Aug 3, 2001
Andrew Barnes of Baton Rouge, La., is one of nine American FIFA refs in MLS's Referee Pool. He is the focus of this edition of Socceramerica.com’s series, “View from the Middle.”
INTERVIEW BY BRYAN ALVAREZ
SOCCER AMERICA: What makes refereeing worthwhile for you?
ANDREW BARNES: Each game poses a challenge to get all the calls right. Along with officiating the game, the people we meet and work with become friends we will have long after our officiating career is over.
SA: What's been your most embarrassing moment?
AB: Back-peddling to midfield for a goal kick and falling right on my butt during a match at youth regionals.
SA: During your playing days, were you ever red-carded?
AB: A couple times. The last time was, when I was playing in our local men's league, by Bob Wertz, the former USSF referee chairman. After that playing took a backseat to refereeing.
SA: What is the toughest call in soccer?
AB: Any call when you don't have a clear view of what is happening. It could be caused by players screening you or the angle you are looking at is wrong.
SA: What could be done to make the officials jobs easier?
AB: I'm not sure anything. Part of being an official is the scrutiny and that decisions are "in the opinion of." I believe this is what makes soccer so unique.
SA: Is there such a thing as a "make-up" call?
AB: Consiously I don't think there is such a call.
SA: So how has this term come into use?
AB: Once a missed call has happened then the fans are looking for a call to label " make-up."
SA: What rule change would you like to see?
AB: No new rules.
SA: What's the worst thing about being a referee?
AB: Without a doubt time away from your family.
SA: How important is playing experience to being a good ref?
AB: It is not a have-to but it has definitely helped me. The players can sense if you have played and it gives you a little more creditability along with a better feel for what is happening on the field.
Sevilla captain apologises for hitting linesman
SEVILLE, Spain, July 31 (Reuters) - Sevilla captain Jose Miguel Prieto has apologised for striking a linesman after a friendly match against Portuguese side Farense last week.
``I lost my head completely and I'm truly sorry about what I did,'' Prieto, 29, was quoted as saying by the Spanish media on Tuesday.
The official was left with a bleeding lip following the match in Portugal last Friday.
Prieto said: ``I would like to apologise to the linesman, to my team mates and to the club and its fans for the damage I have done to the reputation of Sevilla.''
But Sevilla president Roberto Ales told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser: ``An apology is not enough. The player will also be punished for what he has done.''
UEFA boss wants two referees and goal line judges
BERLIN, June 17 (Reuters) - UEFA chief executive Gerhard Aigner was quoted on Sunday as backing the use of two referees and two dedicated goal line judges to reduce the chance of human error in soccer decisions.
``That would guarantee a greater proximity to the action and greater ability to make decisions,'' private German radio station FAZ 93.6 quoted him as saying in a transcript.
However Aigner said recent run-ins over the game's finances between UEFA, the European soccer body, and world organisation FIFA made promoting such radical reforms difficult.
``You need the right atmosphere for that. At the moment we are not getting anywhere with FIFA,'' he said.
The two-referees experiment has recently come under discussion in Britain with advocates saying an official off the pitch with access to video pictures would reduce pressure on the referee.
Jul 26, 2001
Noel Kenny, who has five years of MLS service under his belt, was honored by being chosen referee of the 2001 MLS All-Star Game. A 42-year-old native of Ireland, Kenny officiated for 10 years in the Irish Second Division. Kenny has been in the U.S. for the last 12 years and currently is a buyer for an electronics firm in Armonk, N.Y. He is the focus of the edition of Socceramerica.com’s referee series, “View from the Middle.”
INTERVIEW BY BRYAN ALVAREZ
SOCCER AMERICA: What is the toughest call in soccer?
NOEL KENNY: Calling a penalty kick. It could decide the outcome of the game. There's a 90 percent chance of a goal being scored.
SA: What could be done to make the officials' jobs easier?
NK: Less dissent.
SA: Is there such a thing as a "make-up" call?
NK: No.
SA: So how has this term come into use?
NK: In the minds of players and coaches, any call going the other way can sometimes be seen as make-up call.
SA: What rule change would you like to see?
NK: Something that would benefit attacking soccer and its entertainment value.
SA: What's the worst thing about being a referee?
NK: Getting injured.
SA: What makes refereeing worthwhile for you?
NK: Doing a job well done. When you finish a game and both teams feel like they got a fair shake, that makes it worthwhile.
SA: What's been your most frightening moment?
NK: It happened in Ireland at the junior level, I got punched in the nose by a player on a penalty call.
SA: Your most embarrassing moment?
NK: If you miss a call. Then, when you look at the tape and it should have been an obvious call. That's embarrassing.
SA: During your playing days, were you ever red-carded?
NK: Never.
SA: How important is playing experience to being a good ref?
NK: It's very important. You feel a loss for the players. You can feel a tackle. You've been there. Also, you can read the game better. It's very important.
Jul 24, 2001
One of the most respected referees in MLS, Paul Tamberino was in the middle for MLS Cup 2000. The Baltimore, Md., resident is the focus of this edition of Socceramerica.com’s referee series, “View from the Middle.”
INTERVIEW BY BRYAN ALVAREZ
SOCCER AMERICA: What is the toughest call in soccer?
PAUL TAMBERINO: Probably the penalty kick. They are so infrequent but when it happens, it's almost a guaranteed goal. There aren't many goals in soccer. In a one-goal game, that could make all the difference.
SA: What could be done to make the officials' jobs easier?
PT: Well, MLS is different. They've clamped down on dissent and dangerous tackles. That makes it easier.
But, at the youth level, you have crazy spectators and parents. An understanding of the game from general public would help.
SA: Is there such a thing as a "make-up" call?
PT: No. It may look like it to some. I don't do make-up calls.
SA: What rule change would you like to see?
PT: On an injury, the team that was in possession keeps the ball. In college, they have that rule.
SA: What's the worst thing about being a referee?
PT: The abuse. You just have to shrug it off. If it's not the abuse, there's a lot of pressure at the high level. You don't take it personally. Ninety percent of MLS players are great guys. They just get emotional on the field.
SA: What makes refereeing worthwhile for you?
PT: I love the game. I've been doing this for 26 years. I played semi-pro before that. I just wanted to do something in the sport after I stopped playing. Plus, I get paid to travel. I've been all over the United States and many other countries.
SA: What's been your most frightening moment?
PT: I was a linesman in San Pedro Sula for Honduras-Jamaica, a qualifying game for the 1998 World Cup. Honduras needed a tie or a win to advance to the next round. It was an intense game. The barrier fence was 10 yards behind me. I had a chance to peek over my shoulder. The spectators were rocking the fence and it was swaying over my head.
