ffiri.ir

The Secretary-General of the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation, Hedayat Mombini, expressed his appreciation for the lifelong efforts of referee supervisors, stressing the need to nurture and develop new talents in the field.

Mombeni attended the closing ceremony of the football referee training program, where he stated, "I consider myself one of you and feel it is my duty to thank you for your lifelong dedication to refereeing and now supervising the challenging work of referees."

Mombeni also extended his gratitude to Masoud Moradi, the instructor of the course, and acknowledged the dedication of participants who traveled from various cities to attend the seminar and stay updated on the latest supervision practices. "I personally wished to be in the class alongside you, but there are rules and regulations I must adhere to. I miss my colleagues in the refereeing community," he added.

Addressing the increased scrutiny and pressure on referees in recent years, Mombeni highlighted the challenging environment created by online analyses and criticisms. "A small mistake by a referee can lead to heavy criticism from the football community," he said. He also mentioned the establishment of a protective committee for referees to mitigate these pressures, noting that even some international referees were affected. "I'm pleased that we completed the 23rd league season successfully," Mombeni remarked.

He stated, "Your supervision on referee appointments is crucial. Each grade you assign to referees impacts their involvement in important matches. Your conduct sets an example for referees and influences the football community. You should act as the teachers of our country's refereeing."

Mombeni underscored the need to enhance refereeing quality and discover promising talents. "We need to develop prominent figures in refereeing as football becomes increasingly competitive," he insisted.

Regarding the introduction of VAR (Video Assistant Referee) technology, Mombeni mentioned, "Despite the challenges we faced in implementing VAR, its presence is gradually increasing. We have coordinated with FIFA, and they will visit Iran on August 23 to conduct the final tests so that we can implement VAR in our matches."