'No one way to referee'
Friday 25 April 2008
e-mail
Print
Digg
Save
Photos/Wallpapers »
Pierluigi Collina may have retired from refereeing two years ago but he remains one of the most respected figures involved in the game. The 48-year-old refereed the 1999 UEFA Champions League final and the 2002 FIFA World Cup final and now works for the Italian football league and is on the UEFA Referees' Committee. Here he looks back on a remarkable career and discusses what it takes to be a successful referee.
When did you start refereeing?
Pierluigi Collina: A long time ago. I was 17 and I did it without any reason, only because my friend at school went on a referee course and asked if I wanted to go along. I said, "Why not?" I certainly wasn't convinced I would be here talking about refereeing more than 30 years later.
What was the most memorable match you've refereed?
Collina: I've been very lucky as there have been many great matches. I have to mention the World Cup final – for players, coaches, referees and even TV commentators it's fantastic to be involved. To be one of the referees is to be a part of football history. I was also the referee of the Champions League final in Barcelona between Bayern Munich and Manchester United. Two goals were scored in stoppage time which must be one of the most memorable ends to a football match. I also refereed England v Scotland at Wembley. That's an exciting match, as was Real Madrid v Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League which I also did.
Which team did you support as a boy?
Collina: It's normal for a kid to support a team, but a referee needs to be professional like a player – sometimes a player will play against a team they supported but because they are professional they try to do their best. It's the same for a referee. If you don't want a referee who supported a team when they were a kid then you need to bring them in from Mars or another planet!
How do you maintain authority with players?
Collina: It's a matter of respect. You need to be accepted not because you are the referee but because players trust you. You achieve the best results when you're accepted. Even when you are wrong and players maintain that trust.
Have you heard about the "Respect" campaign in England?
Collina: I read something in the newspaper and I think respect is the key word, even for EURO 2008. Respect means a lot of things – for your opponents, for yourself, for your health, for the fans as they enjoy the show. For everyone, even the referee so I'm very happy you use this word because I consider it key for the future of the game. It's not just a matter for referees. The issue is important but everyone needs to contribute to solve the problem.
What do you need to be a good referee?
Collina: It is very difficult to say. There is not one tip to be a good referee. It's about preparation. You can achieve a good level with this. Some years ago running and knowing the rules was enough but these days you need to find more information and knowing football – the culture, understanding players. There is no one way to referee. I don't have a style. When I was growing up I tried to get something from everyone. Learning and understanding each other is important on the field, it's part of the respect I talked about earlier. The worst thing that could happen on the field is when referees and players consider themselves enemies. Perhaps that's the wrong word, but the opponents are the two teams. The referee isn't involved, he must help them.
Did you try and get in the minds of the players?
Collina: If you wish to be accepted you need to be understood and to do that you have to understand. That's why it's not about authority, it's about accepting because you understand I'm doing my best.
Collina is an ambassador for the Castrol Performance Index which analyses the performances and effectiveness of players competing at UEFA EURO 2008™.
©uefa.com 1998-2008. All rights reserved.
