ZURIGO (SVIZZERA) (ITALPRESS) – “The most numerous arbitral team ever.” Words (if music will be we will see it after the World Championships) by Pierluigi Collina, head of the Fifa race directors and president of the arbitration committee of the International Football Association. The former viareggino fischietto has officialized the list of 52 referees, 88 assistants and 30 employees of the Video Assistant Referee, coming from all six confederations and from the 50 affiliated federations.
In the list four Italians: the referee of the section of Aprilia Maurizio Mariani, the assistants Daniele Bindoni and Alberto Tegoni, and finally the officer Var, Marco Di Bello.
The Fifa lets you know that “the selection is based on the established principle of giving priority to quality over everything else. It has also been evaluated the consistency of the performance shown by candidates in the Fifa tournaments, as well as in other national and international competitions in recent years.” “The selected arbitrators are among the best in the world – Collina assures. They were part of a larger group of race directors identified and monitored over the last three years. Several Fifa tournaments took part in seminars and arbitration. In addition, their performance in national and international matches has been regularly assessed.”.
“The selected arbitrators – continues Collina – have received and will continue to receive extensive support from our athletic trainers and medical staff, including physiotherapists and a psychologist. Our goal is to ensure that arbitrators are in optimal physical and mental conditions upon their arrival in Miami on 31 May. This year’s World Cup will be the largest in history: 48 teams will participate and 104 games will be held, the largest geographical extension ever achieved by the tournament. This is the biggest Fifa Arbitration Team ever, with 41 more arbitrators than the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Each of them must be ready to run a game and actively contribute to the success of the World Cup. Six arbitrators have been selected, continuing the trend begun four years ago in Qatar, in our constant commitment to the development of female arbitrage.”.
During the competition, arbitrators will train in sessions that will also include local players. “As in previous Fifa tournaments, our competition analysts will provide referees with all the information necessary to prepare for matches properly. We will take care of every detail to ensure that the arbitral team arrives well prepared and we are confident that the team will be able to face the challenges of this revolutionary competition”, added Collina.
“As in previous editions of the World Cup, technology will be key to supporting arbitral teams in their decision-making process. For the first time in the history of the World Cup, the use of new technologies will offer fans the opportunity to see the play actions as they see the referees from the field”, concluded Collina.
On the same wavelength Massimo Busacca, director of the Arbitration Division of the Fifa. “The preparation for the World Cup began immediately after Qatar 2022, with a structured program that included seminars, workshops and continuous monitoring. During this period, all candidates were carefully evaluated by Fifa instructors, athletic trainers, physicians and physiotherapists, and received comprehensive support to ensure they reach the highest possible standards during the tournament”, the words of the former Swiss arbitrator.
The Arbitration Team will be based in Miami, where selected arbitrators will gather for a ten-day preparation gathering starting from 31 May. Var members will then head to Dallas, home of the International Broadcast Centre, while referees, arbitral assistants and support staff will remain in Miami.
“Now that the list of referees has been confirmed, the Fifa is confident that the best arbitrators in the world will play a fundamental role in this historic edition of the World Cup,” says the International Football Federation, which also recalls the rules approved by the Ifab “will optimize the pace of matches and reduce the time losses in football, along with three changes to the Var protocol”.
LA LISTA DEI 52 ARBITRI
UEFA: Michael Oliver (England); Anthony Taylor (England); Francois Letexier (France); Clement Turpin (France); Felix Zwayer (Germany); Maurizio Mariani (ITALIA); Danny Makkelie (Netherlands); Espen Eskas (Norway); Szymon Marciniak (Poland); Joao Pinheiro (Portugal); Istvan Kovacs (Romania); Slavko Vincic (Slovenia); Alejandro Hernandez (Spain); Glenn Nyberg (Sweden) and Sandro Schaerer (Switzerland).
AFC: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan); Ning Ma (China); Alireza Faghani (Australia); Yusuke Araki (Japan); Abdulrahman Al Jassim (Qatar); Khalid Al Turais (Saudi Arabia) and Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan), Kirk Campbell Kawana-Waugh (New Zealand), Omar Al Ali (Arab Emirates).
CAF: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria); Pierre Atcho (Gabon); Amin Mohamed (Egypt); Jalal Jayed (Morocco); Dahane Beida (Mauritania); Omar Abdulkadir Artan (Somaly); Abongile Tom (Sudafrica).
CONCACAF: Drew Fischer (Canada); Juan Calderon (Costa Rica); Said Martinez (Honduras); Oshane Nation (Jamaica); Cesar Ramos (Mexico); Katia Garcia (Mexico); Ivan Barton (El Salvador); Ismail Elfath (United States); Tori Think (United States).
CONMEBOL: Yael Falcon Perez (Argentina); Dario Herrera (Argentina); Facundo Tello (Argentina); Ramon Abatti (Brazil); Raphael Claus (Brazil); Wilton Sampaio (Brazil); Cristian Garay (Chile); Andres Rojas (Colombia); Juan Gabriel Benitez (Paraguay); Kevin Ortega (Peru); Gustavo Tejera (Uruguay); Jesus Valenzuela (Venezuela).
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