Referee Pablo Pozo is shortlisted to participate in South Africa World Cup

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MADRID.- Today, the International Federation of Football (FIFA) announced the list of 38 pre-selected referees to preside over the matches at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Among those chosen are 14 Europeans, 7 from CONMEBOL, five from AFC, five from CAF, five from CONCACAF and two from Oceania.

The FIFA Referee Commission, headed by Spaniard Ángel María Villar, selected the group, out of which the final list of arbiters for the World Cup will be fashioned and revealed at the beginning of 2010.

Chilean referee Pablo Pozo is among those who appear on the list and will have to fight for one of the available spots in hopes of integrating another Chilean into the team of referees, which has not seen the participation of one of his countrymen since the 1998 World Cup in France, when Mario Sánchez was chosen to preside over two matches.

Since the process began at the end of 2006, all of the pre-selected referees have participated in several seminars and FIFA competitions.

The selection was carried out using technical, physical, medical and psychological exams and also took into account the referees' performances at previous international matches.

The same procedure will be applied for the final selection at the beginning of next year.