Referees boycott Iraqi competitions over unpaid dues
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Sunday, 37 Iraqi football referees from across Iraq said that they will stop officiating matches and withdraw from all domestic competitions.
In a statement, the referees cited a six-month delay in the payment of their entitlements, explaining that most rely on match officiating fees as their primary source of income and were forced to take the decision after losing the means to support their families.
The decision comes as Iraq’s football sector faces growing financial and regulatory strain, with much of the game increasingly played on informal neighborhood pitches that lack stable funding, clear oversight, and institutional support for players and officials alike.
Read more: Iraq's game changer: Football pitches become political arenas
