New referees in Europe’s highest leagues

European qualification matches already started and some competitions will kick-off this weekend. Here are the new referees at the national top levels.

If you miss something, let me know.

Netherlands
New in the senior referee group is Serdar Gözübüyuk, who holds many Dutch refereeing records, being the youngest referee ever officiating at the highest level in the Netherlands. Assistants Charl Schaap en Hessel Steegstra moved up to the highest level as well.
Referee Ben Haverkort retired and has already started as commercial manager at FC Groningen, a club in the highest league.

Austria
New: Dominik Ouschan
End of career: Bernhard Brugger (next December)
Relegated: –
Source:
Announcement ÖFB

Belgium
No promotions announced.
Best referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Golden Whistle), Johan Verbist (Silver Whistle), Joeri Van de Velde (Bronze Whistle).

Croatia
New: Marin Vidulin, Marin Horvat, Nikola Beatović and Hrvoje Knez
Relegated: Davor Grizelj and Jurica Mihalj
New AR’s: Djuro Jaković, Goran Loparac, Josip Orišković and Ivica Radošević
Retired AR’s: Damir Volf and Vlado Crnolatac

England
New: Jon Moss and Neil Swarbrick
Relegated: none
New AR’s: Gary Beswick, Simon Bennett, Darren Bond, Charles Breakspear, Sian Massey, Richard West
Relegated AR: Paul Thompson
AR’s stopped because of promotion as center: Andy Madley and Dean Mohareb
Source: Rate The Ref Community

France
New: Benoît Bastien, Sebastien Desiage, Benoît Millot.
Relegated: Damien Ledentu,
End of career: Stephané Bre, Bruno Coué,
Source: Announcement FFF

Germany
New: –
Relegated: Marc Seemann from Essen got to a lower level after a long period of injuries.

New AR’s: –
Relegated AR: Torsten Bauer
Retired AR: Carsten Kadach
Men’s referee of the year: Manuel Gräfe
Women’s referee of the year: Bibiana Steinhaus

Greece
Relegated: Apostolos Amparkiolis, Marios Lampropoulos
Quit: Vasileios Pamporidis, Dimitrios Kalopoulos (both FIFA referees), Georgios Stathopoulos, Nathanail Charalampidis, Michalis Tsiniaris, Stavros Mandalos.
New: Spyridon Selimos, Georgios kominis, Gerasimos Ntitsos, Georgios Daskalopoulos, Ioannis Delfakis, Dimitrios kyrkos (also on highest level from 2007 to 2010), Dimitrios Styliaras (also on highest level form 2004 to 2006).

Relegated AR: Ioannis Toumpakaris
Quit AR: Christos Baltas, Spyridon Tryfonas (FIFA A. referees), Theodoros Kotsiros
New AR: Hasan Koula, Stelios Tsolakis, Panagiotis Stathopoulos
Source: Panagiotis Koutakos from refereepress.blogspot.com
Italy
New: Daniele Doveri and Marco Guida
Relegated: Nicola Pierpaoli and Emidio Morganti
New AR’s: Giuseppe De Pinto, Alessandro Giallatini, Claudio La Rocca, Fabiano Preti, Giancarlo Rubino and Gianluca Vuoto
Relegated AR’s: Rosario Angrisani, Gianantonio Pugiotto, Stefano Ayroldi, Paolo Calcagno, Sandro Rossomando and Stefano Papi
Source: many Italian media

Norway
Promotions are in December, because they don’t have a summer break.
New: Anders Johansen and Trond Ivar Døvle
New AR’s: Jan Erik Engan, Ole Johan Lillebuen and Anders Velo

Portugal
New: Nuno Miguel Serrano Almeida, Jorge Joaquim Martins Barros Tavares and Rui Tiago Castelão Patrício
Relegated: Diogo Pereira dos Santos, Elmano Carlos Fernandes Santos, Luís Martins Catita da Silva

Scotland
New: Greg Aitken, Euan Anderson, Barry Cook and Paul Robertson
Relegated: –

Spain
New: Pedro Jesús Pérez Montero and Carlos del Cerro Grande
Relegated: Rafael Ramirez Dominguez and Antonio Rubinho Perez
Best referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (1st), Alberto Navarro Undiano Mallenco (2nd) and Fernando Teixeira Vitienes (3rd).
New AR’s: Martín García, Barranco Trejo, Zancada Lobato, Huerga Cermeño.
Statement RFEF (pdf)

Switzerland
New: in 2011 (since January) in Axpo Swiss League: Damien Carrel, Ludovic Gremaud, Adrien Jaccottet, Stephan Klossner.
Quit: Massimo Busacca (this summer)

Wales
New: Nick Pratt and Paul Fisher
Moved: Mike Jones (Eng)
Resigned: Matt Bridges
Relegated: Darren Adie and Paul Thomas
Source: confirmed by e-mail

Gözübüyuk breaks all Dutch referee records

The Dutch Soccer Association has today announced which referees will be promoted after this season. Serdar Gözübüyuk will be the only new referee on the senior list, the highest level in the Netherlands. He got a contract for three years.

The 25-year old referee is the first with foreign roots who promotes from the junior list. He was on the second level since 2009 and will replace Ben Haverkort, who had to quit the top list. Gözübüyuk holds two youngest referee records: he made his professional debut on the 10th of March in 2008 at the age of 23 and his first match on the highest level was 2nd May 2010 at the age of 24.

Other promotions
Dennis Higler and Rogier Honig were promoted from the Referee Masterclass Group (3rd level) to the Junior Group. Assistants Charl Schaap en Hessel Steegstra step up to the Senior Group. Joost Mulder and Joost van Zuilen to the Junior AR Group.

Ed Janssen: impartiality of a referee?

Feyenoord fans and Dutch media criticised the decision by the Dutch FA that Ed Janssen will referee Wednesday’s ‘relegation’ game between Feyenoord and VVV Venlo in the Dutch top league.

The problem: Janssen had a youth soccer career at the club from Venlo. Dutch referee boss Dick van Egmond sees no problem in it, because all refs should be impartial. A referee can only not get a match from a team in the town in which he lives. No problems, says the Dutch FA.

You think there’s a problem?

The funny thing is, local website venlonaren.nl found out Ed Janssen already has refereed VVV Venlo three times, but not in the highest league. The results: only 0-1 losses.

Here’s an impression of referee Janssen. Good people make such impressions on YouTube.

There are even Dutch referees who’ve had a professional career on the highest level. Ben Haverkort – happy birthday (on Wednesday) – played for Ajax and has officiated many matches in the Eredivisie. Are there refs in your country who turned from a professional player to a referee on national level?