Best refereed match all time
| Hector Baldassi | (ARG) | 9.8 |
| Olegario Benquerenca | (POR) | 9.8 |
| Jorge Larrionda | (URU) | 9.8 |
| Serge Gumienny | (BEL) | 9.5 |
| Imer Machado | (COL) | 9.5 |
| Massimo Busacca | (SUI) | 9.5 |
| Alan Kelly | (IRL) | 9.5 |
| Frank de Bleeckere | (BEL) | 9.5 |
| Kristinn Jakobsson | (ISL) | 9.5 |
| Masaaki Toma Iemoto | (JAP) | 9.5 |
| Daniele Orsato | (ITA) | 9.5 |
| Milorad Mazic | (SRB) | 9.4 |
| Howard Webb | (ENG) | 9.3 |
| Felix Brych | (GER) | 9.3 |
| Ravshan Irmatov | (UZB) | 9.3 |
| Milorad Mazic | (SRB) | 9.3 |
| Carlos Velasco Carballo | (ESP) | 9.3 |
| Jiri Jech | (CZE) | 9.3 |
| Ravshan Irmatov | (UZB) | 9.3 |
| Claus Bo Larsen | (DEN) | 9.3 |
| Pedro Proença | (POR) | 9.3 |
| Gianluca Rocchi | (ITA) | 9.3 |
| Sergio Pezzotta | (ARG) | 9.2 |
| Jorge Larrionda | (URU) | 9.1 |
| Massimo Busacca | (SUI) | 9.0 |
Worst refereed match all time
| Konrad Plautz | (AUT) | 1.0 |
| Pieter Vink | (NED) | 1.0 |
| Ivan Bebek | (CRO) | 2.0 |
| Samwel Langat Kipngetich | (KEN) | 2.3 |
| Firat Aydinus | (TUR) | 2.3 |
| Joaquin Antequera | (BOL) | 2.5 |
| Carlos Torres Núñez | (PAR) | 2.5 |
| Zsolt Szabo | (HUN) | 2.8 |
| Michael Hester | (NZL) | 2.8 |
| Wolfgang Stark | (GER) | 2.9 |
| Víctor Carrillo | (PER) | 3.0 |
| Stephan Studer | (SUI) | 3.0 |
| Ionut Marius Avram | (ROM) | 3.0 |
| Ivan Bebek | (CRO) | 3.0 |
| Sung Mi Cha | (KOR) | 3.1 |
| Robert Malek | (POL) | 3.3 |
| Juan Ernesto Soto Arvalo | (VEN) | 3.3 |
| Laurent Duhamel | (FRA) | 3.3 |
| Omar Ponce | (ECU) | 3.3 |
| Ivan Bebek | (CRO) | 3.3 |
| Víctor Carrillo | (PER) | 3.3 |
| Olegario Benquerenca | (POR) | 3.5 |
| Carlos Clos Gomez | (ESP) | 3.5 |
| Silviu Petrescu | (CAN) | 3.5 |
| Marcelo de Lima Henrique | (BRA) | 3.5 |
This top 100 is dynamically generated. All measures are taken to make this a fair list, but it remains the result of a script. It is based on the average of all marks ever given.
An extra percentage is awarded for the number of matches that were reported on. (We don't want a referee who officiated 10 very good matches to be surpassed by a ref who delivered just 1 - albeit excellent - performance).
Marks that are either too high or too low are discarded.
If you were wondering why big names like Collina are not featured in these lists, well, we only started this site in 2005 so there just aren't any reports to do magic with.
<< show top 10
If you were wondering why big names like Collina are not featured in these lists, well, we only started this site in 2005 so there just aren't any reports to do magic with.
Number 1: Frank de Bleeckere
1
A third generation referee, Belgian Frank de Bleeckere started as a football player, but too often injured he decided to change his career. Belgian's World Cup record holder with 7 matches had to retire at the end of 2011 because of the age limit.
Number 2: Jorge Larrionda
2
This referee, full name Jorge Luis Larrionda Pietrafiesa, was born 9 March 1968. Jorge was a football player himself, as striker he made it into the sixth division. As referee he made his debut in the first division in 1993 and was an international referee since 1998. He was seen by many as the very best referee in South America.
Larrionda retired at the end of 2011.
