Referee payments in European tournaments keep the same while Uefa’s prize money increases

Referees will not benefit from the increasing prize money in European football tournaments. The referee payments remain at the same level as last year. That’s what Uefa confirms to the Dutch Referee Blog.

Football clubs earned 7.2 million euro’s just for participating in the group stage of the Champions League. This season, which start this Tuesday, all 32 contenders will get at least 8.6 million euro’s in the 2012/2013 CL season, an amount which can mount up untill 37.4 million. Not even counting the market pool share.

The referees match fees will not grow and are still based on the Referee Programme published in 2010 (pdf). This means that international referees will earn the following payments for officiating international matches.

“As of 1 January 2007 the daily allowance rate is EUR euro, which corresponds to the allowance paid by UEFA to its delegates and referee observers. Domestic travelling costs are covered by a lump sum of 200 euro per match official.”

European Championship (qualifying matches), UEFA Champions League (third qualifying EUR round onwards) and UEFA Cup (as from the round of 16)
Referee: 1,000 euro.
Assistant referee: 350 euro

European Under-21 Championship, UEFA Champions League (first and second qualifying rounds) and UEFA Cup (up to and including the round of 32)
Referee: 700 euro.
Assistant referee: 250 euro

Youth competitions (U-19 and U-17), European Women’s Championship, UEFA Women’s Cup as from the quarter-finals
Referees: 300 euro.
Assistant referees: 150 euro.

European Women’s Under-19 Championship and Uefa Women’s Cup (qualifying rounds).
Referee: 200 euro.
Assistant referee: 100 euro.

Referees also get bonuses based on their refereeing category on Uefa’s international lists. You can check who’s in which category on the updated list for the first half of the 2012/2013 season.

Elite referees: 3,500 euro
Premier category referees: 2,500 euro
Category 2 referees: 1,000 euro
Category 3 and 4 referees: 400 euro

Assistant referee appointed with elite referee: 1,000 euro
Assistant referee appointed with premier referee: 650 euro
Assistant referee appointed with category 2 referee: 350 euro

Fourth official appointed with elite referee: 350 euro
Fourth official appointed with premier referee: 350 euro
Fourth official appointed with category 2 referee: 200 euro

Female referees are getting paid worse than their male colleagues. The bonus per match for a women elite referee is 350 euro’s, the same as a fourth official appointed with one of the top officials. For women’s second group get a match bonus of 200 euro’s.

Source of referee payments is Uefa’s Referee Programme (pdf), published in 2010.