This is not the first time the 38-year-old bank employee will officiate a match with a Russian soccer team playing. He officiated an encounter of Lokomotiv with Ukraine's Shakhtyor in 2003, with the final score at 3-1, and their match on foreign turf against Barcelona in October 2002 (0-1). He also worked as a referee at a match lost by Lokomotiv to Israel's Hapoel (0-1).
In the fall of 2002, Hamer was the head referee at a match between Moscow's Spartak and Liverpool, which ended with a resounding win by the English team, 0-5. In 1994 and 2000, he registered the Russian national squad's triumph over San Marino, 4-0, and Spartak's defeat of the Portuguese club Sporting, 3-1.
Curiously enough, one of Hamer's assistants at the forthcoming UEFA Cup semifinal will be Nelly Viennot-France's first woman referee to officiate professional soccer matches.
