UEFA has just sent a circular to all member federations and European clubs with the rules of conduct that must exist with the referee team appointed to whistle the matches. Circular to which MD had access. Be it club competitions (men’s and women’s) or national team commitments. An action protocol that makes this clear in all its competitions, “the care of the referees in the match areas remains the exclusive responsibility of the member federations.”
Therefore referee teams and referee observers appointed for matches must be accompanied by the figure they call “Referee Liaison Officers or RLOs” and that “they are neutral, completely independent of the clubs and appointed by the member federations. No club representative may accompany the referees during their stay at the party headquarters.”
As defined by UEFA itself, this referee liaison “must have refereeing experience, but not elite or UEFA category 1 referees. They must be fit and active enough to be available within 48 hours of the officials of the match is usually on site, with excellent local knowledge and contacts, and can drive the vehicles mentioned below, including match vehicles, training sessions and all airport transfers.”
Each federation must provide a physiotherapist
Additionally, and according to this same protocol, referees must stay in a hotel with at least four stars. The journey time between the hotel and the stadium should not exceed 45 minutes and they should be transferred in a spacious and comfortable passenger car, big enough for five adults with luggage. If VARs are on site, a second vehicle will be required, along with another referee liaison or driver. The referee observer must have a different vehicle from the airport to the hotel and vice versa, according to his flight schedule if it is different from the referees.
besides a physiotherapist, also independent of clubs, must be organized and available in the stadium before and after the match exclusively for the referees. When the match starts after 9 pm local time, UEFA recommends arranging a post-match dinner at the hotel, separate from the other guests, to give the referee observer the opportunity to conduct a proper post-match review. against a quiet and private environment.
UEFA covers the cost of the referee’s accommodation
The UEFA delegate for the match will be accompanied in this case by a delegated liaison officer appointed by the club dand origin. This rule applies to all UEFA club competitions. At the end of each season, UEFA pays a fixed amount per match cover all expenses related to the referee teamthe referee observer and the referee liaison officer, as well as the delegate’s residence. The amounts per match, which in the case of Champions League, Europe and Conference, reach 6,000 euros per match and up to 8,000 if VAR is done in the stadium. In the case of the Women’s Champions League it is 5,000 euros, rising to six thousand with VAR outside the stadium.
In the case of national team competitions such as the current Nations League, the host association must also appoint a referee liaison officer. All costs for the maintenance of the referee’s team, the referee’s observer and the match venue delegate will be borne by the host association.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
