Following last year’s initiative, agreement and experience regarding a referee exchange in the control of top level matches in the respective domestic leagues, once more this year the Referees’ Departments of the Malta FA and of the Irish FA will be continuing the programme during the coming weekend.

On Friday 24th August, Elite Referee Adrian Azzopardi together with FIFA Assistant Referee Mariano Debono, Elite Assistant Referee Roberto Vella, and Elite Referee Paul Caruana as Fourth Official, will be in charge of the match Linfield vs Donegal Celtic at Windsor Park, Belfast (kick-off 19.45 local).

Then on Saturday 25th August, Elite Referee Paul Caruana together with FIFA Assistant Referee Mariano Debono, Elite Assistant Referee Roberto Vella, and Elite Referee Adrian Azzopardi as Fourth Official, will be in charge of the match Lisburn Distillery vs Crusaders at New Grosvenor Stadium, Ballyskeagh (kick-off 15.00 local).

On the other hand, Irish referees will be coming over to Malta to take charge of BOV Premier League matches in October.

This is only one aspect of the agreement reached last year, in connection with the implementation of policies for the organisation of referees’ departments in European football; other aspects taken into consideration include seminars for top referees and training camps abroad.

Other referee exchanges with Latvia, Luxembourg, Wales and Republic of Ireland will follow in the coming weeks.