{{short description|Lebanese football referee}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox football official | name = Ali Sabbagh | fullname = Ali Sabbagh | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|6|30|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Aramoun, Aley|Aramoun]], Lebanon | otheroccupation = [[Teacher]] | internationalyears1 = 2008–2013 | confederation1 = [[FIFA]] | internationalrole1 = [[Referee (association football)|Referee]] | internationalyears2 = 2008–2013 | confederation2 = [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]] | internationalrole2 = Referee }}
'''Ali Sabbagh''' ({{langx|ar|عَلِيّ صَبَّاغ}}; born 30 June 1979) is a Lebanese former [[Referee (association football)|football referee]]. He was a full international referee for [[FIFA]] between 2008 and 2013,<ref>[[FIFA]]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070630131651/http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=lib/footballofficials/referees/peoplekind=ref.html "Lebanon: Referees"]. Retrieved on 24 April 2013.</ref> before being banned for life from refereeing due to fixing a match in return for sexual favours.
== Career == Sabbagh refereed in the [[2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)|2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers]],<ref>[http://worldreferee.com/site/copy.php?contextType=bio&linkType=referee&linkID=1952 Ali Sabbagh (Lebanon)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215171952/https://worldreferee.com/site/copy.php?contextType=bio&linkType=referee&linkID=1952 |date=15 December 2018 }}. Worldreferee.com (2012-07-21). Retrieved on 2013-04-04.</ref> beginning with the match between [[Nepal national football team|Nepal]] and [[Timor-Leste national football team|Timor-Leste]].<ref>[[FIFA]]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110704225833/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/asia/matches/round=257783/match=300159194/report.html "Match Report - Nepal - Timor-Leste 2:1 (1:0)"]. 29 June 2011. Retrieved on 24 April 2013.</ref>
On 10 June 2013, the referee was sentenced to six months in jail by a [[Singapore]] court, after pleading guilty to influencing two linesmen to help fix an [[AFC Cup]] match which took place on 3 April 2013.<ref name=":0" /> He and the two linesmen "corruptly receiving gratification in the form of free sexual service", arranged by Singaporean businessman Eric Ding Si Yang.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.todayonline.com/sports/football/lebanese-ref-jailed-singapore-corruption|title=Lebanese ref jailed six months for corruption|date=11 June 2013|publisher=Today Online}}</ref> The [[Asian Football Confederation]] (AFC) has also banned Sabbagh from refereeing and attending stadiums.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20140128/fifa-ban-referee-fixed-game-sexual-favors.ap/?sct=obnetwork|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203215440/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20140128/fifa-ban-referee-fixed-game-sexual-favors.ap/?sct=obnetwork|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 February 2014|title=FIFA gives lifetime ban to ref who fixed game for sexual favors|date=28 January 2014|publisher=Sports Illustrated}}</ref>
==Honours== * [[Lebanese Premier League Best Referee]]: [[2009–10 Lebanese Premier League|2009–10]]<ref name=":2010">{{Cite web|date=22 May 2010|title=|script-title=ar:حسن معتوق أفضل لاعب في مهرجان المنار|url=https://al-akhbar.com/Sport/112777|access-date=14 May 2019|website=al-akhbar|language=ar}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{WorldReferee.com|ali_sabbagh}} * {{Soccerway referee|121505}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sabbagh, Ali}} [[Category:1979 births]] [[Category:People from Aley District]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Lebanese football referees]]
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