Artur Soares Dias is among the 25 referees nominated by the International Federation for Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) for Best of the Year 2023. Good news for Portuguese arbitration, which seems to be at odds with the usual environment of contestation by clubs against Portuguese judges (just this weekend Sporting attacked João Pinheiro) and the absence of representatives of the Portuguese arbitration in the final phase of the World Cup.
Former international referee Pedro Henriques was not surprised by the appointment of Soares Dias. “He belongs to the elite group of FIFA, which has about thirty referees. By participating in major competitions, such as the Champions League, he has a greater chance of being nominated,” he explained to DN, adding that “it It will be difficult for him to win, but the fact that he is among the 25 nominees is already a source of pride for the Portuguese referees.”
Source: DN
