Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/480415
21 Sport maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 18 MARCH 2015 FOOTBALL Referees' Academy weekend THE Malta FA Refereeing Depart- ment earlier this month held a weekend retreat for its young ref- erees who are following a two-year programme at the Referees' Acad- emy. The academy is in its fourth season of operation and prepares young males and females aged 15- 18 years to join the mainstream of match officials. 18 academy students took part in this season's weekend retreat, held at the Pergola Hotel & Spa in Mel- lieha. The weekend consisted of classroom presentations, a practi- cal outdoor session and an analysis of the BOV Premier League match, Birkirkara vs Sliema Wanderers, which the students analysed to- gether with the appointed referee, Trustin Farrugia Cann, and the appointed observer Alexander Arena. Director of Refereeing Adrian Casha welcomed participants and encouraged them to enjoy a week- end of living together and learning about various aspects of the laws of the game. Manuel Lopez Fernandez, a well known speaker in world football and psychological instructor for FIFA Elite Referees, addressed par- ticipants about 'The Ideal Match Official' and 'Basic Requirements for Efficient Performances'. Zuleika Azzopardi, Neil Car- bonaro and Ryan Caruana, them- selves former academy students who graduated last year, delivered an impeccable presentation about their determination to overcome emotional and physical difficulties that came their way. Other presentations were deliv- ered by Alexander Arena about 'Use of Cards – Aid to Communi- cation' and 'Simulation', Paul Caru- ana about 'Match Preparation', Philip Agius about 'Offside', Kevin Azzopardi about 'Penalty Area Decisions', Adrian Casha about 'Freekick Management', Gjergji Bi- tri about 'Futsal and Beach Soccer Refereeing' and Lawrence Sammut about 'The Role of the Malta Foot- ball Referees Association'. Adrian Casha conducted a video test about World Cup 2014 match situations, while Kevin Azzopardi conducted a Laws of the Game Quiz. The winners were presented with FIFA gifts and promotional material. The outdoor practical session coordinated by Philip Agius and Paul Caruana and held at a football pitch provided by Mellieha Sports Club, comprised f lag techniques, positioning, ref lexes to incidents in vicinity, concentration techniques, coordination and teamwork. In the football match that followed, par- ticipants took it in turns to act as referees and assistant referees re- spectively, and hands-on advice was given by the instructors present. In his closing address, MFA gen- eral secretary Bjorn Vassallo en- couraged the association's young recruits to work hard, set goals and enjoy refereeing. UEFA appointments for local officials Ligue 2 Nimes to be relegated for attempted match fixing REFEREE Adrian Azzopardi and assistant referee Jurgen Spiteri, newly-approved officials on FIFA's International List, have been given their first appointment by UEFA to take charge of matches in the Euro- pean Under-17 Championship 2015 elite qualifying round Group 7, be- ing held in Hungary between 20-25 March, 2015. Other appointed match officials are from Sweden, Kazakhstan and Hungary. The participating teams with hosts Hungary are Bosnia and Herzegovi- na, Czech Republic and Scotland. The first appointment for Adrian Azzopardi and Jurgen Spiteri is the Scotland-Bosnia and Herzegovina match being played at the Grosics Stadion in Tatabánya this Friday. Their other match together as ref- eree and assistant referee, will be Hungary-Scotland being played at the Globall Football Park in Telki this Sunday. On the final matchday, Wednesday, 25 March, Jurgen Spiteri as assistant referee and Adrian Azzopardi as fourth official, are appointed for the Bosnia and Herzegovina-Hungary match at the Globall Football Park. UEFA Referee Observers Konrad Plautz (Austria) and Karen Nalban- dyan (Armenia) have been appointed to assess the performances of match officials at this mini-tournament. Yoav Strauss (Israel) is the ap- pointed UEFA Delegate. Jurgen Spiteri and Adrian Azzopardi LIGUE 2 side Nimes will be rel- egated to the third division at the end of the season after former president Jean-Marc Conrad was found guilty of attempted match fixing, the French League (LFP) said on Tuesday. LFP disciplinary commission president Sebastien Deneux told a news conference that Conrad, who was handed a seven-year ban, tried to fix four Ligue 2 games as his club were fighting off relegation last season. Nimes can appeal the decision before the French federation (FFF). "We are reproaching Conrad for having tried to fix some matches and defraud sporting ethics," said Deneux. "This was a violation of morality." Nimes' main share- holder Serge Kasparian was hand- ed a 10-year ban. "I am stunned. The club is sanctioned for the actions of its former president," Nimes' current president Chris- tian Perdrier was quoted as tell- ing a news conference by French media. Nimes are eighth in the Ligue 2 standings. The matches Conrad tried to fix were against CA Bastia, Dijon, Caen and Creteil, Deneux said. Four other people were handed suspensions ranging from two months to two years for their part in the match-fixing attempts. Seven games involving Nimes were investigated by the LFP, who said officials from all the clubs concerned -- Caen, Creteil, Di- jon, Istres, Bastia, Brest, Nimes and Laval -- had been summoned to give evidence. Conrad was ar- rested last November on suspi- cion of fixing the result of a game between Nimes and Caen last season. The game in May ended in a 1-1 draw, which was enough to keep Nimes in Ligue 2, while Caen all but secured promotion to the top flight. On the judicial side, preliminary charges were filed against Conrad and Caen presi- dent Jean-Francois Fortin, who was cleared by the LFP. The two procedures, however, are strictly independent from each other. Olympique de Mar- seille were relegated to the second division in 1994 over a match- fixing scandal dating back to the 1992-93 season. They were also stripped of their 1993 French ti- tle. Hillsborough