Doha: The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 referees preparation course concluded on Sunday. The five-day course was conducted under the supervision of Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina, Deputy Chairman Hani Taleb Ballan, and Director of the Refereeing Department Massimo Busacca. A total of 54 referees participated, including 14 main referees, 28 assistant referees, and 12 video assistant referees.

According to Qatar News Agency, the course focused on both the technical and physical aspects of refereeing. It included discussions on key refereeing cases, applications of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, and training on a new decision to be implemented in the tournament. The new rule mandates the removal of injured players for two minutes for treatment, except in cases involving the goalkeeper or when the opposing player receives a yellow or red card.

In his address, Pierluigi Collina emphasized the importance of the referees being prepared for the tournament matches. He praised the Qatari organization for its dedication to preparing refereeing personnel at a high level. Hani Balan expressed pride in hosting the tournament and highlighted that refereeing will be a key element of success in the Arab Cup, attributing this to close cooperation with FIFA and efforts in developing referees.

Massimo Busacca commended the seriousness and discipline shown during the theoretical and practical workshops. He considered the course a vital step towards unifying refereeing decisions during the tournament competitions.