Who is the referee for Belarus v Scotland? Official slammed as 'absolutely terrible' confirmed plus VAR details
This is the referee that will take charge of Belarus v Scotland in Hungary on Monday evening.
Scotland will aim to secure their first three points of their World Cup qualifying campaign this week as they face Belarus at the ZTE Arena in Hungary on Monday (kick-off: 7:45 p.m.).
Hoping to book their place at next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Steve Clarke’s side enter the game on the back of a 0-0 draw against Denmark in Copenhagen on Friday, where a strong defensive performance ensured they picked up an excellent point on the road.
Set to be played in the Hungarian city of Zalaegerszeg, there’ll be no travelling Tartan Army in attendance, with UEFA banning Belarus from staging games in their own country as a result of their support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Scotland has no new injury worries following Monday’s game in Denmark, though Ben Gannon-Doak, Max Johnston, and George Hirst will all be knocking on the door in the hope of a start after coming off the bench in Monday’s stalemate.
Ahead of the game against Belarus, we look at who UEFA has chosen as the match officials for Monday’s game:
Who is the referee for Belarus v Scotland?
The man in the middle for the World Cup qualifier will be Montenegrin referee Nikola Dabanović.
Dabanović's reputation is genuinely strong, with the Montenegrin taking charge of several high-profile games across several UEFA competitions. However, like many referees, he faces occasional criticism from fans and players, particularly in heated matches.
In particular, he angered Norway players during a game against Austria. Following the Nations League clash. which Norway won 2-1, he was accused of losing control of the game, leading to an ankle injury to Arsenal captain Odegaard. Norway striker Alexander Sorloth said: "He was completely impossible to read. It seemed, quite frankly, as if the task was too big for him.” Leo Ostigard added that it was an “absolutely terrible refereeing performance” at times, saying: "It got a bit ugly at the end, and Martin got himself a nasty one there. It's a real shame and I hope he gets well soon.”
Has he refereed any Scotland games previously?
Yes. Dabanović took charge of the 4-1 win against Armenia in Yerevan back in June 2022. The referee awarded a total of five yellow cards in the game, but also sent off two Armenian players, with Arman Hovhannisyan and Kamo Hovhannisyan both sent off in the game.
He made several significant decisions alongside the red cards, including disallowing a goal for the home side following a VAR check.
Belaris v Scotland VAR and match officials
Dabanović will be assisted by fellow countrymen Vladan Todorović and Srđan Jovanovic, with Miloš Bošković as the fourth official. On VAR duties it will be Croatian official Ivan Bebek, and he will be assisted by Mario Zebec.
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