Referee Ben Williams is saying "sayonara" to Canberra's winter and "konnichiwa" to Japan with Football Federation Australia sending him on an exchange program to help make him "world class".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Williams and fellow referee Jarred Gillett leave this week for a two-week trip, where they will referee two J-League matches and one international each.
They'll officiate in the Kirin Cup, featuring Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Denmark and Japan, along with assistant referees David Walsh and George Lakrindis.
It's the second consecutive year FFA referees have been appointed to J-League matches.
FFA director of referees Ben Wilson said the exchange would benefit the "overall quality" of the A-League.
"We want Australian referees to be world class and this exchange provides another development opportunity for them," Wilson said.
"The J-League is one of the strongest competitions in Asia. Jarred and Ben will referee a different style of football and work with different referees and referee coaches. This experience will improve their refereeing."
