Collina to referee Turkey-England
Monday, October 6, 2003
Article summary
Italian referee Pierluigi Collina will take charge of Saturday's qualifier in Istanbul.
Article body
Italy's Pierluigi Collina is to replace the injured Danish official Kim Milton Nielsen as referee for Saturday's vital UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying match between Turkey and England in Istanbul.
Foot injury
Collina steps in after Nielsen suffered a foot injury in a Danish domestic match at the weekend. The Italian referee has a wealth of experience, and took charge of the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany in Yokohama. His assistants will be compatriots Narciso Pisacreta and Marco Ivaldi, while another Italian, Roberto Rosetti, will act as fourth official.
Vital match
Stringent security measures have been put in place for the match, which will decide who qualifies as Group 7 winners for next year's final round in Portugal. A draw for England will be enough to send them through, while Turkey will qualify if they win. English fans will not be allowed into the stadium, in an attempt by the Turkish and English football associations and UEFA to prevent trouble.