Number 3: Howard Webb
3
The career of UEFA Elite Category referee Howard Webb hasn't gone that smoothly, still it didn't take him long to reach the top. And the top was in 2010 with not only the CL final but also the final of the World Cup.
Number 4: Viktor Kassai
4
This Hungarian referee debuted in the first league in 1999 He received his FIFA badge in 2003 and immediately started refereeing UEFA Cup matches. Kassai is an UEFA Elite Category referee.
Number 5: Ravshan Irmatov
5
Ravshan Irmatov has been very busy in 2009 and 2010, officiating at youth tournaments, qualifiers, the AFC Champions League and the World Cup
Number 6: Felix Brych
6
It's doctor Felix Brych. The German referee is a doctor in law. His paper was about sports. Brych was promoted to the elite category at the start of season 2009-2010
Number 7: Pedro Proença
7
His full name is Pedro Proença Oliveira Alves Garcia. In the First division since 1998, international since 2003. Already a year later he officiated the final in the Euro u19. Always one step behind Olegario Benquerenca until 2012. That was his year: he got the CL final, was selected for the European Championship and got that final as well.
Number 8: Sergio Pezzotta
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Born in Rosario, Santa Fe, Sergio Fabián Pezzotta is an international top referee and one of the most severe referees in the AFA League. He tends to show red cards whenever the rules allow him to. He started refereeing in Argentina´s 1st division in 1999. He used to be a CONMEBOL Elite Category referee until he retired in 2012 because of his age.
Number 9: Cüneyt Cakir
9
"My goal is the World Cup", he once stated, and why not. For starters he officiated a qualifier for the UEFA Cup and one for Euro 2008 in 2007. He moved up to 'UEFA premier development category referee' at the start of 2010 and to Elite in June 2011.
Number 10: Wolfgang Stark
10
Bank employee Wolgang Stark from Bavaria already knew he wanted to become a referee when he was 14. In 1994 he reached the highest level in Germany, and in 1999 he got his FIFA license, at almost 30.
He is a UEFA Elite Category referee.
Number 11: Massimo Busacca
11
Born in the town of Belinzona in 1969 Massimo Busacca, who used to play football in a lower division in Ticino, started his career as a referee in 1990 and made it to the first division in 1996 . He got his FIFA badge in 1999 and was an Elite Category referee until June 2011 when he decided to retire after having seen it all and having been offered a good job.
Number 12: Damir Skomina
12
Malta, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Far Oer, Anothosis Famagusta, Rabotnicki Kometal, Debreceni VSC, names of some of the teams Slovenian referee Skomina encountered at the start of his international career. But since the 2009/10 season he belongs to the elite category. Two years later he was assigned the CL quarter-final Chelsea vs Benfica. Number 13: Bjorn Kuipers
13
As a son of a referee Bjorn Kuipers decided early in his life to become a referee as well. Number 14: Olegario Benquerenca
14
Whatever you say about Olegario Benquerenca, you can't say he is boring. The Portuguese 2010 World Cup quarter-final referee who often ends up on both our best and worst referees list, has a style of his own. Whether it's on TV or on the field, Olegario is always a little campy.
Number 15: Yuichi Nishimura
15
Yuichi Nishimura officiated in the 2007 AFC Asia Cup. The same year he took charge of a quarter final and the final of the U17 World Cup in Korea, a match ending in a penalty shoot out won by Nigeria against Spain.
Number 16: Nicola Rizzoli
16
Nicola Rizzoli is active in the Italian Serie A since 2002. In 2007 he received his FIFA badge and in August of that year he started with a CL qualifier. After only a year and a half he took charge of a Champions League group stage match. Rizzoli was promoted to the elite category at the beginning of season 2009-2010. Number 17: Milorad Mazic
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Milorad Mazic became FIFA referee in 2009. He is a UEFA Elite Development Category ref after having been a Category 1 referee for two years. Presently busy taking charge of matches in the Europa League but expected to go to the Champions League soon. Number 18: Carlos Amarilla
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International referee since 1997, electrical engineer Carlos Arecio Amarilla Demarqui has seen it all: youth tournaments, qualifiers, semi-finals, finals and even World Cup matches.
He is a CONMEBOL Elite category referee.
