The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), has named Portugal’s Pedro Proença “World’s Best Referee of 2012.”

Proença, full name Pedro Proença Oliveira Alves Garcia, received 174 votes, a lead of almost a hundred points over Turkey’s Cuneyt Çakir, with 73 votes, the winner of the award in 2011. Britain’s Howard Webb won third place, with 72 votes, in the annual IFFHS ranking.

Proença, 42, officiated the 2012 Champions League Final; presiding the Chelsea-Bayern Munich Champions League final last May and was charge of the Euro 2012 final between Spain and Italy. He is on the short list for the 2014 World Cup.

A former financial advisor,  Proença took up refereeing in 1988, became a FIFA-listed referee in 2003 and an international referee in 2004.

Established in 1984, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organization that chronicles the history and records of football associations worldwide. Read more >>

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