The UAE's FIFA referee Ali Bujsaim announced his immediate retirement from the sport yesterday. After officiating in football matches around the world for over 20 years Bujsaim has decided to call it quits.

Arguably one of the best football referees in Asia and the Middle East Bujsaim announched his retirment in the presence of the UAE FA board members and head of referees committee.
"It's a sad moment in my football career to retire," said Bujsaim.

"However after I attended the first meeting of the FA new board following electing me as a member, I decided that the moment has come to announce my retirement from refereeing and to turn to work with my colleagues in the board to develop fooball in the UAE and refereeing in particular."

Bujsaim stated that he will not officiate in the Asian Cup finals which will be held in China next July.

"Before I thought I can end my refereeing career in the Asian Cup finals in China. However I said to myself that I have officiated three times before in the Asian Cup finals and it will not be a big addition for me. I found working from now in the FA board will be better for me and also for the referees committee," he added.

Abdul Rahman Luta said that it's difficult for the UAE football to find a replacement for Bujsaim in the coming years. "Ali Bujsaim is the best referee in the UAE football history and it's a big loss for us that he has retired, but we will are confident that he will spare no effort in his new role in the board and referees committee," he said.

Luta said that he will resign from today as head of the referees committee as he was appointed by the board in it's first meeting last week.

"I am proud to announce that Ali Bujsaim is the best man to become head of the FA referees committee. I know Ali Bujsaim as a friend for 30 years and he was always capable of sitting in the driving seat and he doesn't like to be the second man.

"I know when he turns head of the referees committee, it will be a big boost for the UAE referees because he has an excellent relationship with the FIFA referees committee as well as his tremendous relations in Asia, Africa and the Arab countries." said Luta.

Bujsaim said that UAE was on top of the referees standing in Asia for the last ten years and he will work hard as head of the referees committee to keep this excellent reputation in the coming yeras.

Bujsaim said that he was not far from refereeing the World Cup final 1998 in France.

"I officiated the semifinals between Brazil and Holland, however Farouq Bozo member of FIFA referees committee was chasing a decision that the referee who officiated in the semis can officiate the Final, but it didn't work."

Factfile
* Name: Ali Mohammed Saeed Bujsaim.

* Born: September 9, 1959.

* Began playing football when he was nine in Al Nasr club youth team, then senior team. Retired playing football early in 1983.

* Started as a third division referee in 1983 and became FIFA referee in 1986 when he was 27.

* Officiated in three World Cups, US 1994, France 1998, Korea and Japan 2002. Officiated World Cup third place play off 1994 Sweden v Bulgaria. Semifinals Brazil v Holland 1998. Opening match France v Senegal 2002.

* Officiated in three Asian Cup Finals and three African Nations Cup Finals. Also officiated in two Confederations Cup Finals in Saudi Arabi 1995, Japan 2001.