Riley picked for Euro 2004

Euro 2004 fixtures wallchart

Mike Riley has been selected to head one of 12 'teams' of referees who will take charge of matches at next summer's Euro 2004 finals.

Each 'team' consists of a referee and two assistant referees from the same country, and represent the cream of European officials.

European football's governing body, Uefa, believes using same-nationality officials will help with communication.

Riley heads England's contingent with Glenn Turner and Philip Sharp.

The trio have already been working together in Uefa competitions, including the Champions League.

Among the other referees selected is highly-respected Italian Pierluigi Collina, who took charge of the 2002 World Cup final where Brazil defeated Germany.

Germany's Markus Merk, who took last season's Champions League final between AC Milan and Juventus, is also on the list.

All of the officials, including a quartet of fourth officials, will attend a preparation seminar in host country Portugal from 26-29 April.

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Euro 2004 referees: Kim Milton Nielsen (Denmark), Mike Riley (England), Gilles Veissihre (France), Markus Merk (Germany), Pierluigi Collina (Italy), Terie Hauge (Norway), Lucilio Cardoso Cortez Batista (Portugal), Valentin Ivanov (Russia), Lubos Michel (Slovakia), Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain), Anders Frisk (Sweden), Urs Meier (Switzerland).

Assistant referees: Jens Larsen, Jogen Jepsen (Denmark); Philip Sharp, Glenn Turner (England); Frederic Arnault, Serge Vallin (France); Christian Schraer, Jan-Hendrik Salver (Germany); Marco Ivaldi, Narciso Pisacreta (Italy); Steinar Holvik, Ole Hermann Borgan (Norway); Paulo Jorge Januario Leite Ribeiro, Jose Manuel Silva Cardinal (Portugal); Gennady Krasyuk, Vladimir Eniutin (Russia); Igor Sramka, Martin Balko (Slovakia); Oscar Martinez, Rafael Guerrero (Spain); Kenneth Petersson, Peter Ekstrom (Sweden); Francesco Buragina, Rudolf Kappeli (Switzerland).

Fourth officials: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium), Kyros Vassaras (Greece), Alain Hamer (Luxembourg), Stuart Dougal (Scotland).