For the first time, the group of referees at the International Socca Federation World Cup in Germany will be completely funded by ISF including their meals. Every referee will now have their full transportation costs covered, including flights and any internal transfers, paid for by the organisation. They will also be staying in a hotel located right next to the stadium and provided with an allowance that covers all their daily meals exclusively through Socca funding.
Tournament Director Tom Nash explained, “This is the first time we have ensured that our entire team of referees doesn’t have to pay for anything and is fully supported by us, with the best accommodation and expenses package we have ever provided. In the past, there were some individuals who argued against providing certain benefits, claiming we had done enough. However, along with Mareks Kere, our new Latvian Head of Referees (pictured amongst the referee’s group at a recent world cup, above), we have eliminated all these obstacles. Now, the referees can receive the recognition they deserve and will be treated as the most important people in the stadium, as they should have been in previous years. Finally, we will treat our referees as VIPs because that’s exactly what they are, and they will lack nothing during the tournament.”
A referee’s spokesman said, “Of course, there were certain things at tournaments in the past that as a group of referees, which we didn’t always receive. However, dealing directly with Tom has made the process much easier, and we have simply obtained everything we have asked for without any problems whatsoever. On behalf of all of us, we are extremely grateful to the ISF and the socca team for their tremendous financial support.”