos GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Petros Patras GRE
Fourth Official: Fotios Polychronis GRE
Video Assistant Referee: Ioannis Papadopoulos GRE
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Spyridon Zampalas GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Tryfon Petropoulos GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Petros Patras GRE
Fourth Official: Fotios Polychronis GRE
Video Assistant Referee: Ioannis Papadopoulos GRE
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Spyridon Zampalas GRE
UEFA Referee Observer: Stefan Meßner AUT
UEFA Delegate: Kim Hallberg DEN
League B, Group 4
20:45 CET - Solna (Strawberry Arena)
SWEDEN vs. ROMANIA
Referee: Ondřej Berka CZEAssistant Referee 1: Matěj Vlček CZE
Assistant Referee 2: Kamil Hajek CZE
Fourth Official: Ondrej Pechanec CZE
Video Assistant Referee: Michael Fabbri ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Karel Rouček CZE
UEFA Referee Observer: Marco Fritz GER
UEFA Delegate: István Huszár HUN
League C, Group 2
20:45 CET - Podgorica (Gradski Stadion)
MONTENEGRO vs. CYPRUS
Referee: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Alberto Tegoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Giorgio Peretti ITA
Fourth Official: Giovanni Ayroldi ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Luca Pairetto ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Federico La Penna ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Giorgio Peretti ITA
Fourth Official: Giovanni Ayroldi ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Luca Pairetto ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Federico La Penna ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Georgi Vadachkoria GEO
UEFA Delegate: Victor Marius Radu ROU
Saturday 26 September 2026
League B, Group 1
15:00 CET - Ljubljana (Stadion Stožice)
SLOVENIA vs. SCOTLAND
Referee: Horațiu Mircea Feșnic ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Valentin Gabriel Avram ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Alexandru Cerei ROU
Fourth Official: Szabolcs Roland Kovacs ROU
Video Assistant Referee: Cătălin Sorin Popa ROU
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Marcel Bîrsan ROU
UEFA Referee Observer: Kóstas Kapitanís CYP
UEFA Delegate: Per Eliasson SWE
League C, Group 1
18:00 CET - Serravalle (San Marino Stadium)
SAN MARINO vs. FINLAND
Referee: Nathan Verboomen BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Mathias Hillaert BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Maarten Toeback BEL
Fourth Official: Jasper Vergoote BEL
Video Assistant Referee: Bert Put BEL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Wesli De Cremer BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Paweł Gil POL
UEFA Delegate: Patricia González García ESP
League C, Group 3
18:00 CET - Tórshavn (Tórsvøllur)
FAROE ISLANDS vs. KAZAKHSTAN
Referee: Ishmael Barbara MLT
Assistant Referee 1: Luke Portelli MLT
Assistant Referee 2: James Muscat MLT
Fourth Official: Slobodan Petrovic MLT
Video Assistant Referee: Paweł Malec POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bartosz Frankowski POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Petteri Kari FIN
UEFA Delegate: Garry O'Hagan SCO
League C, Group 4
18:00 CET - Reykjavík (Laugardalsvöllur)
ICELAND vs. ESTONIA
Referee: Miloš Milanović SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Milan Pašajlić SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Svetozar Živin SRB
Fourth Official: Milan Ilić SRB
Video Assistant Referee: Aleksandar Živković SRB
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Pavle Tomić SRB
UEFA Referee Observer: Alfredo Trentalange ITA
UEFA Delegate: Olivier Chovaux FRA
League C, Group 4
18:00 CET - Plovdiv (Hristo Botev Stadium)
BULGARIA vs. LUXEMBOURG
Referee: Sander van der Eijk NED
Assistant Referee 1: Rens Bluemink NED
Assistant Referee 2: Roy de Nas NED
Fourth Official: Alex Bos NED
Video Assistant Referee: Clay Ruperti NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Robin Hensgens NED
UEFA Referee Observer: William Collum SCO
UEFA Delegate: Könül Mehtiyeva AZE
League A, Group 3
20:45 CET - London (Wembley Stadium)
