The Albanian Football Referees Asoociation (BASHF) held today the proceedings of its Ordinary General Assembly at the presmises of the “House of Football”.
The Assembly was attended by the AFA Executive Committee member, Bardhyl Jera, the AFA Administrative Director Aldi Topçiu, BASHF President Tahir Kastrati, BASHF Secretary General Klajdi Kola, BASHF Executive Committee members Idriz Gashi, Ervis Peza, Dritan Salaj and Sokol Avdo, as well as delegates mandated by referee collegiums across the country.
The AFA Executive Committee member, Bardhyl Jera, in his greeting highlighted that the year we left was very successful, taking into consideration the involvement of Albanian referees in European competitions.
“It is a great pleasure being part of the Ordinary Assembly of the Albanian Football Referees Association. The past year was exceptionally successful, considering the involvement of our referees in European competitions, such as Europa League and the Conference League.
An important innovation is the VAR system, which enhances our credibility. Additionally, recruiting young people into the world of refereeing is a crucial step for the future of this profession”-said the AFA Executive Committee memeber, Bardhyl Jera.
The AFA Administrative Director, Aldi Topçiu, in his word emphasized that the Albanian Football Association’s priority remains the development and improvement of working conditions of all referees. He also announced that the AFA will create a centralized VAR system to increase the number of matches in which VAR will be implemented.
“On behalf of the Albanian Football Association, it is a pleasure to be here with you today. Your role as referees is vital to the integrity of our competition, fairness, and the development of Albanian football. Without your dedication, professionalism, and commitment to enforcing the rules of the game, football could not grow and develop at the level we all aim for.
We know that being a referee is not easy, you understand this better than anyone. It requires determination, leadership, and calmness in key moments to make difficult decisions. For this reason, the AFA is continuously working not only to improve your professional development through training and the latest technology but also to ensure that your work and contribution are recognized as you deserve.
We have already established an interesting tradition of awarding the Referee of the Year at the Gala Night. I believe this is an important initiative that promotes healthy competition and ambition. In this regard, I would like to share an important development related to the VAR system. We are working on creating a centralized VAR system, which will allow all matches in a given week to be played at the same time, just like in other European countries. This will greatly facilitate transportation logistics and also increase the number of matches where the VAR system is implemented.
Furthermore, with the “Become a Referee” initiative, we aim to address a concerning issue that affects not only refereeing but also society as a whole. We are working to attract young people to this key role in football, increasing the number of young referees. Through this campaign, we must all encourage more young men and women to become part of refereeing. This is an excellent opportunity to promote this important profession and ensure that a new generation of well-prepared and motivated referees will contribute to the development of football not only in Albania but also through officiating international matches.
The development of referees and the improvement of your working conditions remain a priority for the AFA because strong and fair refereeing means a more reliable and successful championship,” -said the AFA Administrative Director, Aldi Topçiu.
The President of BASHF, Tahir Kastrati, said that the main focus has been on involving as many young people as possible in the world of refereeing and added that good work has been done in this regard through campaigns such as “Become a Referee.”
“During the period between the two assemblies, many important things have happened, with the main focus being the recruitment of as many young referees as possible. For several years now, the Referee Academy has been organized and functioning under the direct initiative of the President of FSHF. The Association has had and continues to have cooperation with UEFA, where today we are full members of the European Referees Convention, from which we receive modest financial support. We also have very good cooperation with FSHF, where we are also members. In cooperation with FSHF, we have established all the referee structures, such as the Referee Committee and the relevant commissions (appointment, evaluation, observation). Good work has been done in educating prospective referees, divided into groups and led by mentors.
Now, in cooperation with FSHF and with the personal initiative of President Duka, cooperation with regional associations has increased, with a coordinator appointed for each regional association. The coordinator serves as the point of contact between the regional associations and our association. Also, one of their main tasks is to recruit as many young people as possible to join the beautiful world of refereeing.
Continuing with the recruitment part, the campaign “Become a Referee” is worth mentioning, where all referees, from January onwards, have worn the shirt with the same inscription, and will also wear an armband during the entire match until the end of this season,” said the President of BASHF, Tahir Kastrati.
Furthermore, the assembly continued with the agenda, where two important decisions were made. Through voting, the financial balance for 2024 and the budget for 2025 were approved. After the approval of these decisions, the work of the Ordinary General Assembly of BASHF was concluded.
Additionally, a ceremony was held with the referees who hold the FIFA badge. From Albanian refereeing, the FIFA badge was also awarded to assistant referee Marjus Qose.
