Pierluigi Collina to oversee Ukrainian referee shake-up

Italian Pierluigi Collina, who refereed the 2002 World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, has signed a two-year contract to re-organise refereeing in Ukraine which had been plagued by scandals and poor decisions. 

"Mr Collina will concentrate on the re-organisation and supervising of the refereeing system in Ukraine," Ukrainian Football Federation chief Hryhiroy Surkis was quoted as saying on the federation''s website (ffu.org.ua) on Monday.

Collina, 50, a distinctive figure with his bald head and intense stare, said on Sunday he had accepted a similar offer from the European governing body UEFA.

A Ukrainian football federation official said that Collina would combine his job in Ukraine with his new UEFA role.    

Soccer in Ukraine, a co-host of the 2012 European championships, has been beset by a series of scandals ranging from match-fixing allegations to dubious refereeing decisions.

This year, Ukrainian premier league president Victor Danilova asked UEFA president Michel Platini to send a commission to help clean up the game.