Number 19: Claus Bo Larsen
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It came as a bit of a shock for everybody in Denmark (and himself), when it turned out Claus Bo Larsen, who did pass the fitness test and was on the long list of 44, was not selected to officiate at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany. The same happened for Euro 2008, and again for WC 2010. The Danes must be very bad lobbyists. Larsen was a UEFA Elite Category referee until he retired at the end of 2010. Number 20: Roberto Silvera
20
For years Roberto Carlos Silvera Calcerrada, together with his compatriot Martín Vázquez, was considered the numbers two and three referee after Jorge Larrionda.Until Larrionda retired. Now the CONMEBOL Elite category referee is the most important ref from Uruguay.
Number 21: Wilmar Roldan
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Wilmar Roldán Pérez was born in Amalfi, a little town in Antioquía, Colombia, on January 24th 1980. He´s one of the biggest promises of the South-American referee staff. He is a CONMEBOL Elite Category referee. Number 22: Óscar Ruiz
22
Born in 1969 in the Colombian town of Villaviciencio (Meta province), Óscar Julian Ruiz Acosta grew up a son of a referee.
He is a CONMEBOL Elite category referee. Ruiz retired in 2011.
Number 23: Mark Clattenburg
23
Mark Clattenburg refereed his 1st Football League match at the age of just 25 - at one time a post-war milestone. He had served only one year as an assistant - a record shared with Steve Baines. Number 24: Hector Baldassi
24
Héctor Walter Baldassi was born in Córdoba, Argentina. He started refereeing when he was 25, and was promoted to the Argentinian football league's 1st division in 1998.
He was a CONMEBOL Elite Category referee until the end of 2011, when he had to retire (45)
Number 25: Roberto Rosetti
25
Roberto Rosetti was widely believed to be one of the world's best referees of his time. He was known as a strict man - the regulations were his bible - but also as a good communicator. He talked a lot to the players and had no problem getting his points across.
Number 26: Stéphane Lannoy
26
Stéphane Lannoy is a French federation referee since 1998. Lannoy played football until he was 20, didn't think he was good enough to become a professional and turned to refereeing instead. Something he had been doing already, while playing.
Number 27: Pavel Kralovec
27
Pavel Kralovec slowly built his international career. First with qualifiers (UEFA Cup, Euro 2008, CL) and a few UEFA cup matches. Then finally in 2011, the Champions League. Number 28: Carlos Torres Núñez
28
Torres started refereeing for Paraguay's top federation APF in 1990 and received his FIFA badge in 1998. His father Juan and his brother Luis were also referees. He officiated matches in all South-American cups and in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. His heroes are Horacio Elizondo ('the only one in history to officiate both the opening match and the final in a World Cup'), Juan Francisco Escobar ('A big personality on the field') and of course his father, Juan Anselmo Torres, a man he's always tried to emulate. He lives with his parents in the Sajonia area of Asuncion. Number 29: Jonas Eriksson
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Jonas started refereeing in 1994 and made his debut in the Allsvenskan in 2000. Two years later Eriksson earned his FIFA badge. The Swede was promoted to the elite category at the beginning of season 2009-2010.
Number 30: Alberto Undiano Mallenco
30
Alberto Undiano Mallenco made his debut in the Primera Division in October 2000 at the early age of 26. From 2004 and on he officiated in UEFA Cup matches and qualifiers. Mallenco got his first Champions League match in 2007, and a big one too: Bayern vs Spartak Moscow. That was the year he became an Elite Category referee.
Number 31: Alireza Faghani
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Faghani became a referee in 2007 and a year later he got his FIFA badge, which shows the trust AFC have in him. He is also one of the top referees in Iran. Number 32: Martin Atkinson
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Martin Atkinson started his career at the early age of 16.
Number 33: Enrique Osses
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Osses is known as one of the toughest referees in Chile. In 2005 for instance he sent off 21 players in 16 league games. He is a CONMEBOL Elite Category referee.
Number 34: Kristinn Jakobsson
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After having taken charge of the final of the 2006 u19 Euro Championships and qualifiers for large tournaments and the Champions League, Kristinn Jakobsson, one of Worldrefere's reporter's favorites, made a giant leap forward in 2008 with reaching the group stage of the Champions league. He was on the UEFA premier referees list, but when that category disappeared Jakobsson ended on the 1st category list Number 35: Paolo Tagliavento
35
New on the international stage in 2007, with only a qualifier to his name, Paolo Tagliavento got to officiate the final in the Region's Cup, a tournament for amateur footballers. Amateurs, sure, but still a final.He is a UEFA Elite category referee from 2012.