SA: Your most embarrassing moment?
PT: I don't know. There have been so many little things but nothing that sticks out.
SA: During your playing days, were you ever red-carded?
PT: That's how I started refereeing. I was playing semipro in Baltimore. It was an Open Cup game where I felt the ref was not having a good game. I said, using no profanity, "On my worst day, I could ref better than him." He turned me in. That was in June. I took the refereeing class in August and that's how I got my start.
SA: How important is playing experience to being a good ref?
PT: It's very important. You have to have an understanding of what's happening on the field. You have to understand the players. Reading their body language tells you so much. That makes for a better ref and better relations with players.
Jul 24, 2001
Dallas defender Lubos Kubik escaped with a three-game suspension and a $5,000 fine for yanking the whistle out of referee Richard Heron’s mouth and throwing it off the field during a 2-1 Dallas loss to Chicago July 22. Kubik will also be suspended from the All-Star Game.
In the 73rd minute of the game, Heron awarded a penalty kick to Chicago. Kubik, who was not in the game at that point but warming up behind the Dallas goal, jumped over the field boards behind the goal to dissent the call. Heron red-carded Kubik.
Kubik returned to pull the whistle from the referee's mouth and threw it from the field of play. Kubik then left the field, making disparaging comments about the referee, according to the MLS Disciplinary Committee.
Here is are the Disciplinary Committee's Conclusions and Actions:
“1. That Lubos Kubik was guilty of referee abuse in pulling the referee's whistle from his mouth and throwing it from the field of play.
“This was a physical act implicitly threatening the referee. It was also egregious conduct unbecoming of a professional athlete and employee of MLS.
“Under US Soccer regulations governing referee abuse, Kubik shall be suspended for a period of at least three consecutive matches in addition to any applicable fine.
“Kubik shall therefore be fined $5,000 and suspended from the next three regular season games of the Dallas Burn (at New England on August 4, at home against the MetroStars on August 11, and at Columbus on August 15). Kubik shall also be suspended from participating in the MLS All-Star game this weekend in San Jose.
“2. Dallas Burn players Eric Dade, Chad Deering, Ariel Graziani, Jason Kreis, Oscar Pareja and Jorge Rodriguez shall each be assessed four administrative penalty points for dissent.
“This pushes Oscar Pareja over the 21 point barrier for automatic suspension and he will therefore be fined $500 and suspended for the Dallas Burn's next game at New England on August 4 in accordance with normal MLS regulations.”
Jul 13, 2001
Perhaps the most recognizable face among American referees, FIFA ref Brian Hall has handled games at major competitions around the world -- including last year’s Asia Cup -- and has an MLS Cup under his belt. The Redwood City, Calif., resident is the focus of this edition of Socceramerica.com’s referee series, “View from the Middle.”
INTERVIEW BY BRYAN ALVAREZ
SOCCER AMERICA: What is the toughest call in soccer?
BRIAN HALL: There are three calls that could influence the outcome of any game: the penalty kick, the red card, and the goal/no goal decision (whether or not a ball actually crossed the line).
No one is tougher than the other. It's the situation that makes the decision tough.
SA: What could be done to make the officials' jobs easier?
BH: Coaches, refs, and administrators getting on the same page and working together for the good of the game. We need to sit around a table, in a non-adversarial way and discuss the requirements for each of the three groups to be successful. That would make everyone's job easier.
SA: Is there such a thing as a "make-up" call?
BH: No. Referees make mistakes just like players and coaches. When refs make mistakes, everyone is looking for the next call to be the make-up call. Refs don't go out on the field after a borderline decision, and try to make up for it. It's like the old saying, "Two wrongs don't make a right."
SA: What rule change would you like to see?
BH: FIFA has done a great job lately by putting in rules to speed the game up. The rule I like, that they are still experimenting with, is that if there is dissent or encroachment, they move the ball 10 yards closer to the goal.
It would be a good rule because players are getting better on free kicks. Anything that promotes attacking soccer, protects skillful players and allows the beauty and artistry of the game to show itself, I support.
SA: What's the worst thing about being a referee?
BH: In the United States, while it has improved this year, there is a lot of dissension in the game.
I refed at the UNCAF tournament, recently. I refed the biggest rivalry in Central America, Guatemala vs. El Salvador. They don't complain like players in the U.S. Even at the youth level in the U.S., there is a lack of discipline in players and coaches. I've coached youth teams to three state championships. You still see parents and coaches verbally attack refs at that level.
SA: What makes refereeing worthwhile for you?
BH: Every game is a new challenge. It's always a new situation. No two games are ever the same. I like to see if I am able to fairly and successfully manage each event. We are underpaid and there is a lot of politics at the higher level, but I keep coming back for the love of the game and the challenges.
SA: What's been your most frightening moment?
BH: It goes back a few years ago to the Peninsula Soccer League in San Jose.
It was an ethnic league. I was refing the championship game between two Portuguese teams. There was a controversial goal. The question was whether it was offside or not. One team attacked me and I had to be escorted out of the Watson bowl in San Jose.
There were 2,000 drunk spectators betting money on that game and I had abandoned it before it was over. They were flapping their arms and making chicken noises. I got in my car, a four-cylinder Pontiac Sunbird, and was tailed by spectators for 45 minutes!
SA: Your most embarrassing moment?
BH: One game, I was refing in the Kingdome in Seattle on Astroturf. I was sprinting forward and turned to go backwards. I got stuck in the turf and I did a huge somersault. I tried to act cool and roll into a run like nothing had happened. But, it was caught on replay. They put it on the big screen, and replayed it in slow motion at various points in the game.
SA: During your playing days, were you ever red-carded?
BH: Once. I was a goalkeeper. I took down a striker, which was a yellow-card offense at the time. The ref came over and reached for his card. But, he had both cards in the same pocket and pulled them both out. He showed me the red side while he saw the yellow side. I thought I got red-carded for a yellow card offense. I had a few choice words for him and he then rightfully red-carded me.
SA: How important is playing experience to being a good ref?
BH: I feel that you have to have some playing experience. Does it have to be at a pro level? No. FIFA has recently lowered the age to be a ref to 25. They want younger and faster refs to keep up with the game. It would be hard for all of them to have pro experience.
Also, Esse Baharmast, talks about something called the "ouch factor." You’ve got to have played so that when you see someone fouled, you feel the same pain that they felt. It brings you into the mentality of a player. I've coached for 21 years, we've won three state championships and had one second-place finish. I stay on top of the game through coaching.
I understand tactics and what the players are thinking. When I'm refing, it helps me manage players' psyche. Different nationalities have different attitudes and approaches. Players at different positions also have different psyches.