ENGLAND vs. SPAIN
Referee: Davide Massa ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alessio Berti ITA
Fourth Official: Matteo Marcenaro ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Rosario Abisso ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Lucílio Cardoso Cortez Batista POR
UEFA Delegate: Kris Bellon BEL
League A, Group 3
20:45 CET - Prague (Fortuna Arena)
CZECHIA vs. CROATIA
Referee: Simone Sozza ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Davide Imperiale ITA
Fourth Official: Giuseppe Collu ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Valerio Marini ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Georgi Yordanov BUL
UEFA Delegate: Eugène Westerink NED
League B, Group 1
20:45 CET - Skopje (National Arena Todor Proeski)
NORTH MACEDONIA vs. SWITZERLAND
Referee: Daniel Schlager GER
Assistant Referee 1: Sven Waschitzki-Günther GER
Assistant Referee 2: Tobias Fritsch GER
Fourth Official: Robin Braun GER
Video Assistant Referee: Benjamin Brand GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Benjamin Cortus GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Yevhen Aranovsʹkyy UKR
UEFA Delegate: Hayri Çavuşoğlu TUR
League C, Group 1
20:45 CET - Tirana (Air Albania Stadium)
ALBANIA vs. BELARUS
Referee: Samuel Barrott ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Adam Nunn ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Wade Smith ENG
Fourth Official: Farai Hallam ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Matthew Donohue ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Paul Howard ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Emil Božinovski MKD
UEFA Delegate: Alpaslan Kavas TUR
League C, Group 3
20:45 CET - Prešov (Futbal Tatran Aréna)
SLOVAKIA vs. MOLDOVA
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Arbër Zalla ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Mario Shazivari ALB
Fourth Official: Andi Koçi ALB
Video Assistant Referee: Kreshnik Bajramaj ALB
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Albert Doda ALB
UEFA Referee Observer: Barış Şimşek TUR
UEFA Delegate: Daniel Rommedahl DEN
NED-GER: Hernandez
ReplyDeleteSRB-GRE: Nyberg
POR-WAL: Rumsas
NOR-DEN: Stieler
AUT-ISR: Kabakov
KOS-IRL: Visser
LIE-LTU: Culina
Do you guess or know?
DeleteThe appointments are published.
DeleteOT: U17 WC referees announced by FIFA today. Two female refs will attend the tournament, Olatz Rivera Olmedo and Daiane Muniz, the two refs that handled the last Women's U17WC finals (Muniz in 2024, Rivera Olmedo in 2025)
ReplyDeleteAFC (5)
Mohamed Al-Ismail (KSA)
Abdulhadi Al-Ruaile (QAT)
Ahmed Darwish (UAE)
Du Jianxin (CHN)
Asker Nadzhafaliev (UZB)
CAF (4)
Kassim Abdusalam (NGA)
Mohamed El Baroudi (MAR)
Willy Ngah (CMR)
Elhadji Sy (SEN)
CONCACAF (4)
Ismael López (MEX)
Fernando Morón (PAN)
Josué Ugalde (CRC)
Michael Venne (CAN)
CONMEBOL (6)
Derlis Benítez (PAR)
Oswaldo Contreras (ECU)
Mathias de Armas (URU)
Jairo Mayorga (COL)
Daiane Muniz (BRA)
Sebastián Zunino (ARG)
OFC (1)
Calvin Berg (NZL)
UEFA (7)
Willy Delajod (FRA)
Radoslav Gidzhenov (BUL)
Patrik Kolarić (CRO)
Elçin Masiyev (AZE)
Miloš Milanović (SRB)
Olatz Rivera Olmedo (ESP)
Damian Sylwestrzak (POL)
Milanovic over Minakovic is an interesting choice.
DeleteMinakovic would have appeared more on the level of Delajod and Sylwestrzak (CL debut done), while Milanovic can be seen similar to the other selected UEFA referees, I think.
Is this official or? Where did FIFA publish this?
DeleteMostly normal appointments in NL.
ReplyDeleteOnly Hernandez with the bigger match than Nyberg is notable. It could mean that for now Hernandez continues as Spains no 1, maybe resulting in a big game in CL MD2 as well.
Personally, I find the Scandinavian derby between Norway and Denmark a very appealing fixture, even though it is not generally considered a high-risk match where crowd trouble is likely. I had thought Sven Jablonski would continue to receive higher-profile appointments and be handed a League A fixture. This match, officiated by his fellow German Tobias Stieler, would certainly have fit the bill. But let's wait and see where Sven Jablonski is appointed next, perhaps to another League A match.
