Kavanagh promoted to Uefa elite list of referees

Along with Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor, Chris Kavanagh has been elevated to the top tier Uefa referees.

For the first time in eight years, England will have three referees in the top tier of European officials.

That was last seen in the second half of the 2017-18 season, when Martin Atkinson and Oliver and Taylor were added to the elite list.

Atkinson, 47, stopped playing in international competition at the end of that season and had to give up. He did, however, remain a Premier League referee for another four years.

According to Taylor, “two refereeing teams at the World Cup” should be the main priority.

Atkinson, Clattenburg, and Howard Webb were the only elite officials in England before 2013-2014.

Tournament and Champions League games are overseen by the top referees. The Europa League and Conference League are the first on the list. For qualifying ties and games in the Conference League, see the second list.

With four referees in the elite category, Germany is still in command. With Kabanagh’s promotion, England is finally on par with France, Italy, and Spain, which have three.

With fewer officials than all other top leagues, England still falls behind in terms of elite and first, two crucial categories.

There are four English referees on the first list, which means John Brooks is the only English referee. Italy has five, followed by France, Spain, and Germany, with France and Spain with six.

Stuart Attwell, Sam Barrott, Darren England, Jarred Gillett, Rob Jones, and Andy Madley are the referees in the Premier League’s second list.