Jul 6, 2001
It’s easy to get opinions about referees. Now Socceramerica.com is giving you a chance to hear from the refs with the launch of “View from the Middle.” For the series’ inaugural edition, we sought out MLS and FIFA referee Ali Saheli of Columbia, Mo.
INTERVIEW BY BRYAN ALVAREZ
SOCCER AMERICA: Is there such thing as a "make-up" call?
ALI SAHELI: No. A rule for success is to be consistent. Some might take being consistent for a "make-up call." But no referee entertains the "make-up call" concept.
Communicating via the foul selection and setting guidelines for the match at hand, and carrying on the same way until the last whistle, is what every coach and player wishes for. No one likes surprises.
SA: What's the toughest call in soccer?
AS: There is no one call or situation in a soccer match that is exceptionally tough to make. But officiating as a whole is not easy.
There are 22 players on the field and two coaching staffs watching every detail of a match. The referee is running around with the players trying to be everywhere necessary to view from the correct angle, judge the situation and produce the right verdict. It has the making of a job that has no room for error.
And rightly so. Just think about it! Players and coaches work so hard, year around and put so much time, energy and skill -- not to mention expenses endured by the owners -- to produce the product we see on the field. And now, at game time, when everything they worked so hard for, is being put to a test. Everyone expects nothing less than perfection from the officiating crew.
SA: What is the biggest misconception coaches and players have about referees?
AS: I don't think there is as much misconception as unawareness. Despite rumors, referees are human beings! And making mistakes is part of being one. I believe it would be great if everyone spent some time and officiated a few games, even at lower youth levels, and experiences the thought process it demands.
SA: What could be done to make the officials' job easier?
AS: Mutual respect and good communication are two areas we can target to start with. We all have to understand and subscribe to the fact that "the Game" is what we are trying to promote.
Without soccer, life would be very boring. Mutual respect will allow us better communication on and off the field and provide the circumstances to enhance the final product.
Player, coaches, fans and referees are all part of the one big equation and only by working together can we succeed.
SA: What rule change would you like to see?
AS: None that I can think of right now. Just enforcing the ones we have better.
SA: What's the worst thing about being a referee?
AS: Personally, traveling every weekend and being away from home. I love to travel but, the time spent going back and forth to the airports, flying to a different location, doing the game and flying back, weekend after weekend gets very tiresome. I wished there was a quicker and better way to travel. Jet lag is a mean beast to deal with.
SA: What makes refereeing worthwhile for you?
AS: Love of the game. As I mentioned earlier, life without soccer would be boring. You know that because it’s not the money. If you took the number of hours we spend studying the teams and their matches from the week before, talking to colleagues about their match, traveling to the site, doing the game and the self-evaluations (watching our game's videotape and writing about all aspects), and divide it by the amount paid, it will be close to minimum wage. Only true love can carry you through all of that.
SA: What's been your most frightening moment?
AS: I live in Columbia, Mo., and depending on the cheapest air fare, I will fly out of Columbia, St. Louis or Kansas City. On one of my trips, I had driven about 10 miles toward Kansas City when I felt something was wrong.
My flight was out of St. Louis!
SA: Your most embarrassing moment?
AS: Reviewing my game tape and seeing a mistake that I should have known better. And trying to find why it happened.
SA: How important is playing experience to being a good ref?
AS: Refereeing a soccer match is about understanding and being aware of all emotions around you. The most successful are the ones that, see it, feel it and can deal with it accordingly. To have that level of understanding as a referee, it is my belief, its essential to have experienced playing as well as coaching. It’s like child birth! I can listen to a mother talk about or watch it happen but, I am far from understanding it.
Bulgarian referee says he is cleared over bribe claim
SOFIA, June 27 (Reuters) - Bulgarian soccer referee Ivan Dobrinov said on Wednesday that Bulgaria's highest judicial institution had cleared him of allegations that he demanded a bribe to fix a second division match in March.
``The prosecutor's office on June 11 issued its final decision that there is no evidence to back the charges and I will show it at a news conference on Thursday,'' Dobrinov told Reuters.
Prosecutor's office officials were not available for comment.
Pirin Blagoevgrad officials accused Dobrinov that he had demanded 10,000 levs ($5,000) from their club to ensure victory in an away clash with Svetkavitsa Targovishte on March 31.
Pirin, then second in the second division, lost 2-1 to eighth-placed Svetkavitsa.
The Referees Commission at the Bulgarian Football Union suspended Dobrinov from officiating until the results of the police investigation were known.
The commission lifted the ban in May due to a lack of evidence and he officiated a couple of matches of the local championships in May.
Premier league turns to professional referees
LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - English premier league matches will be officiated by professional referees from next season in a move to reduce the number of controversial decisions.
The officials will have the opportunity to earn up to 60,000 pounds ($82,640) a year as a result of a new scheme also designed to improve standards and increase accountability.
The initiative will create an elite group of 24 referees, each accountable to a new body, the Professional Game Match Officials Board.
``This is a big development for football, which will see a fundamental reorganisation of match officials. It will lead to improving standards of refereeing, which is a priority for everyone,'' FA chief executive Adam Crozier said in a statement. Last season, the referees answered to the premier leagueand its National Review Board, but they attracted constant criticism and controversial decisions have dogged English football in recent years.
The 24 referees will be allowed to retain their current jobs outside football, though the scheme will hand the two dozen officials contracts worth 33,000 pounds a year, with a 900-pound fee to be paid for each match.
They will also be able to earn bonuses for good performances.
The new conditions amount to the offer of a full-time job and some referees may leave their current employment to concentrate on refereeing.
MORE TRAINING
The financial incentives are being offered in return for the referees dedicating more time to training, fitness and development.
The referees will be encouraged to build a better working relationship with the players by visiting premier league clubs.
The group will also meet every other Thursday to train together before heading off to their matches on Saturdays.
Alongside the 24 officials in group one, 48 assistant referees will receive financial allowances for the time they dedicate to training.
These officials will take charge of premier league and other high-profile matches in the F.A. and League Cups.
Under the group two classification, 188 referees and a further 50 assistants will receive allowances for time dedicated to improving their performances.
They will supervise matches in the first, second and third divisions.
Crozier told BBC Radio Five on Wednesday: ``Whenever people are paid on performance it tends to improve their performance.
``Those referees who are involved in bigger games could potentially earn 75 thousand pounds a year.
``Referees feel they have not had a place they can call leading them forward, but now it's clear who they report to and who they are accountable to.''
($1-.7260 Pound)
The new standard in refereeing By Paul Gardner
LONDON, 14 June 2001 (internetsoccer.com) -- I guess you'd have to call this a massive financial advance for referees in England. The Football Association has decided to form a "select group" of 24 referees who will receive an annual retainer of $46,000 -- which, with fees of $1,250 per game refereed, means that these top guys could earn over $100,000 a year.