DeleteOT:
ReplyDeleteI was wondering, watching Romero’s and Bellingham’s almost simultaneous tackles (IMO Romero’s came a little bit earlier), how would you guys, in the confines of LOTG approach the situation, if both the tackles actually simultaneously.
I am aware of the wording in the part 5.3, which states the following:
[t]he referee:
punishes the more serious offence, in terms of sanction, restart, physical severity and tactical impact, when more than one offence occurs at the same time.
I am also aware of one Q&A case from IFAB, in which they were solving a situation, in which two players strike each other immediately in one’s penalty area. This situation apparently results in penalty kick, because the restart is more serious.
In the light of the above, I have two questions:
1. How would you solve the above mentioned situation?
2. By which part of the LOTG all the referees, which, in the case of mutual holding let the game flow? Because, by the wording in 5.3, SPA would be more serious in terms of tactics I guess, so YC and DFK for the attacking team would be by the law, but IMO not for the spirit of the game, and me, personally, I incline more for letting the game flow.
I may be missing some part of LOTG, but would appreciate yours opinion.
Thanks!
Delete1)Romero is borderline,YC and RC to me would have been acceptable
What I dont get is what exactly where they reviewing if not RC?
Mistaken identity?Well it was not Romero's teammate.
I think they went by the rules and considered that RC review and then he issued YC.
2)Kang In Lee-RC for sure and the fact that I here that Valverde needed to stay down and roll over.
That statements are such disgrace to the game.
Should we award players that are rolling over?
That way we are saying that theatricatility matters.
3)Huijsen's is also RC,the fact that he did not issue that at first reminded me of Kovacs and his Cubarsi yc/rc where both of them had thoughts about before and decided to make even more mistakes.
Holding was short, but clear and Simeone is not like Valverde to continue.
He falls right away and he and his team gets rewarded for that.
And about Mourinho..
Of course he will do that thing after the match,he has always been like that,for some maybe too much but you cant tell he was not right.
In my view, we need to analyze the Nations League appointments from a different perspective than the one above.
ReplyDeleteHistorically, this competition has often served as a testing ground for referees who aren't the very top though let me clarify what I mean: those jinside the Elite category, who rarely get crucial fixtures in the Champions League. This is maybe even more valid in these early matchdays, where everything is still taking shape.
Analyzed through this point of view, the assignment of the Canarian referee to the big match makes sense.
Meanwhile, Nyberg gets Serbia-Greece, which, while not a headliner on paper, could be extremely challenging, given his well-known officiating style, it promises to be a big test.
The same logic applies to the German referee in Norway just months before his international retirement, Rumsas being selected for Portugal, and so on. Not very first choices, but still Elite referees.
Regarding the Belgian assignment, I wanted to add: it looks like Lambrechts' injury might be a long one, can anyone share any details on that?
Also, unless I'm wrong, D'Hondt hasn't received a single fixture since that well-known incident months ago... It remains to be seen whether he will appear later in the competition, but in recent times refereeing in Belgium always seems to go through troubles for one reason or another.
As regard Belgian referees, Lambrechts' injury looked not so severe. D'hondt is making the same mistake as did Visser before in Belgium, although the latter significantly improved on that : too much theatre. In Belgium, I think the bet is now on Jasper Vergoote, but I must say that the start of the season by good old Visser (36 years, but already whistling in first division since 24 years old) in Belgian competition was very strong. This being said, I think he felt from number 1 to number 3 in (informal ?) ranking of Belgian referees. D'hondt is 4, Lambrechts 1, Vergoote 2 (this is only my guess : I have no info about a formal ranking + Visser is used nearly every week for top matches)
DeleteInteresting situation for Turpin this week-end :
ReplyDeleteVAR call him for an OFR for potential hanball, the video is the audio btw VAR and Turpin, his final decision is no hanball because Dier touch it and deflect it into the arm of the defender. But the DTA, the french committee said thaht this should have been a PK. What do you think ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_-hPuM5Ex8
I actually think that referee who get different information, from their own country and from UEFA/FIFA are just lost for handball guidelines, and here an exemple where Turpin iis thinking that this deflection cancel the handball but the french committee says no, weird situation imo.
DeleteHandball. The deflection of the other defender is not decisive IMO. It could be different, if he really played the ball, but I don't think, the pure touch is a relevant factor in the assessment.
