CBF
·9 July 2026
Matheus Candançan and Paulo Cesar Zanovelli on their time in Germany

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Yahoo sportsCBF
·9 July 2026

In May of this year, when the national teams were playing their final friendlies and making last adjustments before the World Cup, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the German Football Association (DFB) agreed on an exchange of refereeing crews for the friendlies Germany vs. Finland, at MEWA Arena in Mainz, and Brazil vs. Panama, at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.
Under the agreement, referee Matheus Candançan was in charge of officiating Germany vs. Finland, assisted by Victor Hugo Imazu dos Santos and Alex Ang Ribeiro. Paulo Cesar Zanovelli was the fourth official, with Rodrigo D’Alonso Ferreira and Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral on VAR (Video Assistant Referee). The German national team won 4-0. Matheus Candançan spoke about the work carried out in the match.
“It was a great experience. Having contact with a different football culture, in an important match between national teams, with Germany close to playing in a World Cup. A unique opportunity. The structure we had there and the support we received were the same as what we have here. And I realized that, in Brazil, we enjoy the same level of organization that was provided for the German national team’s friendly,” said the referee.
Paulo Cesar Zanovelli also took part in this refereeing exchange. The official served as fourth official in the friendly. Zanovelli praised the structure provided by the German Federation and revealed that Brazilian refereeing organization is on par with Europe’s.

Paulo Cesar Zanovelli alongside Anderson DaroncoCredits: Fabio Souza/ CBF
“The structure in Brazil is spectacular and falls short in no way. It comes down to football culture, such as the style of play and also the more respectful players. We have to be proud of the work carried out by the CBF and of what the Refereeing Committee makes available to referees. We had contact with the local instructors, and we were able to observe and understand how they work with technology and also in day-to-day activities. It was very good to get to know it, learn, and understand that Brazilian refereeing is on the right path,” praised Paulo Cesar Zanovelli.
The match between Brazil and Panama, won by the Seleção Canarinho 6-2, had Daniel Schlager as the main referee, with assistants Sven Washitzki-Günther and Rafael Foltyn. The fourth official was Florian Badstübner, and the duo Pascoal Müller and Robert Schröder worked on VAR.
TRAINING IN MADRID
Referees in the PRO CBF category are continuing their work at the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). This Thursday (9), the professionals carried out physical activities on the field and, in the afternoon, received guidance from the CBF Refereeing Committee’s technical staff on the new rules being applied at the World Cup.
“The work being carried out here in Madrid is of a high standard. We are already in contact with the new rules, and they benefit effective playing time in matches. We were able to see these rules in the World Cup. Now it’s time to put them into practice and improve our football product even more,” said Matheus Candançan.

Physical training at the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF)Credits: Fabio Souza/ CBF
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.







































