Collina to referee World Cup final

Yokohama:

Italian referee Pierluigi Collina will take charge of Sunday's World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, UEFA President and World Cup Organising Committee chairman Lennart Johansson confirmed here today. Collina, instantly recognisable by his shaven skull and bulging eyes, will be assisted by linesmen Philip Sharp of England and Leif Lindberg of Sweden with Hugh Dallas of Scotland as the fourth official. Saturday's third-place play-off between South Korea and Turkey in Daegu, South Korea, will be officiated by four non-European referees, Johansson said. They are Kuwait's Saad Mane as the main referee, with Saudi Arabia's Ali Al Traifi and Canadian Hector Vergara as linesmen. Mexico's Felipe Ramos Rizo will be the fourth official. FIFA sources earlier said that both matches were originally down to be run by European quartets, with Sweden's Anders Frisk in charge of the Daegu match, but after a debate this was changed. The standard of refereeing has been under attack at these finals with Italy and Spain in particular complaining of bias in favour of the South Korean co-hosts. FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said that changes must be made in the way that referees are selected for World Cup matches, with only the best being chosen instead of decisions being based on nationalities. (AP)