DeleteFor me no Penalty, there is clear deflection, and defender has no time to move his hand, what can the dender do to prevent this touch? nothing is for me the right answer,so natural and very unlucky touch, no penalty for me, perfect call by Turpin, i would have done the same!
DeleteI will also make the same call, no PK, as Turpin says in the clip the deflection is changing the direction of the ball and this is very close action, no PK is correct imo.
Deletehttps://www.uefa.com/running-competitions/refereeing/clear-line/penalties/handball/
Delete"A deflected shot still traveling towards the goal is blocked by the defender’s arm/hand, which is clearly held away from the body in an unnatural position" -> penalty
This is actually a really interesting situations where I am seeing a lot of people not agreeing on the right call on this .... For me this should not be whistled as a penalty, I see a ball clearly changing its trajectory, but then the arm is wide, which could be something to note .. Very interesting indeed and one of the borderline situations that will make people have different opinions
DeletePhillip, for me it’s a natural movement, so no penalty!
Delete@Philipp i actually think. that video 18 and 19 from this page is actually better for this situation.
DeleteNo PK : ''in principle, a defender is attempting to block a shot or a pass with any part of the body and a deflection causes the ball to clearly change direction before contacting their arm/hand, which is held in a natural position. This applies when the ball would not have continued travelling towards the goal or in the original direction of the pass''
We can disagree, but I don't see the "clearly change direction". Unlike in the examples 18 and 19, the ball still goes towards goal without significant change by the deflection.
DeleteThe "natural position" is debatable, but in my understanding such an outstretched arm currently is assessed as unnatural increase of the body surface, so that it would be a very clear penalty without the deflection.
Understandable aswell, i think those situations as really difficult to judge even with clear guideline, it's a real grey zone imo
DeleteAccording to CFF, Pajac is appointed in Nations League on 5 October and Champions League 13/14 October. Naturally, matches not precised.
ReplyDeleteTurkey - France
ReplyDeleteFelix zwayer.
VAR: Christian Dingert
2 week ago, Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk:
'Dingert, I mean they even said dingil (a bad word in Turkish), but we call him Dingert. If it were me, I would end that German referee's career.'"
And Dingert became the VAR referee for the Turkey-France match :)
At this point, we are really not interested what Turkish managers, presidents and other people in a black suits think. It's ridiculous and their word carries no weight. They turned football into a circus and reality show and since more money has been invested this year than ever before, madness on an unprecedented scale is to be expected.
DeleteKudos to the fans for the fantastic atmosphere but the behavior of people in the most responsible and highest positions is sad
👍🏻 💯
Delete@HB2300 It is quite tragicomic that you are trying to create a mocking agenda by bringing local Turkish rivalries and your obsession with Okan Buruk to European forums.
Delete@CarlRDM While criticizing the managers' tone by calling it a "circus", it is highly prejudiced of you to ignore the systematic double standards UEFA applies against Turkish football. Is it a coincidence that only 1 Turkish referee was appointed in 86 Play-Off round matches (and that was in a formality match where the first leg ended 7-0)? Is it normal for Cüneyt Çakır to be mobbed by Ceferin over a single controversial decision (in the SVN-AUT match) and banished from major matches? On the other hand, the fact that referees with very poor performances like Dingert (who has been appointed to a Turkish team's match for the 3rd time in just 10 days) are virtually rewarded by being consecutively appointed to critical matches is the actual "circus" that needs to be questioned. Football in Turkey is a massive, passionate ecosystem where huge investments are made. Turkish football fans can very clearly see this Eurocentric arrogance and double standards in referee appointments, apart from Collina.
@TheFairJudge
DeleteI'm glad that someone else responded, I was expecting this kind of comment. First, I will start from the end of your comment "arrogance and double standards in referee appointments" - it always was, is and will be like that. Not only towards Turkey, but towards all countries that are not "purely western" and/or the league of five. So it is not something that is reserved only for Turkey. Second, I'm glad you mentioned the legendary Cuneyt Cakir. Before we touch on his treatment by UEFA, let's get down to the nitty-gritty - why is there no place for him in Turkey's massive, passionate ecosystem where huge investments are made?
Is Cakir welcome to Turkish football and why he is not?
