The Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s main referees committee has revealed the identities of the refereeing teams that will manage today’s matches in the nineteenth round of the Saudi Professional League for the 2025–2026 season, in a move that reflects the committee’s keenness to ensure the highest standards of integrity and fairness in this crucial stage of the season.
Historical Background and Context of Using Foreign Referees:
These appointments are a continuation of a long-standing approach in Saudi football, which involves employing highly experienced and qualified international referees to officiate high-profile and crucial matches. This approach aims to raise the standard of refereeing, reduce pressure on local referees, and ensure complete impartiality in matches that attract significant media and public attention, thus enhancing the credibility of the competition both domestically and internationally.
The highlight of the round
will be the highly anticipated match between Al-Hilal and Al-Qadisiyah at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam at 8:30 PM. The committee has assigned a top-tier Brazilian refereeing team to officiate the game. The team will be led by renowned international referee Rafael Claus , whose impressive resume includes participation in major international tournaments such as the World Cup. He will be assisted by Alex Ang and Danilo Manaes. Saudi referee Abdullah Al-Faroush will serve as the fourth official, while Dian Muniz will be in charge of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), assisted by Abdulrahim Al-Shammari. This selection reflects the significant importance of the match in the race for the league title.
Renewed confidence in Saudi referees
: The committee reaffirmed its confidence in the national talent to officiate the remaining important matches. Referee Majed Al-Shamrani the Al-Ittihad vs. Al-Fateh match, which will take place at 6:00 PM at Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium in Al-Ahsa. He will be assisted by Hisham Al-Rifai and Omar Al-Jamal, with Abdullah Zainan as the fourth official and Farid Al-Jaloud as the video assistant referee (VAR).
At the same time, referee Shukri Al-Hanfoush officiate the Al-Shabab vs. Al-Hazm match at Al-Hazm Club Stadium in Al-Rass, assisted by Saad Al-Shammari and Hamed Al-Ahmari, while Khalid Al-Ahmari will be the fourth official, and Mohammed Al-Ismail will lead the video technology room.
The significance and expected impact
of these appointments stem from their timing during a crucial round of the league, where all teams are striving for positive results to improve their positions in the standings. The presence of an international referee of Rafael Claus's caliber in this top match will help calm the tense atmosphere and ensure the impartial application of the rules, which will reflect positively on the reputation of the Saudi Professional League, which has become a focus of global attention. Furthermore, assigning other matches to Saudi referees underscores the federation's strategy to develop local refereeing and give them the opportunity to prove their competence in managing competitive matches.
