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FIFA Announces Names of World Cup Referees

FIFA`s World Cup referees committee has reached its final decision regarding the upcoming World Cup after evaluating the test results of 80 assistant referees at a workshop in Frankfurt. 23 referees were selected out of the 44 candidates. 20 of them will take charge of games at in Germany.

Belgium`s Frank De Bleeckere, who was unable to complete the fitness tests in March due to injury, passed with excellence in April and will make his World Cup refereeing debut. However, FIFA said that Greek referee Kyros Vassaras and Spanish counterpart Manuel Mejuto Gonz?lez had been due to participate in the finals but that, because some of their assistants were unable to reach the required standards in their tests, both had been taken off the list. They will be replaced by two original members of the FIFA support and development group, Italy`s Roberto Rosetti and Spain`s Luis Medina Cantalejo.

The World Cup referees, who for the first time will have assistants from the same country or the same confederation, will be representing 21 nations. Italy and Mexico will be the only countries to have two referees in action. The support and development group - another World Cup first - will now comprise five referees and ten assistants who will only get involved in the event of another match official being unable to take part for whatever reason, such as injury or illness. FIFA said these 15 arbiters would be fully integrated into the team of World Cup referees. They will participate in all training sessions and meetings, and will be ready to officiate at any time. They will therefore gain crucial experience of a major finals.