Finally - referees from Turkey are part of the Turkish Football Association and are its representatives. They are not an independent organization. Would you have confidence in any football association in the world, when you receive pictures from a competition organized by that association of the club president punching the referee on the field of play, where referees are removed from the list under (un)proven accusations of having betting orders, where every weekend the leaders of the biggest clubs fight and accuse each other in the media, where the head of referees changes every two years... and so on. Is the Turkish Federation the only one with the mentioned problems? Of course not, but it is one of the biggest that has this problem and UEFA uses it as a justification.
To conclude, as a great admirer of Turkish football, it is difficult for me to watch all of the above, because Turkish football deserves better. Great stadiums, fans, fiery matches. But it's just a facade, inside something is not right and you know it very well. And the referees are just the collateral damage of the state in which Turkish football is. First you need to take care of your yard...
With the observer appointed for gillett can we say that he is definitely being pushed at the moment
ReplyDeleteFor sure
DeleteIt's unbelievable what they do with Gillett...
ReplyDeleteThey have to push an English ref to be same what the same level as Oliver and gillet is the most experience one.
DeleteBut they tried with Sam Barrott this summer. He got three games in qualifying rounds while Gillett none. And then instantly Gillett is appointed to (one of) biggest game on UEL MD1 without even a UECL appointment in his palmares while Barrott is forgotten. Could you find any logic?
DeleteUnfair to barrott but perhaps age has came into play here
Deletewhere is Kavanagh?
DeleteThey could still be pushing both. Remember England only has 3 officials in elite/cat 1 which is less than other "big countries" I think that both of them get promoted to Cat 1 soon.
DeleteI think you are right very soon we could have a situation where gillett and barrott get promoted to cat 1 and depending on brooks being promoted to elite maybe jones to cat 1 aswell
DeleteI think we will see brammell added to f the FIFA list at Christmas and hallam added some time next season
I don’t understand why people are so against Gillett
Delete- if anything, uefa has taken far too long to focus on him. Very experienced previously in Australia, has then become fifa again in England and is refereeing regularly and successfully in a top league. What’s the problem? UEFA should have been using him more previously and surely should be Cat1 anyway.
I like gillett but he has not impressed in pl this season
DeleteIt's nothing against Gillett (although his positioning/running abilities are extremely limited). It's against UEFA RefCom management. He's on the UEFA list for some years and he was not even considered capable of handling a single Conference League game - only qualifiers and youth games - didn't make any progress at all. And instantly he is given a huge UEL game as his debut in UEFA senior club competition followed by a committee member observing him in UNL It's not only totally weird but also very unfair to others who have to be faultless in many games to get the promotion and one mistake could end their dreams or strongly harm their career.
DeleteJoão Pinheiro will referee today's Saudi Arabia vs. Kuwait in the Gulf Cup (20:00 CET).
ReplyDelete16:30 CET - Jeddah (Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium)
IRAQ vs. OMAN
Umar Al-Ali - Muhammad Al-Hammadi, Jasim Al-Ali UAE - Ammar Mahfuz BHR
[Muhammad Ubaid UAE, Mishari Ash-Shammari QAT]
20:00 CET - Jeddah (King Abdullah Sports City Stadium)
SAUDI ARABIA vs. KUWAIT
João Pinheiro - Pedro Ribeiro, Luciano Maia POR - Muhammad Ash-Shammari QAT
[Fu Ming CHN, Hamza El Fariq MAR]
IRQOMA
Delete26' Missed YC for reckless tackle
https://streama.in/FmTXkkc3SjDSS50/watch
41' PAI tackle; the old story with a challenge after the ball had been already passed to a teammate - no reckless, no foul
https://streama.in/Fz1pT1T2TCGfaY5/watch
45+1' YC IRQ8 for reckless challenge; I guess the referee still had in mind the previous SPA offence by another Iraqi and cautioned the player to avoid Oman's frustration
https://streama.in/tDtfnZkri5wFI2k/watch
51' YC IRQ4 for SPA tackle
https://streama.in/99PsJNTBv6apcBO/watch
64' Falling for simulation of IRQ15, FK awarded in dangerous position
https://streama.in/e6XymLOL4bk7noG/watch
86' YC OMA3 for SPA; some delay in issuing the card
https://streama.in/UaN8XxyfZhS6oDv/watch
88' Coach OMA warned for dissenting against play-on call
https://streama.in/1rR5SIfPPjyJcQl/watch
90+8' Confusion who should leave the FoP for one minute
https://streama.in/zRoMY1PjugfznOk/watch
KSAKUW
Delete29' PAI handball
https://streama.in/aZvK3WYLuB9HGRo/watch
37' Goal KSA disallowed for a foul in APP - delayed call
https://streama.in/MfQAugMKJCs3Sp6/watch
46' YC KSA2 for reckless kick in opponent's head
https://streama.in/qu4WYSkfJLHNF9q/watch
49' Tactical offence by KSA6
https://streama.in/ro2x86cMSf5vy7F/watch
66' Play-on after step on foot by KUW4
https://streama.in/MlUpWSkkYhbIgN9/watch
At least now there is a committee member observing Gillett, which makes more sense, it would have been logical to assess him in a match like this first and only then assign him to a game like Milan - Benfica.