Not bad -- until you consider that the top players in England can earn more than that in a week. But it's another step toward FIFA's long-proclaimed -- and long-delayed -- aim of pro referees.
Ten years ago FIFA announced that it intended to improve the "texture of refereeing." An odd phrase, which apparently meant that "raising the standards of refereeing is one of the key considerations of our sport."
In 1992 then-FIFA Secretary General Sepp Blatter called the part-time referee "an anachronism. The referee of the future can no longer afford to be suspected in any way of having taken on a job alongside players who are better prepared."
The importance of fitness was stressed, backed up by an Italian study which showed that, in the Under-17 World Cup in 1991, a number of referees had covered more ground in a game than had Nii Lamptey, Ghana's star midfielder, in the final.
A year later, Blatter announced that "pro league soccer calls for full-time pro referees."
Which was not quite as definitive as it sounded. The pro soccer referee was defined as "a person who may have an additional occupation, but whose first or premier profession is that of referee..."
But pro referees were slow to appear. In 1997, the part-timers -- the amateurs if you like -- still madde up the vast majority, even among the FIFA list.
Various changes were made in the referee requirements -- from the cosmetic (brighter colored shirts) to the practical (FIFA referees were required to have an English-language knowledge of the rules).
But the main thrust of FIFA's campaign for pro refs was to get each national association to form -- and of course, finance -- the sort of select group that the English FA is now beginning to assemble.
Back in 1992, FIFA foresaw a problem: "This target must not be allowed to be sabotaged through lack of funds. If there is enough money around for players and transfers, there must be enough for referees."
But professionalization has been a slow process. It really does appear that the top nations of the world's richest sport have been remarkably reluctant to commit the necessary funding.
FIFA itself set about forming the first group of super-refs. In November 1999, Secretary-General Michel Zen-Ruffinen told me: "Starting next year we hope to have the first group of about 15 to 20 elite referees, full-time professionals, who will be used in all the top FIFA competitions. We'll take the best, even if that means using two or more from one country."
They would be paid, said Zen-Ruffinen, partly by FIFA, but "we would expect the national associations and the Confederations to contribute."
Many arguments have been put forward in favor of pro referees -- from the obvious ones of proper trainning and fitness, to the more sinister suggestion that highly-paid referees would be less corruptible.
But there remains a surprisingly weighty body of opinion that finds things perfectly okay as they are. They maintain that the typical part-time referee is immune to pressure from bosses who are paying his salary, and is therefore much more likely to be impartial in his decisions.
It's a point worth considering. But progress -- whatever that is -- says pretty loudly that, like it or not, we're going to get pro refs.
Paul Gardner, internetsoccer.com Senior Columnist, also writes for Soccer America magazine (where his weekly column "SoccerTalk" has appeared for the past 15 years) and for World Soccer magazine. His most recent book, SoccerTalk: Life Under the Spell of the Round Ball, can be purchased online at http://www.reedswain.com/.
MLS officials not immune from complaints
USATODAY.com, The Netminder, Beau Dure 6/7/2001
Referees around the world are catching grief these days. NBA refs have been accused of favoring the big-market marquee players and teams (wasn't that why most of us stopped watching during the Jordan years?), and every English news outlet has a mountain of evidence showing that cricket officials royally messed up that dreadful match against Pakistan.
In MLS, it's the usual stuff: Ref makes controversial call, players and front-office folks run to nearest reporters to talk about how the league needs to improve officiating to avoid the scoffs and sneers of our friends overseas.
Not that there's any uniform standard overseas, as Soccer America's Paul Gardner quite rightly pointed out in taking Miami's Ian Bishop to task for his "I could get away with that in England" ranting. MLS has imported all types of foreign players, from rugged Europeans to flashy playmakers from Latin America. All of them go through a bit of culture shock when they find that the MLS game isn't quite the game they left behind in England, El Salvador, Mexico, etc.
So you find something in MLS generally not seen elsewhere — the giant scrum charging toward the ref after a controversial call. And all the poor ref can do to regain control is make more calls.
Perhaps the solution isn't better refs, but bigger refs. Perhaps it's no coincidence that one of the best-regarded refs in the world is the frightening Italian, Pierluigi Collina. (You've probably seen him — the big bald guy with the menacing glare.)
Fortunately, MLS has a great opportunity. The XFL has folded, leaving several large guys out of work. Just put "He Hate Me" in the middle of the next MetroStars-United game and see how quickly the players put a lid on it.
MLS suspends MetroStars Zambrano
NEW YORK (AP) 06/07/2001— Octavio Zambrano, coach of the New York-New Jersey MetroStars, was suspended for a game and fined $2,000 on Thursday for criticizing the officials following a tie with New England.
Zambrano will sit out the MetroStars' game at Washington next Wednesday.
"There are multiple appropriate channels by which coaches can express their views regarding league matters," MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis said. "Octavio has always been supportive of Major League Soccer and we expect that this behavior will not be repeated."
The MetroStars played a 1-1 tie with the Revolution on Sunday. New England scored in the closing minutes when referee Kevin Terry awarded a penalty kick.
Zambrano wasn't angered so much by that ruling, but by another in the second half when Terry didn't issue a yellow card against New England's Leonel Alvarez after a foul against Petter Villegas.
The yellow card would have been Alvarez's second of the match, and would have forced New England to play with 10 men for the remainder of the game.
Speed and Taylor have red cards reduced
LONDON, June 7 (Reuters) - Newcastle United's Gary Speed and Ian Taylor of Aston Villa have had the red cards they received after clashing on the last day of the season reduced to yellow after appeal, the FA said on Thursday.
The two midfielders were involved in an innocuous-looking wrestling match towards the end of Newcastle's 3-0 win in the final league game of the season at St James' Park on May 19.
But after referee Barry Knight reviewed a video of the incident he decided his original decision had been too harsh.
Neither player will now be suspended at the start of next season.
Speed's red card was the first of the 31-year-old's career.
Refereeing controversy in Boca-Palmeiras draw
BUENOS AIRES, June 7 (Reuters) - Defending champions Boca Juniors twice came from behind to force a 2-2 draw at home to Palmeiras in a Libertadores Cup semifinal littered with controversial refereeing decisions on Thursday.
Palmeiras were livid about the penalty from which Boca Juniors equalised, and also claimed they should have had a penalty in the second half of the first leg match in Boca's famous Bombonera stadium.
Two players and Boca coach Carlos Bianchi were shown the red card as Paraguayan referee Ubaldo Aquino tried to control a stormy repeat of last year's final.
The official, who had a torrid time, ignored a number of vicious fouls, was inconsistent in his interpretation of the rules and seemed perplexed by the constant appeals for penalties.
