You're right, it isn't consistent. Neither is MLS' late-season policy change of requiring an OFR for offside decisions that are being changed and would otherwise be factual and not require an OFR. And therein lies the problem. Competition authorities and referee administrators are bending the rules already to fit public expectations. That slow creep toward more OFRs will lead to both more "re-refereeing" and more delays... two things that the IFAB promised would not happen.
Clattenburg seems like the ex high school jock who still goes back to the same parties 10 years after he graduated. Pretty sad. It's pretty apparent that he has still misses refereeing at the highest level and regrets walking away. I wonder if the Saudi's will try and give him Saudi citizenship so they're can put him on the Saudi FIFA list and he will represent Saudi Arabia in Qatar. At the rate they have completely ditched their domestic talent pool, they might have to if they want to have anyone at the first Arab/Middle Eastern World Cup.
December 14 Al Nassr - Al Raed Ovidiu Hategan (ROU), Octavian Sovre (ROU), Sebastian Gheorghe (ROU), Mariusz Zlotek (POL) Al Taawon - Al Feiha Svein Oddvar Moen (NOR), Kim Haglund (NOR), Magnus Lundberg (NOR), Dalibor Djurdjevic (CRO) Al Batin - Al Ittihad Alan Kelly (IRL), Kyle Atkins (USA), Matthew Nelson (USA), Robert Sibiga (USA) Still no US referee in the center
As I said a few weeks ago... I take it the "(IRL)" designation is just from soccerway? Given his current registration status, I don't see how he'd be classified as anything but an American referee for formal appointment purposes. Now that the genie is out of the bottle, I'll reiterate I think this is a terrible decision and I am disappointed. The appointment did go through PRO (and maybe technically USSF?) so that answers the question of whether or not referees are going to Saudi Arabia with or without domestic approval. I do have questions about game fees, but I'm not sure those will ever be answered.
I don't think it's that important. I put the smiley there for a reason... Maybe. Let's see what happens in the MLS first.
December 15 Al Hilal - Al Hazm Milorad Mazic (SRB), Milovan Ristic (SRB), Dalibor Djurdjevic (SRB), Robert Sibiga (USA) Al Ahli - Al Shabab Szymon Marciniak (POL), Pawel Sokolnicki (POL), Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL), Mariusz Zlotek (POL)
I’m not going to go into the first part here. Most of the potential reasons should be obvious. Disappointing decision by both, also terrible by the referees. Other than game fees there should be no motivation to accept this appointment. At least with PRO, I understand the motivations. But it’s atill disappointing.
What's the problem with accepting assignments between MLS sessions? There aren't many high level assignments this time of year in the USA, are there?
Well, this game had some events... see here for details: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/var-in-review.2078343/page-21#post-37355059
December 17 Ohod - Al Quadisiya Mark Clattenburg (ENG), Kyle Atkins (USA), Matthew Nelson (USA), Robert Sibiga (USA) Is this the first time US referees work with a UCL/Euro Final referee in an official, top-level match?
Hall was 4O for Collina in 2002 and I also think he had at least one UCL AR run his line. Same is possible for Baharmast in 1998 at the WC and 1996 Olympics. But since trios started to dominate FIFA events? Stott being 4O to Poll in 2006 is the only one that immediately comes to mind.
December 20 Al Raed - Al Hazm Artur Soares Dias (POR), Kyle Atkins (USA), Matthew Nelson (USA), Robert Sibiga (USA) Al Faisaly - Al Wahda Pavel Kralovec (CZE), Ivo Nadvornik (CZE), Tomas Mokrusch (CZE), Igor Pajac (CRO) Croatia is supplying lots of 4th officials.
Seems they have only used non-Saudi FIFAs (and Clattenburg) so far, but it would be interesting if he did.
December 21 Al Shabab - Al Batim Mark Clattenburg (ENG), Jake Collin (ENG), Dalibor Djurdjevic (CRO), Danilo Grujic (CRO) Al Hilal - Al Ahli Clement Turpin (FRA), Nicolas Danos (FRA), Cyril Gringore (FRA), Igor Pajac (CRO) Al Fateh - Al Ittifaq Hugo Miguel (POR), Ricardo Santos (POR), Nuno Pereira (POR), Helder Malheiro (POR) Al Quasidiya - Al Taawon Anastasios Sidiropoulos (GRE), Polychronis Kostaras (GRE), Lazaros Dimitriadis (GRE), Ammar Ashkanani (KWT) Al Ittihad - Al Nassr Viktor Kassai (HUN), Gyorgy Ring (HUN), Vencel Toth (HUN), Ivan Bebek (CRO) Turpin in action, another Portugal FIFA referee also there, three Croatian fourth officials in one day.
December 22 Al Feiha - Ohod Sergey Karasev (RUS), Anton Averianov (RUS), Tikohn Kalugin (RUS), Robert Sibiga (USA) Out of the 26 UEFA Elite referees, at least half (13) have worked in the Saudi Arabian league this year: Cakir, Hategan, Karasev, Kassai, Kralovec, Kuipers, Makkelie, Marciniak, Mazic, Sidiropoulos, Skomina, Soares Dias, and Turpin. The next league with the most Elite referees is probably La Liga, with 4: Mateu Lahoz, Undiano Mallenco, Del Cerro Grande, and Gil Manzano.
Is this the only place some of these referees are getting real world VAR practice? Obviously some of the home leagues have it, but others don't
December 25 Al Raed - Al Taawon Sergey Karasev (RUS), Anton Averianov (RUS), Tikhon Kalugin (RUS), Milovan Ristic (SRB)
December 27 Al Batin - Al Quasidiya Viktor Kassai (HUN), Gyorgy Ring (HUN), Vencel Toth (HUN), Roberto Alonso (ESP) Al Faisaly - Al Feiha Milorad Mazic (SRB), Milovan Ristic (SRB), Dalibor Djurdjevic (SRB), Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva (ESP) Old faces in the center, but two Spanish fourth officials. Looks like we'll see Iglesias Villanueva in the middle soon.
Some of the lesser-known Portuguese and Spanish referees are there primarily to provide VAR support (the assignments of which are difficult to find). I'm actually wondering if Kelly or Sibiga worked as VARs at all.
Also, it's possible some of these assignments for 4O are wrong. I'm seeing the same assignment as you for Mazic's match, but that on Kassai's match Alonso is VAR and Undiano Mallenco is the 4O. So who knows?
December 28 Al Fateh - Al Nassr Alberto Undiano Mallenco (ESP), Roberto Alonso Fernandez (ESP), Aitor Villate Martinez (ESP), Ignacio Iglesias Villaneuva (ESP) Al Hazm - Al Shabab Danny Makkelie (NED), Mario Diks (NED), Hessel Steegstra (NED), Jochem Kamphuis (NED) Al Wahda - Al Ahli Ovidiu Hategan (ROU), Octavian Sovre (ROU), Sebastian Gheorghe (ROU), Milovan Ristic (SRB) Undiano Mallenco in the middle with Iglesias Vllaneuva as fourth official. 14 UEFA Elite referees and counting.