Number 36: Serge Gumienny
36
This Belgian referee, who not only officiates in Belgium, but also - like his colleagues - sometimes in the Netherlands, has taken charge of international matches since 2003. In 2009 he was promoted to a Premier (now Elite Development) Development referee which meant he had a chance to move up, but got stuck there and was demoted to the 1st category in 2012. Number 37: Antonio Arias Alvarenga
37
Because of his style, Antonio Javier Arias nickname is Castrilli, after the famous Argentinian ref Javier Castrilli (who's nickname was The Sheriff). Arias Alvarenga was born in Puerto Casado and became a referee in 1992.
He is a CONMEBOL Elite category referee.
Number 38: Wilson Luiz Seneme
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Wilson Luiz Seneme was a FIFA ref since 2006, lost his badge in 2008 because of an injury and got back on the list in 2009.
He is a CONMEBOL Elite category referee.
Number 39: Gianluca Rocchi
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Gianlucca Rocchi moved up from a Premier Development Category referee to the Elite group at the start of the season 2010 - 2011. Only a season later he got a quarter-final Real Madrid vs APOEL. Number 40: Florian Meyer
40
Active in the Bundesliga since 1998, international in 2002, Florian Meyer took charge of his fist Champions League already in 2004. Next to a group stage CL match or two a year, the German referee is also active in the UEFA cup. He is a UEFA Elite Category referee, but not a very busy one. Number 41: Craig Thomson
41
A lawyer specialized in construction law, but also a referee who officiated his first international match in 2003. He was promoted to the elite category at the beginning of season 2009-2010. Number 42: Carlos Velasco Carballo
42
New on the international Stage, Carlos Velasco Carballo took the place od Carlos Megia Davila who retired in 2007. Velasco Carballo had his debur in the Spanish Primera Division in 1994 Number 43: Svein Oddvar Moen
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Moen is a football referee since 1996. In 2004 he debuted in the Tippeligaen (the top Norwegian league). From the start of 2011 he is an elite category referee. Number 44: Malik Abdul Bashir
44
Malik Abdul Bashir is what FIFA calls him. In Asia his name is Abdul Malik, which makes more sense.
This AFC Elite referee took charge of the first leg of the 2008 AFC Champions League final. Number 45: Víctor Carrillo
45
Víctor Hugo Carrillo got interested in refereeing when he was 18 years old.
He was influenced by his father who also was a referee.
Carrillo received his FIFA Badge in 2005. He is a CONMEBOL Elite category referee.
Number 46: Carlos Chandía
46
Chilean referee Carlos Chandía started playing football at the age of 5 and almost made it as a professional playing 5 years for a team called Nublense. He quit mainly for economical reasons and started a career in refereeing and a family. The number one referee in Chile made it to the 2006 World Cup finals albeit as a substitute and didn't get to officiate a match. He retired in at the end of 2009, the year he turned 45. Number 47: Martin Hansson
47
Martin Hansson started refereeing when he was 15 with his own club and earned his FIFA badge just before his 30th birthday. Steadily he moved up from UEFA Cup qualifiers to Champions League matches, every year a little further up the ladder. The firefighter from Holmsjo officiated the finals of the EURO U21 and the 2008 Confederations Cup. Number 48: Terje Hauge
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Norwegian Terje Hauge held a FIFA license since 1993. His international career really started in the 2002 World Cup in Japan/ Korea. He was a UEFA elite category ref until he retired at 45 at the end of 2010.
Number 49: Mohsen Torky
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Mohsen Torky is an important elite referee in Iran. Internationally he seems to be a referee who easily awards penalties and sends off players. Number 50: William Collum
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William Collum appeared on the Scottish FA List in January 2000. He was promoted to the Scottish Category 1 in may 2004 and received his FIFA badge in 2006. He moved up to the UEFA Elite Category in July 2012. Number 51: Michael Koukoulakis
51
Michalis Koukoulakis was born in 1975 in Heraclion, Crete.
He graduated the School of Referees of Heraclion (Crete Association) in 1992.
Tall with his 1.90 and a doctor of medicine.
He started refereeing in the Greek Superleague in 2004.