ReplyDeleteStill, if we try to find logic, it all should be about fast-tracking another English referee given Taylor's retirement. That said, it remains to be seen if something happened with Barrott, since it all started with him a few months ago.
At this point, given that Barrott needs more time, they may have decided to select a referee who is already established internationally as a VAR. And we should also mention Brooks persistent injury issues, which have stopped his path. It's a situation to be monitored.
Especially to see what they intend to do with Barrott now.
Since I prefer to let the pitch do the talking for Gillett, I’ll just make another comment regarding his UEFA appointment.
DeletePerhaps UEFA has focused on the wrong English referees in the past, only to be disappointed later for various reasons (Kavanagh, Jones, Brooks, etc.).
However, this shouldn't deny Gillett the right to be appointed to matches and prove his worth as a referee.
UEFA's mistakes, or those of other English referees, shouldn't be blamed on a third party.
That being said, we have to wait and see how the Australian performs on the pitch in high-stakes matches—even though, as I’ve said before, I believe he is a capable referee.
GULF CUP
ReplyDeleteThursday 24 September 2026
17:00 CET
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - YEMEN
Qasim Al-Hatmi - Nassar Ambusaidi, Hamad Al-Ghafri OMA - Abdullah Jamali KUW
[Hamza El Fariq MAR, Abdullah Arab KUW]
20:00 CET
QATAR - BAHRAIN
Khalid At-Turais - Abdulrahim Ash-Shammari, Sa'ad As-Suba'i KSA - Za'id Thamir IRQ
[Abdullah Ash-Shahri, Sultan Al-Harbi KSA]
18:00 CET - Plovdiv (Hristo Botev Stadium)
ReplyDeleteBULGARIA vs. LUXEMBOURG
Referee: Sander van der Eijk (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Rens Bluemink (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Roy de Nas (NED)
Fourth Official: Alex Bos (NED)
Video Assistant Referee: Clay Ruperti (NED)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Robin Hensgens (NED)
Source: KNVB https://www.knvb.nl/nieuws/scheidsrechters/aanstellingen/72239/van-der-eijk-fluit-nations-league-duel-plovdiv
Since that disgraceful Lyon-Fenerbahçe Champions League playoff match that Mariani officiated, he hasn't been assigned to any UEFA matches. I want to believe that something has changed.
ReplyDeleteDonatas Rumšas (Aleksandr Radiuš, Dovydas Sužiedėlis) and VAR Aleandro Di Paolo will be UEFA representatives at the AFC Asian Cup 2027.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.the-afc.com/en/about_afc/referees.html/news/record-76-match-officials-confirmed-for-afc-asian-cup-saudi-arabia-2027%E2%84%A2
https://assets.the-afc.com/2027_AFC_Asian_Cup/Appointment-of-Match-Officials-_AFC-Asian-Cup-Saudi-Arabia-2027.pdf
List of main referees:
DeleteAlexander King (AUS)
Alireza Faghani (AUS)
Ammar Mahfoodh (BHR)
Ma Ning (CHN)
Mooud Bonyadifard (IRN)
Zaid Thamer Mohammed (IRQ)
Adham Makhadmeh (JOR)
Yusuke Araki (JPN)
Choi Hyun-jai (KOR)
Kim Jong-hyeok (KOR)
Khalid Al-Turais (KSA)
Mohamed Al-Hoish (KSA)
Abdullah Jamali (KUW)
Ahmad Al-Ali (KUW)
Nazmi Nasaruddin (MAS)
Qasim Al-Hatmi (OMA)
Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (QAT)
Salman Falahi (QAT)
Adel Al-Naqbi (UAE)
Omar Al-Ali (UAE)
Asker Nadzhafaliev (UZB)
Ilgiz Tantashev (UZB)
Kim Yu-jeong (KOR, female referee)
Donatas Rumšas (LTU, UEFA exchange referee)
The list has been reduced from 34 main referees in 2023 to 24 in 2027.