Brazil's Palmeiras took a shock lead after 19 minutes through midfielder Alex but Boca, Argentina's most popular team, hit back one minute before halftime with a penalty by striker Guillermo Barros Schelotto.
The penalty was awarded for an alleged push by Alexandre on Antonio Barijho but television replays clearly showed that Barijho threw himself forward after being accidentally brushed by the Palmeiras defender.
Palmeiras went back in front through Fabio Junior in the 54th minute but Barijho equalised again one minute later, tapping the ball home after playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme had waltzed through the defence.
An inspired Riquelme created several other clear chances but they were wasted by his team mates.
Palmeiras goalkeeper Marcos made two outstanding reflex saves, the first from Barijho in the first half and another to deny Walter Gaitan late in the game.
Palmeiras midfielder Fernando appeared to be tripped by Boca goalkeeper Oscar Cordoba in the penalty area but the referee waved away appeals. There were several other penalty claims but most seemed to be dives.
Fernando and Barijho were later sent off for fighting and Bianchi was ordered from the Boca bench for dissent.
Hagi charged with assaulting referee
May 29, 2001
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- European soccer star Gheorghe Hagi was charged Tuesday with assaulting a referee three days after playing what he says was his last game.
The Romanian midfielder for the Turkish club Galatasaray could face a maximum jail sentence of four years, two months.
Hagi is accused of assaulting referee Erol Ersoy after his ejection from a league game in Istanbul in March. Hagi had to be pulled away by teammates before leaving the field. Turkey's soccer federation banned him for six games.
Hagi gave a statement to the prosecutor Friday, denying he spit at the referee, stomped on his foot or insulted him, the Anatolia news agency reported.
After five years with Galatasaray, Hagi has said he will retire from soccer this summer.
Prosecutor seeks to jail Hagi over ref attack-agency
ISTANBUL, May 29 (Reuters) - A Turkish prosecutor wants Romanian midfielder Gheorge Hagi to be jailed for an alleged attack on a referee, the state-run Anatolian news agency said on Tuesday.
The report said the prosecutor had filed a case against Hagi and that a court in Istanbul will set a date for the hearing over the next few days. The sentence for such an offences ranges from 10 to 50 months in jail.
The case stems from a televised match in March between Galatasaray and Genclerbirligi, which Galatasaray won 2-1.
Hagi appeared to spit at referee Erol Ersoy after a goal by his team mate Hasan Sas had been disallowed and was then seen to stamp on the official's feet and had to be dragged from the pitch by team mates and the coach.
The 35-year-old followed that up with a verbal attack on the referee, accusing him of bias against Galatasaray.
Hagi made a statement to a court on May 25, denying the charges and saying that the referee had sent him off unfairly.
The Turkish Soccer Federation banned him for six matches over the incident, much less than the maximum six-month sentence at their disposal.
Hagi joined Galatasaray in 1996 but his contract ends in June and he is due to leave Turkey. He has spoken of returning to Romania to take up coaching.
Emelec coach apologises to ref over bias allegations
BUENOS AIRES, May 18 (Reuters) - Emelec coach Rodolfo Motta apologised to a referee on Friday for saying he feared the official would be biased towards opponents River Plate in a Libertadores Cup match.
Ecuadorean underdogs Emelec were thrashed 5-0 by the Argentines in Thursday's second round, second leg game in Buenos Aires but Motta said he had no complaints over the performance of Paraguayan official Epifanio Gonzalez.
``The man was phenomenal. He controlled the match really well,'' said Motta. ``I had my doubts beforehand but now I must correct myself.
``A man accepts his defeats and his mistakes,'' he added.
Before the game, Motta said he was afraid that Gonzalez would hand out yellow cards to his players early in the game and ``incline the pitch towards our goal.''
Emelec also complained that River won every time Gonzalez refereed their games.
Motta's comments caused bad feeling and his River Plate counterpart Americo Gallego accused Emelec of violent play in the first leg, which the Ecuadoreans surprisingly won 2-0.
Two players were booked before Thursday's second leg even started when River's Martin Cardetti and Emelec goalkeeper Daniel Viteri were shown the yellow card for getting involved in a pushing match.
Eight more players were booked in the first half as Gonzalez quickly clamped down on unruly behaviour.
Gonzalez had said before the game that he was not bothered about the controversy. ``I'm an honest man,'' he said.
Top Russian referee recovering from attack
ST PETERSBURG, Russia, May 17 (Reuters) - Taras Bezubyak, one of Russia's top referees, is recovering from serious head injuries after being attacked in St Petersburg, a local soccer official said on Thursday.
``He has been released from hospital and is now resting at home,'' Viktor Spiridonov told Reuters.
Spiridonov said four men attacked Bezubyak, a long-time FIFA referee, on Monday night in the hallway of his apartment building. He was hit repeatedly on the head and suffered concussion.
``Police are investigating the attack but from what we see it doesn't look like a planned action related to soccer, it's more like regular hooliganism,'' said Spiridonov.
In December 1999, Zenit's Moldova international Alexandru Curtianu also suffered serious head injuries in an attack in the hallway of his apartment building.
Referee's family benefits from Southend replay
LONDON, May 8 (Reuters) - Southend United beat Mansfield Town 3-1 on Tuesday in an English third division match which was rearranged after the referee collapsed and died during the original fixture.
The game at Roots Hall was abandoned on April 16 with the score at 0-0 after referee Mike North collapsed on the pitch shortly before halftime. He was taken to hospital but doctors could not revive him.
Net gate receipts from Tuesday's game were donated to North's family.
MLS suspends Mutiny F Diallo, fines three MetroStars
April 27, 2001
NEW YORK (TICKER) -- A third incident involving the MetroStars and Tampa Bay Mutiny star forward Mamadou Diallo prompted Major League Soccer to take disciplinary action.
Diallo was suspended for two games and fined $1,000 on Thursday and three MetroStars -- defenders Mike Petke and Steve Jolley, and goalkeeper Tim Howard -- were assessed $250 apiece for their actions in Saturday's game.
The Mutiny striker, who scored a league-high 26 goals last season, was issued a red card by referee Kevin Stott for a foul from behind on Petke in the 89th minute. According to the MLS disciplinary committee, the challenge "was made with reckless disregard for Petke's safety."
Petke, Jolley and Howard were cited for their "aggressive and confrontational" behavior following Diallo's foul.
"Go back and watch every game he gets shut out and frustrated," said Petke on Saturday after shadowing Diallo during the Mutiny's 3-1 victory over the MetroStars. "Who was there on Long Island in the (U.S.) Open Cup (last season) when he elbowed me in the face on the sideline? What was the ref doing?"