UEFA Category 1 referee Michalis Koukoulakis is a FIFA Referee since 1-1-2008. Number 52: Marijo Strahonja
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In 2007 Strahonja was promoted to the third category by UEFA and at the start of season 2010-2011 to the second which changed into the 1st 6 months later and to the Elite Development in 2012. Number 53: Ivan Bebek
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Ivan Bebek became a referee in the first league when his father was chief of the referees commission. At that time he was only 23. Bebek was a Premier category referee which meant he had a chance to move up to become an Elite ref, but halfway 2011 he was put back in the first category.
Number 54: Alexandru Dan Tudor
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In UEFA and FIFA rankings, Alexandru Tudor is the best Romanian referee. Dan Tudor became a UEFA Premier Category referee at the start of season 2010-2011, 6 moths later that category seemed to have disappeared, he now is a 1st category ref. Number 55: Víctor Rivera
55
Victor Hugo Rivera Chavez is active in the first Division since 1997. He received his Fifa badge in 2001.
He is a CONMEBOL Elite category referee.
Number 56: Lubos Michel'
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Born in the then Republic of Czecho-Slovakia in 1968, Lubos Michel had an impressive career as a referee and he was considered one of the world's best. He was only 25 when he became a FIFA referee.
Number 57: Manuel Gräfe
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Gräfe has been officiating in the Budesliga since 2004 and got his FIFA badge three years later. He already had international experience in 2005 when he took charge of matches in the Korean K-League. He moved up to UEFA Premier Development (now Elite Development) referee at the start of season 2010-2011.. Number 58: Dario Ubriaco
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Dario Ubriaco was a professional player in 1990 for Central Español. Ubrico played for Uruguay in the Sudamericano Sub20. He is a CONMEBOL Elite category referee, promoted in June 2011. Number 59: Carlos Eugenio Simón
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This referee, full name Carlos Eugenio Simón, was born on the 3rd of September 1965 in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. He refereed his first match while still at college. The team he played in went out of the college tournament and he was free to referee some matches. He liked it and one of his teachers incited him to do an actual refereeing course.
Number 60: Eric Braamhaar
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This Dutch referee, who works for the Dutch football association, taking care of other referees and scouting for new ones, took charge of the World Cup u17 final after one year as an international referee. He was a UEFA Elite Category referee, was demoted to the Premier category at the start of season 2009-2010 and again to the 1st category in 2011, his last year as a FIFA ref. Number 61: Saeid Mozaffari Zadeh Yazdi
61
Saeid Mozaffari takes charge internationally of qualifiers and AFC Cup matches. Number 62: Pablo Pozo
62
Pablo Antonio Pozo Quiteros was a football player for a short while, playing with a team called Magallanes. One day the team captain told Pablo that he, unlike his brother Mauricio, would not be promoted to the next level, so from that day on Pozo chose to wear black instead, following the footsteps of his father, who was a professional referee. He was 17 at the time. Six years later he reached the first division.
Number 63: Deniz Aytekin
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A UEFA category 1 referee since 2012 Number 64: Laurent Duhamel
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Rouen born Duhamel is a referee since 1984. He received his Fifa badge in 1999 and is an UEFA Elite Category referee since 2006 but what many of our reporters saw coming: he was demoted to the 1st category in 2012. Number 65: Konrad Plautz
65
Retired UEFA Elite Category referee Konrad Plautz passed his referee's exam in 1984. He was an assistant referee in the Austrian Bundesliga from August 1989 till July 1991. Since August 1991 he is one of the regular officials in Austria's top league, the Bundesliga.
He received his FIFA badge in 1996, and from the year 2000 he was listed as one of the 30 'UEFA Top Class Referees'. He retired (nationally and internationally) at the end of 2009. Number 66: Istvan Vad
66
This Hungarian referee appeared on the international stage in 2007 with a qualifier for the Champions League and one for the UEFA cup. A promising start.In October 2010 Vad, while still only a UEFA category 2 referee, got assigned to Champions League group stage match.
From season 2012-2013, Vad is a UEFA Elite Development category referee.
Number 67: Martín Vazquez
67
Behind top referee Jorge Larrionda, Martin Emilio Vázquez Broquetas has been Uruquay's second choice for quite a while.He is a CONMEBOL Elite category referee.
