UEFA invites banned referee Omar Artan to its elite training seminar

The rivalry between UEFA and FIFA has produced one of its most striking chapters yet in the refereeing world. The body led by Alexander Ceferin has decided to invite Somali official Omar Artan to its pre-season seminar for elite referees, just weeks after appointing him to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup. The move is hard to ignore, given that Artan was pulled from the World Cup in the United States by FIFA itself.

• UEFA has called up Omar Artan for the referee seminar ahead of its club competitions.
• The seminar will be held in Geneva from August 31 to September 2.
• Artan already took charge of the UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Aston Villa on August 12.
• The African official will train alongside UEFA's ELITE and FIRST referee groups.
• Six Spanish referees will attend the same course, including Hernández Hernández and Gil Manzano.

Why Omar Artan has become a symbol of the UEFA-FIFA rift

Omar Artan's name has shifted from a minor refereeing story to a symbol of the institutional tension between the two organisations that govern world football. His removal from the World Cup in the United States, decided by FIFA, now stands in sharp contrast with the explicit backing he is receiving from UEFA, which has placed him at the centre of two high-profile assignments within just a few weeks: the UEFA Super Cup final and the seminar that kicks off the continental season.

Gestures like this are unusual in international refereeing, where appointments typically follow technical criteria rather than headline-grabbing decisions. That is why Roberto Rosetti, UEFA's head of refereeing, choosing to include Artan among the special guests is being read as a way of standing up for him against the stance taken by FIFA.

What UEFA's referee seminar in Geneva actually is

Every season, before the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League get underway, UEFA runs a preparatory course for its match officials at its headquarters in Geneva. The gathering is designed to align criteria, review rule changes, and get referees ready for the opening rounds of European club competition.

This year's edition will run from August 31 to September 2, bringing together the 35 members of the ELITE group, considered the top tier of European officiating, alongside the 61 referees of the FIRST group, the second level. It is within this setting that Omar Artan will appear as a special guest, despite not being a regular part of the refereeing structure UEFA manages for its competitions.

Spanish representation at the elite referee course

Spain will have a notable presence at the gathering, with six officials spread across the two invited groups. The ELITE group will include Alejandro Hernández Hernández, a referee with World Cup experience, alongside José María Sánchez Martínez and Jesús Gil Manzano, three familiar names on major European nights.

They are joined in the FIRST group by Alberola Rojas, De Burgos Bengoechea and Juan Martínez Munuera, officials aiming to establish themselves on the continental stage who could potentially move up to the elite tier in coming seasons if they maintain their level in Spain's top flight.

What this move says about UEFA and FIFA's relationship

Beyond the specific case of Omar Artan, this episode confirms that the distance between UEFA and FIFA is no longer confined to disagreements over the international calendar or the future of club competitions. It now extends into refereeing itself, where decisions on appointments and training are increasingly viewed through the lens of institutional positioning.

Confirming Artan as a guest in Geneva, just weeks after his prominent role at the UEFA Super Cup, reinforces the sense that UEFA wants to distance itself from FIFA's approach to managing its own referees, at a time when both organisations are also competing over the narrative of who truly controls world football.