The MetroStars eliminated the Muntiny in the third round of the 2000 U.S. Open Cup with a 3-0 victory in Uniondale, New York on July 25, 2000.
In their last MLS meeting on August 16, Diallo collided with former MetroStars goalkeeper Mike Ammann inside the penalty area. Ammann, who was traded to DC United in the offseason, suffered three broken ribs, a punctured lung and facial injuries and remained in a Tampa area hospital for days after the match.
Diallo dismissed Petke's statements following Saturday's match.
"I don't pay any attention to him," Diallo said of Petke. "I've been here one year and everybody knows me. He tries to use me to get a name."
Babayaro cleared of violent conduct by FA
LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - Chelsea defender Celestine Babayaro has been cleared of a violent conduct charge, the English Football Association (FA) said on Thursday.
The Nigerian international was accused of stamping on Arsenal's Fredrik Ljungberg during Chelsea's ill-tempered 3-1 defeat in the FA Cup fifth round at Highbury on February 18.
But the FA's disciplinary commission considered that the contact may not have been deliberate and found the case not proved.
The case was instigated by the FA's video advisory panel, which studied evidence of three incidents in the match. Babayro then requested a personal hearing.
Babayaro was caught on camera appearing to stamp on Ljungberg and was shown tripping Arsenal striker Dennis Bergkamp in the game, which also featured a mass confrontation between players from both sides.
Referee says his aggressor was treated as a hero
BUENOS AIRES, April 26 (Reuters) - A man who tried to attack the referee during Tuesday's World Cup qualifier between Ecuador and Paraguay in Quito was later treated as a hero, the official claimed on Wednesday.
The man ran onto the pitch midway through the first half unimpeded by police and remonstrated with referee Angel Sanchez of Argentina, who had sent off Ecuador defender Augusto Poroso minutes earlier.
Players from both teams protected the official before police came onto the pitch to take the man away. Ecuador won the game 2-1.
Sanchez told Radio Red in Buenos Aires on Wednesday: ``Once the game had finished, I found out that the guy was treated like a hero in the stands for trying to attack me and for escaping from stadium security,'' he said.
``Yesterday's game was one which I knew was going to be complicated and I had to take decisions which irritated a lot of people, including this man, who might or might not have been drunk,'' he added.
``Thank God I saw him coming and was able to get out of his way because he was big and if had hit me it would have hurt a lot.''
Sanchez said: ``I was lucky because Ecuador, even with a man less, turned the game around and won.''
``The problem is they (the home supporters) take it very seriously and there were certain demonstrations of nationalism which did not help the game develop normally.''
Scotland captain Hendry banned for six games
ZURICH, April 26 (Reuters) - FIFA banned Scotland captain Colin Hendry for six international matches on Thursday following an elbowing incident with a San Marino player in a World Cup qualifier last month.
The world body also fined the 35-year-old defender 10,000 Swiss francs ($5,900). The punishment is subject to appeal.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) said it thought the sanctions were severe and said it was considering whether to lodge an appeal.
Hendry expressed shock at the decision.
``I am stunned and disappointed and I am awaiting the full submission from FIFA,'' he was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
``Pending an appeal I don't think it is helpful to say any more at this time.''
Hendry appeared to elbow Nicola Albani in the throat as the pair clashed in the penalty area while waiting for a corner to be taken in Scotland's 4-0 European group six win at Hampden Park on March 28.
Albani, an 18-year-old student, was carried off on a stretcher and taken to hospital only seconds after coming on as a substitute.
No complaint was made by the San Marino team and the incident was not mentioned in the referee's report or by the FIFA delegate at the match on March 28.
Scotland manager Craig Brown has said he will not take any disciplinary action against his defender but the length of the ban casts doubt over Hendry's international future.
BLEAK PROSPECT
If his appeal fails, Hendry faces over a year on the sidelines.
He will miss Scotland's three remaining World Cup qualifiers and their next three competitive games after that, which would either be in the 2002 World Cup finals, should Scotland qualify, or the subsequent 2004 European championship qualifiers.
``Obviously I don't want a player to have his last game to be one that ended in controversy. It would be a terrible way for him to go out,'' Brown was quoted as saying by Sky.
``I think that would be disappointing.''
FIFA's disciplinary committee announced its decision after examining video evidence of the incident.
Four Players From Argentina's San Lorenzo Suspended
April 21, 2001
ASUNCION (EFE) - Four players from the first-division Argentine soccer team San Lorenzo were suspended pending an investigation into an incident that occurred during Tuesday's Liberadores Cup match against Chile's Deportes Concepcion, the South American Soccer Conferation (CSF) announced.
The four players, Sebastian Abreu, Raul Estevez, Lucas Pusineri and Horacio Ameli, will not be allowed to play "while an investigation is conducted" to determine what happened during the match, the CSF said.
The game in question, which the Chilean team won 3-2, was held in Concepcion, some 515 kilometers (320 miles) south of Santiago, was marred by what the CSF determined to be incidents started by San Lorenzo players.
At the end of Tuesday's game, Abreu, who is from Uruguay, got into a fight with referee Herberto Aguilera, and police had to intervene to stop the on-field melee that immediately ensued involving members of both clubs.
"Disciplinary measures will be strictly enforced," the CSF ruling, signed by executive secretary Francisco Figueredo Britez, noted.
Officials have sent letters to the Argentine and Chilean soccer confederations asking them to present their versions of what happened.
Referee dies after heart attack during game
April 17, 2001
SOUTHEND, England (AP) -- A 41-year-old soccer referee died after collapsing from a heart attack on the field during an English league game.
Mike North was stricken Monday in the center circle three minutes before halftime during Southend United's Division Three home game against Mansfield.
He was taken to Southend General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The game was abandoned.
``When I got there he was lying face down and motionless,'' said John Gowans, Southend's trainer. ``I checked his breathing and his pulse and both were shallow.
``The club doctor and others then took over but as far as I could see there was no response. All the players are shocked and it puts life into perspective. You realize football is just a game.''
North was in his first season as a professional referee, and the Football Association said he was ``very well respected.''
High school soccer player gets probation for involvement in brawl
April 17, 2001
PALESTINE, Texas (AP) -- A high school soccer player charged with assaulting a rival coach and player will serve two years' probation as part of a plea agreement.
Chris Garcia was accused of a felony charge of assaulting a public servant last March during a brawl in which a Palestine High School player and coach were injured.
Garcia faced up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, but as part of the plea, the charge was reduced to misdemeanor assault.
Garcia, a junior at Athens High School at the time, also was ordered to pay $1,000 in fines and restitution for medical bills incurred by one of the victims.
The fight began after a game at Palestine when an Athens player got into an argument with some fans.
