WorldReferee.com offers an ever increasing database of international referees. We invite you to join us: tell us what you like about this site and what you hate about it, talk about matches and referees in our forums or write your own match report.

New on the list of UEFA Elite referees for season 2009-2010 are: Felix Brych (Germany), Stephane Lannoy (France), Martin Atkinson (England), Nicola Rizzoli (Italy), Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands), Pedro Proenca (Portugal), Craig Thomson (Scotland), Damir Skomina (Slovenia), Jonas Eriksson (Sweden).

Kicked off the list (demoted to the Premier Category) are: Eric Braamhaar (Netherlands) and Matteo Trefoloni (Italy).

Herbert Fandel, Luis Medina Cantalejo and Mike Riley.

At first glance you would think the above title is the name of our website and that is indeed what seems to have happened to a number of people that contacted us about Ovrebo's dreadful performance in the Chelsea - Barcelona Champions League match. Let me repeat here that we are not connected in any way to UEFA, FIFA or any other football or referee's association you may come up with. And let me state again that it was exactly this kind of refeee performance that first made us think of a website dedicated to the officials of the game.

I think I speak for all members of our humble little team when I say that Ovrebo did a bad job in this match, for the game of football as a whole and for football referees in particular. Ovrebo's performance puts a heavy burden on the shoulders of Frank de Bleeckere, the Belgian ref that will surely be in control of the CL final: It's up to him to save the referee's face.

We have seen a lot of frustration amongst the fans of this game - not only Chelsea fans, let that be clear. Frustration that wasn't always vented in the most courteous language, which is understandable given the circumstance that the better team was dismissed from the tournament because of Ovrebo's handling of the match. Still it makes me all the more respectful of the people that kept their composure and wrote us some well phrased opinions that could benefit the game. Opinions that should not be kept from you and are food for thought for the people that ARE in charge of this game. I took the liberty of printing two of these below. The first is from our forums (and you are welcome to react). The other is from an email that was sent to us today.

A. Kurz,
WorldReferee

Tom Henning Øvrebø A post by Jock in our forums

Players can make mistakes, officials can make mistakes and fans can get it wrong. That is all part of football and must be accepted. In fact it adds to the drama. When these things happen you know that one time you might have benefited from the error and another time you might have lost out. Last nights display from the referee was far from the norm of what is acceptable. Yet what will be the outcome. Barcelona in the final not Chelsea. Chelsea players disciplined by UEFA and possibly the club itself disciplined. Maybe UEFA needs to not just stick to the old fashioned way of dealing with unfortunate nights like last night and actually come up with a way of making sure that such travesties do not occur in the future. I actually think that the result last night was so dubious that the game should be replayed. But that will never happen.

Dear Sirs an email by mr. Tim James, Kyne and Clyne, Galway, Ireland

I am not a Chelsea supporter I viewed last nights Chelsea Vs Barcelona game as a neutral observer, but can you please explain to me why Tom Henning Ovrebo was selected to Referee this game - Ovrebo proved wholly inadequate to take control of a game of this pace, passion and magnitude - and judging by his record as highlighted below (*) I am totally bewildered as to why he was even considered for this game.

I agree that the reaction of Chelsea players (and Drogba in particular) after the final whistle was totally unacceptable and I have no doubt Uefa will suitably punish Drogba and possibly other Chelsea players for their behaviour.

However I believe that Tom Henning Ovrebo demonstrated that he is unfit to referee CL games and he should be removed from the list immediately, and also from next year's World Cup list. Nobody has mentioned the part played by his assistants. Why did neither of them see any of the incidents in question. Their job is to assist the referee, so how come they were blind too? UEFA need to look closely at the standard of refereeing (after the poor performance by the referee in the United - Arsenal game as well) and find a solution, because it's a shame that both semi-finals have had more publicity for the referees than the games themselves.

The Chelsea players should undoubtedly have kept their emotions in check (as some did - see Ashley Cole for instance), but you have to have some sympathy with them after being denied so many stone wall penalties.

