The Group Stage from the new Uefa’s competition will start today and some innovations will be introduced.
Sport Lisboa e Benfica will receive in Luz Stadium the Belarusian team FC BATE Borisov. The tonight game will have more referees than the usual and that because the IFAB (International Football Association Board) introduced some alterations. The public wanted more veracity on the referee judgments and IFAB responded with the introduction of two more referees on all the Europa League phase Group games.
So, the four referees (Referee, 2 Assistants, and the observer) will be complemented with two more assistant referees. These two new assistants will occupy the positions alongside each goal. Their positions will be on the opposite side of the goal from the actual assistants.
The new referee assistant won’t have a flag they, will help the main referee using radio communication or a vibrating system. The additional assistant referees will be able to enter the pitch if necessary. Formation was given to almost one hundred elements. On this training occurred in Nyon, Switzerland, was present the Referee Commission President of the Portuguese Football League, Vitor Pereira and also the referees Bruno Paixão and Jorge Sousa that will participate in same matches.
The IFAB Association was created in 1886 and is composed of The Football Association (England), The Scottish Football Association, The Football Association of Wales, The Irish Football Association (Northern Ireland) and finally with high importance FIFA.
Jorge Jesus to the Press
The reds coach already alerted the fans to the difficulties that might appear and that not all the games can be won with so many goals, as the last two games of the Portuguese League.
“The team is fine if we look at the results, but it still has much to grow. The game against BATE will be the first of the Group Phase where we want to go on through. We will try to reach the victory, because points do count, but to do that we will need to be at same level as we were in the last games.”
About the Belarusian team he said:
“It is a team Tactical Disciplined that goes rapidly on Counter-Attack and is very tuff defensively.”
Viktor Goncharenko to the Press:
The coach from BATE Borisov, Viktor Goncharenko, that won’t be able to be seated on the bench because he has been suspended, said that a draw would be a nice result.
“Benfica has strong Attack and Deffense. We like to win but we consider a draw here a good result.”
The BATE elements are also pleased for being playing in Luz Stadium.
“We are very happy to be able to play in this great stadium. We would like to play more in cenarious like this one.”
Uefa Europa League » Goup I:
Sport Lisboa e Benfica - FC BATE Borisov (20:05 Local Time)
Sport Lisboa e Benfica - FC BATE Borisov (20:05 Local Time)
Everton FC – AEK Athens FC
Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Goalkeepers: Moreira and Júlio César;
Defenders: Shaffer, Luisão, Maxi Pereira, David Luiz, César Peixoto and Sidnei;
Midfileders: Rúben Amorim, Javi García, Ramires, Fábio Coentrão, Felipe Menezes and Di Maria;
Forwards: Cardozo, Keirrison, Nuno Gomes and Saviola;
Coach: Jorge Jesus.
Futbolniy Klub Borisov Works of Automobile and Tractor Electronic Equipment
Goalkeepers: Sergei Veremko and Dmytro Ivanov;
Defenders: Sergei Sosnovski, Igor Shitov, Aleksandr Yurevich, Artyom Radkov, Maksim Bordachov and Vladimir Rzhevski;
Midfileders: Dmitri Likhtarovich, Aleksandr Volodko, Sergei Krivets, Aleksandr Pavlov, Igor Stasevich, Mikhail Kravchuk and Maksim Volodko;
Forwards: Vitali Bulyga, Aleksandr Alumona, Vitali Rodionov and Hovannes Goaryan.
Coach: Viktor Goncharenko.
Referee Knut Kircher (GER)
Stadium: Luz