UPDATE 1-Referee dies after collapsing during match
LONDON, April 16 (Reuters) - A referee died on Monday after collapsing during the English third division match between Southend United and Mansfield.
Match official Mike North was taken to Southend General Hospital after collapsing just before halftime.
``He arrived at the hospital about 4.20 pm (1520 GMT) and despite efforts at the ground and the hospital we were unable to revive him,'' hospital manager Kevin McKenny told Reuters.
The game was subsequently abandoned with the score 0-0.
Referee collapses, match abandoned
LONDON, April 16 (Reuters) - The English third division match between Southend United and Mansfield Town was abandoned on Monday after the referee collapsed.
Southend's website said referee Mike North had suffered a cardiac arrest shortly before halftime with the score at 0-0.
Try foreign referees in Bundesliga, says Voeller
BERLIN, April 14 (Reuters) - Germany coach Rudi Voeller has joined Franz Beckenbauer in suggesting foreign referees should be tried in the German first division.
``It would be worth a try,'' Voeller told Saturday's Express newspaper.
Bayern Munich president Beckenbauer had criticised German referees after a heated 1-1 draw between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern last weekend in which Hartmut Strampe showed three red and 12 yellow cards.
Voeller said he felt match officials acted differently in the Bundesliga than when refereeing on the international stage.
``We have very good referees in Germany and Mr. Strampe is one of them,'' the former World Cup striker said.
``I have the impression that our Bundesliga referees do not behave in domestic matches the way they do in international games.''
Uruguayan referee for US-Costa Rica qualifier
April 11, 2001 CHICAGO (AP) -- Jorge Luis Larrionda of Uruguay was picked by FIFA to referee the World Cup qualifier between the United States and Costa Rica on April 25 at Kansas City, Mo.
Fernando Marcelo Cresci and Walter Enrique Rial were picked as linesmen, the U.S. Soccer Federation said.
French ``fair play day'' turns foul
PARIS, April 10 (Reuters) - ``Fair play day'' in the French first division turned into a fiasco last weekend when referees dished out 42 bookings and two red cards.
The 30th round of league matches was the second worst this season for disciplinary offences.
Players wore tee-shirts saying in English ``Peace and foot,'' the latter being short for football, and team captains read messages about fair play before kick-offs but the message obviously did not get through.
Referees also awarded six penalties at the weekend.
The 20th round of matches, in December, was the worst of the season with 44 yellow and two red cards shown to players.
FIFA On-Line:
By Michel Vautrot (Until 1990, MICHEL VAUTROT (France) was to be seen in action as a FIFA referee.)
What an instrument the cellular telephone is. It turns human beings into mobile telephone boxes, and is both a blessing and a bane, also in refereeing.
Let's skip to the end of the match and the referees are back in the dressing-room, still all sweaty, when they swap their whistles for the little magic box that connects people without wires. It is understandable enough that they want to be reassured about some of their decisions by somebody they trust who has been watching the game on television. But what when the same thing happens at half-time already? If he has made a mistake he can even have it played over to him on his cellular phone (ah, will this progress never end…?), in which case he will run a mighty risk of being all at sea in the second half, subconsciously deprived of his freedom and his peace of mind.
While I was working as a referee assessor at a match recently, I was amazed to hear a fellow sitting behind me in the stand shout to me and give me a piece of his mind after I had defended the referee by saying that it was impossible to criticise his performance when we were sitting such a long way away. I was naïve enough not to reckon with the ubiquitous mobile telephone as he said, "My boy has just called me from home to say that the replay on television showed your man out there had got it all wrong…". I was speechless in the face of the power of modern communications! I have often heard players talk about predictable passes being "telegraphed" - but please don't tell me that now we are going to see referees first blowing their whistles for a decision and then quickly make a phone call to make sure ….
***
Thanks to my friends among the fraternity of referee instructors, I have the honour of being invited from time to time to referees' seminars. Apart from the fact that it is always a pleasure to spend time in the company of these good people outside the field of play and away from all the pressures, each one of these occasions comes up with new food for thought.
Above all, I know how much good work is being done in so many countries, with confederations and national associations putting ever more means at the disposal of ad hoc committees to help them train referees. So it is not really surprising that refereeing standards are improving virtually everywhere.
At the national refereeing seminar in Turkey, I came across such a novel idea that it would have made me smile had I not been there to see for myself that it could not have been more serious or more beneficial. For the past couple of seasons, referees have been invited to go for five days pre-season training at a luxurious seaside hotel … with their wives and children. It was a way of making up for all the time during the season that they have to spend away from their families.
Believe me, this course, opened by the Minister of Sport, was anything but a vacation. The referees were hard at work on the pitch from 06.30 in the morning and then for the rest of the day in the classroom. Sunday was a day off with the family, with a cruise (some wicked tongues may say that there would have been more than one club not unhappy to have seen the boat sink…) followed by a barbecue, all aimed at promoting an atmosphere of friendship and conviviality.
Another new idea came on the last day, when the fathers took their turn to look after their children while the wives met in a forum with the refereeing committee members to hear advice on diet and personal hygiene for their sporting husbands. It was a good idea and it was brave to go through with it without worrying about what people may say.
***
Several countries in Europe have successfully integrated black footballers into their ranks, and many of them are adored by the fans as their favourites. France won the World Cup with a team symbolically composed of all races. So why are there virtually no black referees in Europe, apart from in England?
As politicians tend to say when confronted with an embarrassing question : "Good question! Thank you for having asked me that." But how to get from that to a real answer without straying into racism is anybody's guess!
***
Players seem to be running out of ideas on how to celebrate scoring a goal. Often they twirl their shirts above their heads and usually succeed only in making the opposing defenders even madder than they already are after having seen the ball in the back of their own net. But the rule-makers have seen what has been going on and now the referee can show a yellow card as a way of inviting the stripper to readjust his clothing in conformity with Law IV.
In the text as it stands, the International Board has foreseen everything except the unforeseeable. There is the emotional side to it, too, as for example when a Bayern Munich player went off the pitch after having scored a goal, pulled off his shirt and waved it above his head like a windmill. When he saw the referee bearing down on him, yellow card at the ready, the player reacted quickly by giving his shirt to a handicapped fan - and receiving an ovation for the gesture.
The referee would have needed a heart of stone to punish the offender for such a generous if not altogether spontaneous gesture and although the Law really demanded it, the ref was intelligent enough to leave the card in his pocket. But imagine how the opposing coach would have reacted if one of his own players had already got a yellow card and then another, and was sent off, for having, for example, taken off his shirt and thrown it into the crowd?
Dugarry calls for video replays to help referees
BORDEAUX, France, April 13 (Reuters) - French international striker Christophe Dugarry called on Friday for video replays to be used to aid referees and help avoid errors.
