Referees and assistants for France 98 chosen

This year's extended FIFA World Cup - involving for the first time 32 teams that will contest a total of 64 matches - will of course need more referees and assistant referees. The FIFA Referees' Committee has therefore chosen 34 referees and 33 assistants to officiate at the World Cup from 10 June to 12 July. As a matter of interest, 24 referees and 22 linesmen were in action at the World Cup, USA 94.

The 67 officials were creamed off from a pool of referees on the basis of their performance ratings but will first have to pass a fitness test. Not more than one referee from each national association was chosen as a matter of principle. Five of the referees - Bujsaim, Lim Kee Chong, Brizio Carter, Tejada Noriega and Van der Ende - officiated at the last World Cup in the USA.

The match officials will be preened and polished at a World Cup seminar to be held in Manoir de Gressy, 30 km north of Paris, from 23 March to 27 March 1998. The referees and assistants will use Manoir de Gressy as their base throughout the World Cup and travel backwards and forwards to each of their designated matches in the various venues. During the seminar, they will not only be drilled in the Laws of the Game and their application but will also undergo physical training and take the fitness test mentioned above. The participants will also be taught to master the electronic system ("Signal Bip") that enables improved communication among the referee and his assistants. The system was first used at the Olympic Football Tournament in 1996 and has been used with great success at every FIFA competition ever since.

Last update: 02/10/1998

AFC ZONE i Referees i i AL ZEID, Abdul Rahman Saudi Arabia BUJSAIM, Ali Mohamed United Arab Emirates OKADA, Masayoshi Japan UN-PRASERT, Pirom Thailand f Assistant Referees AL MUSAWI, Mohamed Ahmed Oman GHADANFARI, Hussein Kuweit HALIM ABDUL HAMID, Halim Malaisia JEON, Young Hyun S. Korea WICKERAMATUNGE S. Muhamad Sri Lanka i i i i f

CAF ZONE i Referees i i BELQOLA, Said Morocco GHANDOUR, Gamal Egypt LIM KEE CHONG, An-Yan Mauritius BOUCHARDEAU, Lucien Niger MASEMBE, Charles Uganda f Assistant Referees DANTE, Dramane Mali MANSRI, Mohamed Tunisia SALIE, Achmat South Africa SOLDATOS, Aristidis Chris South Africa i i i i f

CONCACAF ZONE i Referees i i BAHARMAST, Esfandiar USA BRIZIO CARTER, Arturo Mexico RAMDHAN, Ramesh Tinidad & Tobago f Assistant Referees GONZALES, Merere Louis Trinidad & Tobago POWELL, Owen Jamaica SALINAS ROSTRAN, Elias Honduras TORRES ZUNIGA, L. F. Costa Rica i i i i f

CONMEBOL ZONE i Referees i i CASTRILLI, Javier Argentina GONZALEZ CHAVEZ, Epifanio Paraguay REZENDE DE FREITAS, Marció Brazil SANCHEZ YANTEN, Mario Chile TEJADA NORIEGA, Alberto Peru TORO RENDON, John Jairo Colombia f Assistant Referees ARANGO CARDONA, Jorge Luis Colombia DIAZ GALVEZ, Jorge Alberto Chile GALVAN SOTO, Celestino Paraguay PINTO FILHO, Arnaldo de Menezes Brazil ROSSI, Claudio Anibal Argentina i i i i f

OFC ZONE i Referees i i LENNIE, Edward Australia f Assistant Referees FRED, Lencie Vanuatu i i i i f

UEFA ZONE i Referees i i BATTA, Marc France BENKÖ, Gunter Austria COLLINA, Pierluigi Italia DALLAS, Hugh Scotland DURKIN, Paul England FRISK, Anders Sweden GARCIA ARANDA, José-Manuel Spain HEYNEMANN, Bernd Germany LEVNIKOV, Nikolai Russia MEIER, Urs Switzerland MELO PEREIRA, Manuel Portugal NIELSEN, Kim Milton Denmark PEDERSEN, Rune Norway VAGNER, László Hungary VAN DER ENDE, Mario Netherlands f Assistant Referees AMLER, Evzen Czech rep. DUPANOV, Youri Belarus FOLEY, Eddie Irland GRIGORESCU, Nicolae Roumania MAZZEI, Gennaro Italia NILSSON, Michael Sweden POCIEGIEL, Jacek Poland POUDEVIGNE, Jacques France RAUSIS, Laurent Switzerland SCHNEIDER, Erich Germany TRESACO GRACIA, Fernando Spain VAN DEN BROECK, Marc Belgium WARREN, Mark England ZAMMIT, Emanuel Malta i i i i f

FIFA Communications Division, 2.2.1998