The Iraqi Football Association announced on Monday that it has signed an agreement with former international referee and Portuguese officiating expert Vítor Melo Pereira to oversee its refereeing department, as part of a broader initiative to modernize refereeing and improve standards across Iraqi football.
According to the association, the signing ceremony was attended by President Younis Mahmoud, Secretary-General Kofand Abdulkhaliq, Executive Board Member and Referees Committee Supervisor Sabah Qasim, as well as other members of the committee.
Under the agreement, Pereira will develop a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the refereeing system. The plan will focus on identifying promising young referees, improving the skills of current officials, updating training and qualification programs, and introducing more effective evaluation and performance-monitoring procedures.
The association noted that Pereira has extensive professional experience in refereeing and officiating development, having worked in several countries, including Portugal, Greece, Russia, Egypt, and Türkiye.
The appointment is part of the association’s efforts to enhance refereeing standards in domestic competitions and build a stronger pool of qualified officials capable of handling local and international matches in the years ahead.
