The ABN AMRO Euro Hockey League Men’s KO16 brings together a strong officials team once again to help the flow of the games in Barcelona from October 9th to 12th.
Sarah Wilson is among one of the most decorated and experienced umpires in the world game, taking charge of close to 200 international games and officiating in the gold medal game at the 2020 Olympic Games having done the bronze in 2016. This will be her fifth EHL event.
Belgium’s Michael Dutrieux is in Barcelona for a third EHL competition out of the seven events in the premier club competition he has umpired at in total, including covering the 2025 men’s bronze match between SV Kampong and HC Rotterdam last Easter.
Ana Ortega is umpiring at the EHL for the first time following amid a busy 2025 in which she umpired at the Indoor World Cup in Poreč, took charge of the men’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Cup in Wettingen and has been appointed to the Junior World Cup in December.
Benjamin Messerli has a unique place in the EHL, being the first person to be a player and umpire in the competition. He lined out for Rotweiss Wettingen in ROUND1 in 2009 and 2011 before taking up the whistle full-time.
This will be his fourth EHL competition; he was the video umpire for the women’s grand final at Easter having also umpired on-field in the bronze match earlier the same day.
This will be Harry Collinson’s second EHL tournament, his previous one coming in 2023 when he presided over the men’s bronze match between Racing Club de Bruxelles and Atlètic Terrassa. He joined the FIH Pro League panel last season and is destined for the Junior World Cup in December in India.
It is also a second EHL for Kevin Roberts following his role in 2023 in Barcelona. He brings big experience from over a decade at EuroHockey and FIH events while he has been appointed to the top tier EuroHockey Indoor Championship next January in Heidelberg.
For Katie Howie, this event marks her first EHL as her profile continues to grow. The Scottish woman has umpired at several EuroHockey club events in recent years and take on over 20 senior international fixtures while she is also looking forward to the Junior World Cup in December.
Raphaël Adrien is a recent graduate of the EuroHockey Umpire Development Programme and has since become a fixture in the FIH Pro League panel and clocked up over 20 international fixtures. This will be his EHL debut.
Steven Bakker is the third new face on this stage having stepped up with several high level appointments in the past year, including the FIH Nations Cup in Chile earlier this year and the EuroHockey Championship qualifier in Vienna in 2024.
The officials team will be led by Daniel Gass who brings a wealth of knowledge to the table following 25 international appointments as either a Technical Delegate or Technical Officer including both the Indoor World Cup and the Hockey 5s World Cup.
He is supported by Casper Guldbrandsen who was the TD at the Junior World Cup in 2023 and at the EHL FINALS at Easter earlier this year.
The umpires will be managed by Dawn Bonner and Paco Vazquez with Neil McAlpine gaining precious training from the event. The judges will be Antonio Ureña, Mar Molina, Nicole Wajer and Patrick Janssens.
| Role | Name | Nationality |
| Technical Delegate | Daniel F. Gass | GER |
| Technical Officer | Casper Guldbrandsen | DEN |
| Umpires Manager | Dawn Bonner | ENG |
| Umpires Manager | Francisco Vazquez | ESP |
| Trainee Umpire Manager | Neil McAlpine | SCO |
| Judge | Antonio Ureña | ESP |
| Judge | Mar Molina | ESP |
| Judge | Nicole Wajer | NED |
| Judge | Patrick Janssens | BEL |
| Umpire | Ana Ortega | ESP |
| Umpire | Benjamin Messerli | SUI |
| Umpire | Harry Collinson | ENG |
| Umpire | Katie Howie | SCO |
| Umpire | Kevin Roberts | WAL |
| Umpire | Michael Dutrieux | BEL |
| Umpire | Raphaël Adrien | GER |
| Umpire | Sarah Wilson | SCO |
| Umpire | Steven Bakker | NED |