Please confirm how Uefa will stop this poor standard of refereeing ever happening again, the game is suffering as a result of Uefas refusal to implement off-pitch technology.

* Tom Henning Ovrebo career downfalls
At Euro 2008 he refereed the Italy - Romania match which resulted in a 1-1 draw. The Italian Football Federation later demanded an apology from UEFA after Luca Toni's goal was incorrectly ruled out for offside in the Italy - Romania match that Øvrebø refereed.[2] There was also criticism of the official for a penalty shot given to Romania and a yellow card to Daniele De Rossi at the ending moments of the game. Afterwards, Øvrebø admitted he had made a mistake during the game.[3] Øvrebø was not assigned any more matches to referee at Euro 2008.[4].

As a prelude to the 2010 World Cup, the 2009 Confederations Cup will be held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009. The following referees are selected to participate in this event:

Benito Archundia (MEX)
Pablo Pozo (CHI)
Matthew Breeze (AUS)
Massimo Bussaca (SWI)
Coffi Codjia (BEN)
Martin Hansson (SWE)
Michael Hester (NZL)
Jorge Larrionda (URU)
Eddy Maillet (SEY)
Howard Webb (ENG)

Sorin Corpodean was arrested, together with FIFA assistant referee Marcel Savaniu, ex-FIFA referee Marcel Lica and the vicepresident of the Romanian referee commission.

Last week Gheorghe Constantin, the chairman of the Romanian Referees Committee, was put into custody already. They are all arrested on suspicion of taking money from Cornel Penescu, the president of FC Arges. Penescu was also arrested for 29 days on bribery charges.

Lica is accused of accepting money to write a favorable report. Savaniu and Corpodean are accused of taking bribes to referee in favor of FC Arges in 2008. The three were paid sums between $2,000 and $15,000, prosecutors said. Lawyers for the three have appealed the arrests.

Police have come into possession of taped phone conversations between Penescu, his associates and two other Romanian referees, Aurelian Bogaciu and Tiberiu Lajos. It is not enough evidence to put them behind bars, but so far they are suspended. It is expected that more referees are involved.

(source: Nicu Badescu)
Pictures © ProSport (Romania)

Kyros Vassaras announced his resignation today. The Greek elite category referee officiated in the Champions League (two semi-finals), the 2004 Summer Olympics (final) and the 2008 European Championships.

Twenty months ahead FIFA published a provisional list of 38 referees for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. They are not all elite referees, but FIFA always has a slightly different opinion than the federations about which refs are World Cup material.
Here they are:

Joel Aguilar (SLV)
Khalil Al Ghamdi (KSA)
Carlos Amarilla (PAR)
Benito Archundia (MEX)
Hector Baldassi (ARG)
Carlos Batres (GUA)
Mohamed Benouza (ALG)
Olegario Bartolo F. Benquerenca (POR)
Frank De Bleekere (BEL)
Ivan Bebek (CRO)
Matthew Breeze (AUS)
Massimo Busacca (SWI)
Coffi Codjia (BEN)
Koman Coulibaly (MAL)
Jerome Damon (RSA)
Thomas Einwaller (AUT)
Grzegorz Gilewski (POL)
Martin Hansson (SWE)
Michael Hester (NZL)
Ravshan Irmatov (UZB)
Victor Kassai (HUN)
Stephane Lannoy (FRA)
Jorge Larrionda (URU)
Eddy Maillet (SEY)
Jair Marrufo (USA)
Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (MAY)
Yuichi Nishimura (JAP)
Peter O'Leary (NZL)
Tom Ovrebo (NOR)
Pablo Pozo (CHI)
Marco Rodriguez (MEX)
Roberto Rosetti (ITA)
Oscar Ruiz (COL)
Carlos Simon (BRA)
Wolfgang Stark (GER)
Alberto Undiano Mallenco (SPA)
Martin Vasquez (URU)
Howard Webb (ENG)