Frank de Bleeckere
Jorge Larrionda
Larrionda is also well known in South America, having participated in countless matches of continental competitions such as the Copa Libertadores and the Campeonato Uruguayo.
He was preselected as a referee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
Howard Webb
Webb is counted amongst the top referees of all time by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), and has refereed a number of notable matches including the FA Cup Final, the FA Community Shield and the final of the Football League Cup, as well as the final of both the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup, being the first person to referee both matches in the same year.
Sergio Pezzotta
Sergio Fabián Pezzotta (born 28 November 1967 in Rosario, Santa Fe) is an Argentine football referee.
He has been a referee in domestic Primera División since 1999 and an International FIFA referee since 2000.
After the retirement of fellow countryman Horacio Elizondo he became Argentine's top referee and was selected for the 2007 Copa América where he took charge of three games (Brazil vs Mexico, Brazil vs Ecuador; both group stage and the quarterfinal between Mexico and Paraguay).
Injury kept him out from the preliminary tests for 2010 FIFA World Cup where Héctor Baldassi had been chosen instead to represent Argentine FA.
Pezzotta returned to full fitness in 2011 and was selected for his second Copa America; held in home his country.
Earlier in 2011 he took charge of the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final where Santos defeated Peñarol to claim the trophy.
Wolfgang Stark
He was questioned for his performance overseeing the Chile–Argentina match in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, having "lost control of the match early" and for issuing seven yellow cards (out of nine) and two red cards against the Chilean team during the match. In total he issued 53 fouls, 30 of which he charged to Chile.
Following the match Stark and his colleagues were surrounded by livid Chilean players who were restrained by members of the Toronto Police. Stark then had to be escorted off of the pitch and into the dressing room tunnel by police officers for fear that he would be attacked by the crowd and/or Chilean players at the National Soccer Stadium. Chilean players, still angry after losing the match, fought with and were pepper-sprayed by police officers outside of the stadium. The players were temporarily held inside the stadium by the police for several hours and were released without being arrested.
Stark was criticized for his performance in the Champions League match between Chelsea F.C. and Internazionale in 2010 by the Daily Telegraph. A report claimed that he had missed two clear penalties for Chelsea.
Stark's performance has also been questioned in some Madrid-based newspapers after Real Madrid's 2-0 loss to Barcelona in the2010–11 UEFA Champions League. The Diario Marca also took issue with a penalty Stark awarded to FC Barcelona in their 3-2 defeat of AC Milan in the next Champions League season's group stage, saying “Aquilani grabbed Xavi inside the box but the contact was not enough to topple Barca brain.” The Italian press was less conclusive, with the Gazetta dello Sport calling the decision “generous”. After the incident he then booked the wrong player, when in fact he should have cautioned Alberto Aquilani who would have been sent off for the offence as it would have been his second booking.
Stark was selected as a referee for the 2008 Summer Olympics football tournament and for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In the 2010-11 season of the German Bundesliga he was elected worst referee of the first half of the season by the players.
Stark was also the referee during the controversial 2011-2012 Bundesliga relegation playoffs, when Hertha BSC's Levan Kobiashvilipunched him after Hertha lost the series to Fortuna Dusseldorf.
During 2012 UEFA European Championship, in Poland, Wolfgang Stark was again at the center of controversy, as he failed to signal what were considered to be one or two clear penalties for Croatia in the match against Spain, both by Croatian players[9], international media and experts, including prominent Spanish media, one of which was in the dying minutes of the match, just before Spain scored their sole, winning goal. This result eliminated Croatia, while a Croatia victory would result in Spain being eliminated.
Viktor Kassai
Viktor Kassai (Kassai Viktor, Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈkɒʃːɒi ˈviktor]; born 10 September 1975) is a Hungarian football referee. He has participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and he has been a full international for FIFA since 2003. Kassai refereed the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final.
Massimo Busacca
Massimo Busacca (born 6 February 1969 in Bellinzona) is a Swiss former football referee. He lives in Monte Carasso, Ticino, near Bellinzona, and is also the proprietor of a business.[1]
Busacca used to play football in a lower division in Ticino, then he worked for a petroleum company in the Middle East. He became a referee in 1990. He has been a referee in the Swiss Super League since 1996, and a FIFA referee since 1999.
Said Belqola
Said Belqola (Arabic: سعيد بلقولة) (August 30, 1956 – June 15, 2002) was a football referee from Morocco, best known for officiating the1998 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and France, being the first African referee to officiate a World Cup final.Belqola's international career began when he was appointed to the international list in 1993, going on to referee the match between France and England at the Tournoi de France in 1997. He was also among the referees at the final tournaments of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 and 1998, officiating two matches at each of the two tournaments. At the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals, he also officiated two group matches (Germany vs. United States and Argentina vs. Croatia).
Belqola was born in Tiflet, Morocco and worked in Fez as a civil servant as a customs officer.
Belqola died on June 15, 2002 after a long battle with cancer. He was buried in Tiflet.
Pierluigi Collina
Anders Frisk