Very 'continuist' list, only King, Mahfoodh, Thamer Mohammed, Choi Hyun-jai, Kim Yu-jeong, Al-Hatmi and Nadzhafaliev (7 out of 23, not including Rumsas for obvious reasons) didn't 2023 Asian Cup.
DeleteQuite a remarkable shift when you think about how far Japan’s refereeing stature has declined. For decades, Japan was Asia’s leading refereeing nation and could almost always be counted on to have a referee at the FIFA World Cup. This year, however, it is represented by nothing more than a fourth official. Even at the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, Australia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan will each have two referees appointed, while Japan will be represented by just one.
DeleteShocking appointments mahfoodh and nadzhafaliev are honestly mid refs I've watched them in afc and jus shouldn't be appointed to this competition. They barely feature in the champions league elite. Lutfullin should be in over nadzhafaliev. Evans demoted to var while king takes his place well deserved he has been brilliant both domestically and continentally.
DeleteChefren : I replied to your question about Belgian referees regarding the appointement of Visser in a League B game instead of Lambrechts. Now, I you read my reply on that one, cfr above, then I am of course totally surprised that Jasper Vergoote is now only acting as fourth referee in a C league game. Nathan Verboomen apparently is considered now "higher" by UEFA. Honestly, this makes no sense.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to understand. Yes, and thanks for your detailed answer above.
DeleteChefren. What happened to Lothar D'hondt? He didn't show a red card to the Slovenian player who attacked him. Could he have been banned because of that? He hasn't been seen around since the Górnik-Fenerbahçe match.
ReplyDeleteNo appointments for him after that game.
DeleteI already wrote about that above in this discussion, you can read.
Now we see another Belgian for a NL game, while Lambrechts seems still injured.
I think Rosetti didn't like how D'Hondt managed that situation.
But I must say, the main problem of many referees in modern times is that they tend to be alwys lenient, they do all to avoid to issue a red card. That's a fact.
Matthew Donohue assignment in Albania - Belarus can't go unnoticed.
ReplyDeleteNo goal after OFR in NED-GER. I don't see the clear and obvious mistake here.
ReplyDeleteWhile i agree, for me he doesn’t allow the gk to interfere, i like the ofr tbh
DeleteAgree. Especially in the light of the no-penalty non-intervention just prior.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI have my doubts about this VAR intervention by del Cerro Grande
ReplyDeleteIMO wrong decision to disallow the goal by Hdz Hdz. Defender with minimal impact
ReplyDeleteOFR for disallowing a goal in NED - GER, referee Hernández Hernández.
ReplyDeletehttps://streamin.link/v/150413d9
I think, nobody asked for it - also the German commentators were rather sceptical about the foul call.
DeleteSo doesn't really look like a clear and obvious mistake.
However, if there have been very clear instructions to punish such situations, the OFR could be justified. We will see, whether this will be consistently handled this way in UEFA competitions.
BTW, in that case, one should expect the referee to focus on the GK and detect such fouls himself...
Agree with Philipp, unless specific guidelines by UEFA for such situations, like it was with Collina at WC, it should be deemed as wrong intervention, surely not enough to call it a clear and obvious mistake.
DeleteUEFA is working on VAR communication, but as long as they keep it only for CL... it's not enough.
https://www.uefa.com/running-competitions/refereeing/clear-line/attacking-offence/foul-handball/
DeleteHere would be an excellent place to write about such specific guidelines...
Offside. When Virgil heads the ball, Brobbey is in an offside position and is interfering with Ter Stegen, I guess, but especially before Van Dijks heads the ball...
ReplyDeletemight be the explanation. still not sure
DeleteI dont think so. No offside gestures after ofr
DeleteThe interference is already over when van Dijk heads the ball.
DeleteAnd yes, no offside signalled.