Number 68: Carlos Vera
68
Carlos Alfredo Vera Rodriguez is a CONMEBOL Elite category referee. Number 69: Kevin Blom
69
On February 20, 2004 Kevin Blom refereed his first match in the Eredivisie (the top Dutch league). He received his FIFA badge a year later. When he is not on the field he educates young referees together with Pieter Vink Number 70: Benito Archundia
70
Born in 1966, Benito Armando Archundia Tellez became an international referee in 1993 and retired at the end of 2010.
Number 71: Alan Kelly
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According to forum writers and bloggers Alan Kelly has a bright future as a referee. He started internationally in 2002, has been officiating qualifiers for UEFA Cup, Champions League, 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. But not only qualifiers, slowly he is making his way up with UEFA Cup first round matches. See palmares for Alan Kelly Number 72: Manuel Mejuto González
72
Member of the Elite Category, Manuel Enrique Mejuto González is one of Europe's most experienced referees. He was born in la Felguera in the region of Asturias in Northern Spain. Being the successful international referee that he is, Manuel travels a lot. And always in the company of his match whistle, the one with a little virgin of Covadonga pending from it. Manuel's friends call him Quique. Number 73: Paulo César de Oliveira
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Paulo Cesar de Oliveira received his FIFA badge in 1999 and was ranked number one by the Brazilian Football association in 2007.He is a CONMEBOL Elite Category referee.
Number 74: Heber Roberto Lopes
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Heber Roberto Lopes became a professional referee in 1995. He started in his home province of Parana. In 1997 he was asked to take charge of matches at the national level. In 2002 he received his FIFA badge.
He is a CONMEBOL Elite Category referee.
Number 75: Peter Fröjdfeldt
75
A relative latecomer internationally, Peter Fröjdfeldt was considered number two in Sweden behind Anders Frisk until the latter stopped his career after receiving (death) threats in 2005. Frojdfeldt made a great impression in a relatively short time from 2001 till the end of 2008, when he reached the retirement age of 45. Number 76: Sálvio Spínola Fagundes Filho
76
Copa libertadores, a quarter final and a semi final in the u17 World cup in Korea 2007 and the 2011 Copa América Final
He was a CONMEBOL Elite Category referee until November 2011 when he retired
Number 77: Pieter Vink
77
Vink started as a referee in 1987 and reached the top in the Netherlands in 2001.
A police officer for almost 20 years but now a full-time referee, Vink received his FIFA badge in 2004 and was added to the UEFA list of 24 elite refs in June 2007. At that time the youngest elite referee in Europe. Number 78: Vladislav Bezborodov
78
Vladislav Bezborodov was selected for international matches and put on the FIFA-list in 2009. In May 2009 he took charge of the European U17 Championships final, always a good sign for a young referee. Currently he is a UEFA Category 1 referee. Number 79: Alain Hamer
79
A referee from a small country like Luxembourg will never get enough experience to be in charge of a Champions League match, or even become a FIFA badge holder. But Hamer got the chance to officiate matches in Belgium (a somewhat bigger country than Luxembourg) and especially in the French Ligue 1.Hamer had a long and impressive career. He was a UEFA Elite Category referee and retired at 45 at the end of 2010.
Number 80: Yadollah Jahanbazi
80
He is a young and efficient referee from Iran and after being a national referee for two years he became an FIFA referee Number 81: Luis Medina Cantalejo
81
Refereeing runs in the family of Medina Cantalejo, Luis' father and grandfather were also referees. When young Luis Medina Cantalejo was a football player in the Spanish third division, and when playing took too much of the time he needed to study, he decided to change to refereeing as well.
His first Primera Division match was in 1998.
He was an Elite Category referee and retired internationally in 2009.
Number 82: Hüseyin Göcek
82
In 2011 Hüseyin Göcek was promoted to the UEFA Category 1. Number 83: Herbert Fandel
83
In 1979, when he was 14, Herbert Fandel passed his referee examns and started his climb up the ladder, up towards the First Bundesliga in 1996 and a FIFA badge in 1998. He was a UEFA Elite Category referee until he retired internationally in 2009.
Number 84: Saúl Laverni
84
Saúl Esteban Laverni, born in Rosario, Santa Fe, is an international referee since January 2007, and is also one of the biggest promises of the Argentinian Referee Staff. He is a CONMEBOL Elite Category referee.
