Somali denied World Cup ‘proud’ to referee PSG vs Villa in UEFA Super Cup

Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied the chance to referee at the World Cup after being refused entry to the United States, will take charge of the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Before the World Cup started in June, the 34-year-old referee unwittingly found himself in the media spotlight after being turned away on arrival at Miami International Airport, despite being part of the panel of referees selected by FIFA for the tournament.

“It was a very tough period,” Artan said in an interview published on the UEFA website.

“A lot of people have sympathy for me, because when someone has been working a lot of years and is supposed to do something, and then can’t do it, it’s very challenging.”

A US Department of State official told the AFP news agency that the referee was “associated with suspected members of terrorist organisations”, therefore “making the traveller ineligible for admission to the United States”.

These allegations were rejected by the referee and caused outrage in Somalia, where Artan had been welcomed as a hero on his return.

“It is unfortunate what happened to the referee from Somalia,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said at the time, adding: “We don’t control everything.”

In response, UEFA, the governing body of European football, announced that Artan would referee the UEFA Super Cup , which pits Champions League winners PSG against the Europa League winners Aston Villa.