The referee doesn’t signal an IFK so unlikely that the offside position is punished. At the moment of the header the position clearly is not punishable (anymore), so that would have been a clearly wrong intervention. Now it remains a really, really soft one IMHO.
DeleteAll true, just looking for some explanation, because otherwise the intervention is, as already mentioned, quite ridiculous
DeleteThe match is heating up after Germany appears to be playing the ball out following a Dutch injury but instead plays on and scores. Hernandez will be tested
ReplyDeleteFound Hernandez body language a bit confusing as well. Seemed to bring the whistle to his mouth for a split second.
Deleteyes, now management skills and personality come into play. looking forward to see how Hernandez will handle it.
DeleteFor me wrong CK awarded for NED but no VAR intervention weird imo.
ReplyDeletePenalty for Austria the usual situation, where it is not so clear, who is more guilty of causing the contact. 50/50 situation for me, so correct by the VAR to remain silent.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion with the new trend about penalties, Rosetti should assess this one as mistake.
DeleteNot a significant contact to justify the fall by attacker.
However, it's correct by VAR to support the call if we stay at the original protocol.
IMO situation which the R has to be focus on the Defender’s action - Does he play the ball ? No ! Does he take the risk? Yes! Does he did the careless tripping ? Yes !
DeleteSo, I consider this call by Kabakov as correct one. He had good position and awarded the PK without any hesitation.
About the rest of his performance, I can say that he had full control of the game. He shows really good management skills.
IMO he is performing now in a very good way.
Herr Stieler had a very good first half. He let the game flow, used the advantage rule perfectly well in minutes 7 and 10. He missed another opportunity to use this rule, but fortunately for him and for the Danes, the free-kick awarded to them was converted to a goal. However, the ysllow card to Cristensen (Denmark, 37') was unnecessary as there was just an obstruction (indirect free-kick in the old days).
ReplyDeleteAll in all, a quite convincing performance by Tobias Stieler, somewhat marred by an inexplicable decision after after 89 minutes: Haaland clearly pushed, with both his hands, a Danish defender, from behind, when they went for the ball in sight of the ref, with no other players around. A clear infringement. Instead of a free-kick to Denmark, Stieler awarded a corner-kick to Norway, which infuriated some of the players (Haaland not helping much; his unpleasant behaviour added some fuel to the immediate, however short-lived, fire).
DeleteSecond YC by Kabakov for removing the corner flag while celebrating a goal. Excellent decision.
ReplyDeleteIs that the usual punishment? Seems harsh
DeleteWrong decision in my opinion. It wasn’t provocative behaviour by the sending off player
DeleteClear second YC. He used the flag as weapon, no doubt!
DeleteMmmzz, that was quite a distasteful image tbh, especially given the geopolitical context. Ignorant, if not stupidity behavior.
Deletehttps://files.fm/f/ymq2hsufugz4ubvs
It doesn't look like the Spanish referee in Amsterdam is having a good game...
ReplyDeleteTo put it politely, Alejandro HHernández's performance was far from his best, featuring a few technical mishaps and a rather creative approach to discipline that left everyone a bit puzzled.
DeleteLet’s just say the Spanish referee had a day to forget—spectacularly so.
Perhaps a little international vacation would be just the thing to help him clear his head and think it over.
Never a foul.
ReplyDeleteAgain wrong decision by Hernandez to invent a foul before The Netherlands goal.
ReplyDeleteYet another questionable decision by Hernandez to disallow this goal. Very weak performance
ReplyDeleteA disaster Hernandez... awful disgrace bad management.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame for this match to have some loser as a referee.
now a disallowed goal in NED-GER. wrong decision for Hernandez. phantom foul and whistled too early so VAR can't intervene. after the wrong OFR decision, we can't say this is a good match for Hernandez anymore.
ReplyDeleteNo foul for me, wrong decision on field by Hernandez Hernandez so no possibility for VAR intervention
ReplyDeleteThought VVD kicked a Germany player no?
ReplyDeleteThe Belgian has had some inconsistent calls in Kosovo. Think that goal should have been disallowed to
ReplyDeleteonly one replay, but did Hernandez and Del Cerro Grande also miss a SFP by Gakpo in the last minute?
ReplyDeleteNothing to report from Rumsas and team in Portugal, expected level performance with VAR disallowing a POR goal for offside
ReplyDelete