Iraqi Football Association Appoints Portuguese Expert to Oversee Refereeing Development

The Iraqi Football Association announced on Monday that it has signed a contract with former international referee and Portuguese refereeing expert Vítor Melo Pereira to oversee its refereeing department, as part of efforts to improve officiating standards across Iraqi football.

In a statement, the association said the signing ceremony was attended by its president, Younis Mahmoud, Secretary-General Kofand Abdulkhaliq, Executive Board Member and Referees Committee Supervisor Sabah Qasim, along with other committee members.

The association described the appointment as a strategic step toward modernizing Iraq’s refereeing system. Pereira is expected to develop a comprehensive plan focused on identifying and training young refereeing talents, enhancing the capabilities of current referees, strengthening evaluation and monitoring mechanisms, and updating training and qualification programs.

Pereira brings extensive experience in refereeing and the development of officiating systems, having worked in several countries, including Portugal, Greece, Russia, Egypt, and Türkiye.

The association added that the appointment forms part of its broader efforts to improve the quality of domestic competitions, raise refereeing standards, and prepare a new generation of qualified Iraqi referees capable of officiating local and international matches in the coming years.