[CLSTR]
< Back to situations

We’ll email you as it develops, and you can follow the whole thread from day one.

[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]

3 clusters · 5 sources · 21 days · First seen · Last updated

Categories: SPORTS

Serbia football refereeing leadership

Entities: Frank De Bleker · Football Association of Serbia · VAR · Serbia · Azerbaijan Football Federations Association

Overview

In July 2026 the Football Association of Serbia appointed Belgian referee Frank De Bleker as head of its Refereeing Committee. The federation highlighted his extensive experience – a former FIFA‑listed official (1998‑2011) who has overseen World Cup, European Championship and Champions League matches – and set a two‑year mandate focused on strengthening refereeing integrity, advancing education and professional development, and aligning VAR implementation with FIFA and UEFA standards.

De Bleker, born 1 July 1966, arrived in Serbia after leading the Azerbaijan refereeing commission, where he helped two referees reach UEFA Category 1 status and increased the number of FIFA‑rated officials to four. He thanked the Azerbaijan Football Federations Association in a departure letter before taking up the Serbian role. He will be assisted by VAR expert Kristof Dirik and plans meetings with referees, club officials, coaches, captains and media to present his vision.

The appointment follows his recent work on a UEFA referee development panel and signals a continuation of his European‑wide governance experience within Serbian football.

Timeline

  1. 2 days ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Belgian FIFA Referee Frank De Bleker Leaves Azerbaijan Football Federation for Serbia

    Belgian FIFA referee Frank De Bleker ends his AFFA role after boosting Azerbaijani officiating and will lead the referees commission of Serbia’s football federation.

  2. 6 days ago

    [SPORTS] 3 sources
    Frank De Bleker Appointed Head of Serbian Football Refereeing Committee

    Belgian referee Frank De Bleker becomes head of Serbia's football refereeing committee, aiming to boost integrity, education and VAR use.

  3. 23 days ago

    [SPORTS] 3 sources
    Serbian FA names Belgian referee chief as Republika Srpska ranks top football delegates

    Serbian FA hires Belgian Frank De Bleker as referee chief, while Republika Srpska publishes its top football delegate rankings for First and Second leagues.

Sources

allsport.az · beta.rs · football-plus.az · kurir.rs · politika.rs

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history