Premier League referees will have to reveal which team they support

International Football

Premier League referees will have to reveal which team they support

The Premier League will reveal the club that each of the referees who will be officiating in the 2024-2025 season is a fan of. This decision was taken to avoid suspicion and alleged benefits for certain teams.

The Premier League is looking to strike the best balance in terms of the appointment of its referees for the new season and thus avoid controversies with the teams. (Photo Prensa Libre: @FA_PGMOL)

Los Premier League referees will have to reveal which team they support to avoid discrepancies as happened last season, when the Nottingham Forest accused a referee of VAR being a Luton Town supporter.

Forest released a statement in April saying they had warned that Stuart Attwell, VAR referee in the Everton defeat, was a Luton Town fanForest’s rival team in the relegation battle.

At the meeting between Howard Webb, director of the college of referees of the Premier (PGMOL, for its acronym in English), assured that the referees will have to declare “any specific interest” looking ahead to this season and if anything were to change over the course of it.

“We will review it and make adjustments if we believe there may be a conflict of interest. if you declare yourself a fan of a particular team. If you have played for a club, too. We are trying to get more players to become referees, so it is something we have to work on. And If you have personal connections with people who work in the clubs, too. We will assess all of this and take it into account when appointing the referees,” Webb said.