FIFA picks Turkish referee for Netherlands/Argentina semi-final clash
Cüneyt Çakir
FIFA has announced 37-year-old Cüneyt Çakir from Turkey as the referee for the second semi-final match of the ongoing World Cup between the Netherlands and Argentina.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the encounter will be the Turk’s third match during this competition after overseeing Brazil versus Mexico and Algeria versus Russia.
Çakir began his international career in 2006 and was one of the first referees in his country to turn professional.
He is the second Turkish referee to participate in the FIFA World Cup, 40 years after Dogan Babacan officiated at Germany 1974.
Cakir was selected for UEFA EURO 2012 where he took charge of a semi-final match.
He had earned a further semi-final posting in 2011, but it was in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia in 2011.
Another highlight he had was to referee two matches at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan in 2012, including the final match involving Corinthians and Chelsea.
In 2013, besides returning to the under-20 global showpiece in his native Turkey, Çakir handled Ukraine-France in the World Cup preliminary play-offs.(NAN)