Number 85: David Gantar
85
Dave Gantar has been one of the top referees in Canada for a few years and in 2011 he finally got what he deserved by getting his FIFA badge. Number 86: Robert Schörgenhofer
86
Robert Schoergenhofer is a referee since 1991 and received his FIFA badge in 2007. He became a UEFA Elite Development Category referee at the start of 2011 but in July 2012 he was sent back to the First Category. September 2011 he took charge of his first proper Champions League match. Number 87: Diego Abal
87
Diego Abal, a physical education teacher, was born on December 28th 1971. He´s been an AFA referee since 1993, and he appeared in 1st division during 2006. In January 2008 he was appointed as a FIFA referee. He is a CONMEBOL Elite Category referee.
Number 88: Kyros Vassaras
88
For many years Greek Kyros Vassaras has been at the top. In spite of his experience and impressive career he missed the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany because one of his assistants didn't pass the test. Kyros retired April 2009.
Number 89: Michael Leslie Dean
89
Mike Dean started refereeing in 1985 to keep fit after he finished a job and had nothing to do. It took him 15 years to become a referee in the Premier League. He went from junior football on Sunday mornings, to a local league, to entering the Football Leaugue as a linesman in 1997. A year later he resumed refereeing and was promoted to the Premier league in 2000. He earned his FIFA badge in 2003. Number 90: Leandro Pedro Vuaden
90
His full name is Leandro Pedro Vuaden. Number 91: Alexei Nikolaev
91
Nikolaev entered the international stage in 2007 and in 2008 he already officiated (fairly) important qulifiers and UEFA Cup matches. Nikolaev's career seems to go a little faster that that of most Russian referees.He moved up to the UEFA elite category at the start of 2011 and back down again to the 1st category a year later.
Number 92: Knut Kircher
92
Officiating in the Bundesliga since 2002, and Fifa referee since 2004, the tall (196 m) German, was a Premier list referee, just one step behind the elite corps, but got demoted to the Category 2 (now 1) at the start of season 2010-2011 and 6 months later back to 2. Number 93: Alon Yefet
93
Isreal's Alon Yefet, who earned his FIFA badge in 2002, has been officiating qualifiers, UEFA Cup matches and a Champions League match or two since 2003. He moved up to the UEFA Premier category at the start of season 2010-2011 and when that category disappeared 6 months later he became a 1st category ref. Number 94: Manuel Jorge de Sousa
94
Manuel Jorge Neves Moreira de Sousa is a promising Portuguese referee who seems to be stuck in the middle regions of the Europa League. He has been active internationally since 2006. Number 95: Tony Chapron
95
Tony Chapron was born in Flers and has been a referee since 1998. The international matches he took charge of until 2009 all had the word qualifier in front . But In Februari 2009 he got assigned to a UEFA Cup round of 32 match. Chapron moved up to a UEFA Elite Development category ref at the start of 2012.
Number 96: Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez
96
Born in 1968 in Bilbao, Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez was 28 when he refereed his first match in the Spanish Primera Division. He was a Premier Category Referee, just one step behind the elite corps, but at the start of season 2011-2012, the Premier list seems to have disappeared and he was sent back to the 1st Category. A few months later he retired. Number 97: David Fernandez Borbalan
97
David Fernández Borbalán made his debut in the Primera Division in 2004 and received his FIFA badge in 2010. From 2011 he is a category 1 ref and a year later he became an Elite Development ref. Number 98: Markus Merk
98
Markus Merk, born March 15, 1962 in Kaiserslautern, Germany, has been a referee for over 21 years. He was born very near the stadium at Kaiserslauern, the Fritz-Walter Stadium, which he still describes as 'a very emotional place'. He was 12 when he first started going to games and was immediately 'impressed by the way the referees and their assistants worked'.
Number 99: Jose Hernando Buitrago
99
Hernando Buitrago was selected to officiate at the World Cup U-20 2007 in Canada and a month or so later at the u17 World Cup in Korea. And many more matches, see his palmares. He is a CONMEBOL Elite Category referee.
Number 100: Jerome Damon
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Jerome Damon was born in South Africa in 1972. He was an international referee between 2000 and 2012. He was active in 4 Africa Cups. The first one in Tunisia in 2004, then Egypt (2006), Ghana (2008) and his 4th was Angola 2010 where he got a semi-final.
Bummer! Just outside our top 100: Aleksandar Stavrev
101
From 2012 Aleksandar Stavrev is a UEFA Elite Development category referee. dynamically generated by WorldReferee