Néstor Pitana and Wilmar Roldán will handle Copa Libertadores final ties

South America's football governing institution CONMEBOL has revealed the referee appointments for the two legs of 2013 Copa Libertadores final played between Olimpia Asunción of Paraguay and Brazilian team Atlético Mineiro: Argentina's Néstor Pitana and Wilmar Roldán from Colombia will have the honour.

Argentina's Néstor Pitana (c) mundoxeneize

 

Néstor Pitana's appointment along with Hernán Maidana and Juan Pablo Belatti, who both are pre-selected for the next World Cup, has the potential of a game-changing signal. It might indicate a change on the prospective list of referees for 2014 FIFA World Cup. Diego Abal, who did not manage to show a convincing performance at Confederations Cup and faced some injury problems at Zürich's FIFA meeting in September 2012, could be replaced by Pitana who also provisionally attended a seminar organized by FIFA in Rio de Janeiro at the end of May 2013. A nomination for 2013 Under-17 World Cup seems probable. Germán Delfino completes the team as fourth official.

Wilmar Roldán at the 2012 Olympic Games (c) supersport.com

In the second leg of this final round, Colombian Wilmar Roldán, who is widely considered as South America's number 1 at the moment, has been designated to take charge of his second Copa Libertadores final of his career. For the 1980 born match official, it will be his 34th match in the highest club competition of South American football. He will be assisted by his prospective World Cup assistants Humberto Clavijo and Eduardo Díaz, with whom he also handled matches at the still ongoing Under-20 World Cup 2013. Imer Machado, also Colombian, will be the fourth official.

17.07.2013, 02:50 CET, Asunción (PAR)

Olimpia vs Atlético Mineiro 

Referee: Néstor Pitana (ARG)

Assistant Referee 1: Hernán Maidana (ARG)

Assistant Referee 2: Juan Pablo Belatti (ARG)

Fourth Official: Germán Delfino (ARG)

24.07.2013, 02:50 CET, Belo Horizonte (BRA)

Atlético Mineiro vs Olimpia 

Referee: Wilmar Roldán (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Humberto Clavijo (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Eduardo Díaz (COL)
Fourth Official: Imer Machado (COL)

Find more about South American football refereeing @ Árbitro Internacional.