The Girondins Bordeaux player claimed controversial decisions last weekend had damaged his club's chances of winning the French title for the second time in three years.
``We were refused a penalty in our 2-2 draw against Lille last weekend while Lyon got a penalty in their 2-1 win over Monaco,'' he said.
``At the moment it is not the teams that are playing the best that get the reward, but it is the referees' decisions which decide how the table looks.
``Last weekend we suffered a major blow.''
Dugarry said the situation convinced him ``more than ever'' that referees should be given the use of technology to help them make difficult decisions.
``If we had the use of video replays then I am convinced that the table would not be the same as it is today,'' he said.
``I believe that the referees are honest and doing the best possible job, but we should do everything we can to help them do their jobs.''
Nantes currently lead the French first division on 56 points from Lille (54), Olympique Lyon (52) and Bordeaux (50).
Bald is bad for discipline, says former referee
LONDON, April 12 (Reuters) - Bald or shaven-headed players are more likely to be booked by English premier league referees than team mates with a full head of hair, according to a newspaper report on Thursday.
The Daily Mirror said disciplinary figures from statisticians Opta Index, who monitor league matches in England, showed that seven of the top 10 offenders this season boasted little or no hair.
While blond-haired Alan Smith topped the disciplinary standings with 76 fouls, seven bookings and one red card, he was only just ahead of closely cropped Leeds team mate Olivier Dacourt (69 fouls, eight yellows), Derby County's Deon Burton (76 fouls and four yellows) and Manchester City's Paulo Wanchope (66 fouls, seven yellows and two reds).
The Mirror, under the headline ``Bald Facts,'' backed up its argument by quoting former English premier league referee Kevin Lynch.
Lynch said: ``Those haircuts do look aggressive. Human nature is such that refs may look at players and say 'he looks like a hardman'.
``It's the same in any walk of life. If you were confronted with a skinhead on a dark street on a Saturday night, wouldn't you fear the worst?
``If you want to have a good disciplinary record, then you might as well use every option available to you...growing your hair is just one idea.''
The newspaper said Lynch had helped to solve Derby County's disciplinary problems last season simply by telling the players to grow their hair.
Beckenbauer warns Germans about fooling referees
BERLIN, April 10 (Reuters) - German players need to stop diving to fool referees and would benefit from watching how their counterparts in England, Spain and Italy have adapted to tighter rules against feigning injury, Franz Beckenbauer said on Tuesday.
Bayern Munich president Beckenbauer said players and coaches in Germany were resorting to ``dirty tricks'' to fool referees and it was time to take steps to thwart the cheats before Germany slips further behind other top international leagues.
``We only have to look over the borders to England, Spain or Italy,'' Beckenbauer told Bild newspaper. ``There is no play-acting anymore. After a foul, players bounce right back up and keep going.''
Beckenbauer, who led Germany to World Cup success as coach and player, also suggested it would be useful for the German league to use international referees.
``Everything is wrong here in Germany right now,'' he said. ``The players provoke on the field, the coaches provoke from the sidelines. The referees allow themselves to be infected by the whipped up atmosphere and succumb to the dirty tricks. We have to do something against that before we fall further behind in international comparisons."
Bulgarian referee to officiate Strasbourg-Metz replay
SOFIA, April 5 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's Football Union have named the match official who will handle a French first division replay after France's referees boycotted the game.
The trouble started on December 21 when assistant referee Nelly Viennot, the only woman to officiate in the French league, was hit by a flare during Strasbourg's game against Metz.
France's referees union (UNAF) criticised the decision to replay the match and refused to handle it in protest, prompting the French League to negotiate with Bulgarian officials.
Anton Genov willnow handle the game on April 11, the Bulgarian union's referees commission said on Thursday. The match will be played behind closed doors.
French referee Eric Poulat will meanwhile officiate Bulgaria's key premier division clash between Velbazhd Kyustendil and CSKA Sofia.
Second-placed CSKA, trailing leaders Levski Sofia by three points, had insisted on inviting a foreign referee. Third-placed Velbazhd are five points behind CSKA.
Bulgaria suspend referee facing corruption allegations
SOFIA, April 5 (Reuters) - Bulgarian soccer authorities suspended a referee on Thursday, pending the outcome of a police investigation into allegations that he demanded a bribe to fix a second division match.
The chairman of the Referees Commission at the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU), Georgi Kamishev, told a news conference that Ivan Dobrinov would not officiate until the results of the police investigation were known.
``The commission decided today to stop Ivan Dobrinov from refereeing until the case is clarified. This is human,'' Kamishev said.
BFU spokesman Mihail Delev told Reuters that Dobrinov, who works for the BFU's international department, had been sent on leave until the investigation ends.
Pirin Blagoevgrad officials allege that Dobrinov demanded 10,000 levs ($5,000) from their club to ensure victory in an away clash with Svetkavitsa Targovishte last Saturday.
Dobrinov denies the allegations.
Pirin, currently second in the second division, 15 points adrift of leaders Spartak Pleven, lost 2-1 to eighth-placed Svetkavitsa.
One person in every 25 plays football, says FIFA
LONDON, April 3 (Reuters) - More than 240 million people play football worldwide, according to a FIFA survey.
The sport's governing body said its Big Count survey indicates that one in every 25 people takes a regular and active part in the game.
The FIFA website said this finding ``corroborates football's position as the number one sport in the world.''
The survey found there were almost five million referees, assistant referees and officials directly involved in the game.
Twenty million women play football, 80 percent of whom are juniors or still in their teens.
FIFA questioned their 204 member associations in the survey. Nearly 80 percent of them responded.
Saudi referee for Brazil v Peru World Cup qualifier
RIO DE JANEIRO, April 3 (Reuters) - A trio from Saudi Arabia will take charge of this month's World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Peru, the South American Football Confederation (CSF) said on Tuesday.
Abdul Al Zaid was named as referee for the April 25 tie in Sao Paulo with two of his compatriots as the linesmen, the CSF's website said.
A Peruvian win in Sao Paulo would revive their currently faint chances of qualifying for Japan and South Korea and could put Brazil in danger of missing out on the World Cup for the first time.
Last week's Uruguay-Paraguay match in Montevideo was refereed by beleaguered Spanish official Jose Garcia Aranda, who had enormous difficulty in controlling the fierce passions of a South American World Cup qualifying match.
All 10 South American nations are in the same group and as the tournament reaches its climax, organisers are having to turn to officials from outside the continent.
Brazil are third in the qualifying table on 20 points, behind Paraguay (23) and Argentina (28), while Peru are lying seventh on 11 points. The top four nations will qualify for the finals, while the fifth faces a play-off against the Oceania qualifying competition winner.