Title: VAR in the Spotlight: Officiating Team Announced for Esteghlal vs. Persepolis Clash
Article:
The Iranian Football Federation has officially released the list of match officials for the highly anticipated third week of the Persian Gulf Pro League, with a particular focus on the implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology across all fixtures.
The marquee match of the week, the historic derby between Esteghlal and Persepolis, will see a full contingent of officials. Koopal Nazemi has been appointed as the central referee for the match, assisted by Hadi Tousi, Hamed Safaei, and Maysam Safari. Overseeing the proceedings from the VAR room will be Bijan Heidari, with Alireza Ildorom serving as the assistant VAR. The match supervisor will be Alireza Kahouri.
A League-Wide Technological Deployment
A significant highlight for this week’s matches is the comprehensive use of VAR technology in every single game, underscoring the league’s commitment to leveraging technology for fair and transparent officiating. This move aims to ensure that key decisions are reviewed with precision, maintaining the integrity of the competition.
The full list of officials for all Week 3 matches is as follows:
(The following section presents the officiating details in a clear, structured format for easy reader reference.)
Friday, September 12, 2024:
- Tractor vs. Aluminum Arak: Referee: Seyed Reza Mahdavi. VAR: Mouood Banidifard.
- Kheybar Khorramabad vs. Fajr Sepasi: Referee: Payam Heidari. VAR: Maysam Heidari.
- Gol Gohar Sirjan vs. Sepahan: Referee: Seyed Vahid Kazemi. VAR: Bijan Heidari.
- Esteghlal Khuzestan vs. Esteghlal Tehran: Referee: Hassan Akrami. VAR: Amir Arab-Barghi.
Saturday, September 13, 2024:
- Shams Azar Qazvin vs. Paykan: Referee: Saadat Vafapish. VAR: Hassan Akrami.
- Zob Ahan vs. Mes Rafsanjan: Referee: Morteza Mansourian. VAR: Maysam Heidari.
- Chadormalu vs. Malavan: Referee: Vahid Zamani. VAR: Vahid Kazemi.
- Persepolis vs. Foolad: Referee: Koopal Nazemi. VAR: Bijan Heidari.
The announcement has set the stage for a weekend of high-stakes football, with the eyes of the nation firmly fixed on the technological aids designed to uphold fairness in the beautiful game.
