Leading by example

Five of the continent's finest have been chosen to officiate in this month's FIFA Futsal World Championship finals. Pedro Ángel Galán Nieto (Spain), Ivan Török (Hungary), Massimo Cumbo (Italy), Victor van Helvoirt (Netherlands) and Jyrki Filppu (Finland) are the fortunate five who will be representing Europe in Chinese Taipei. uefa.com caught up with the 42-year-old Filppu to get his reaction.

uefa.com: How proud are you at being asked to officiate in Chinese Taipei?

Jyrki Filppu: It is hard to say just how proud I am but to be given such an appointment is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.

uefa.com: What are you hoping to see in Chinese Taipei? Will you get much chance to see the country and experience the culture?

Filppu: My first priority concerning the appointment is, of course, the job itself but naturally a human being is interested in his environment, especially in a country or region where you wouldn't normally travel. I do hope to see some of the countryside.

uefa.com: How has Futsal changed since you focused on refereeing the sport in 1999?

Filppu: The physical side of the sport has increased significantly, and it's a lot more competitive. I'm very much in favour of this development.

uefa.com: What's the secret to being a good referee?

Filppu: There is no secret. It needs skill in being able to separate correct and incorrect play, skills in social communication, common sense, a calm nature and lots of luck.

uefa.com: You have been at the top of Futsal refereering for some time now. Do you still enjoy the game and are you still learning?

Filppu: I really enjoy Futsal, especially refereeing it, but a referee can never be content - there are always things to learn. If there is nothing more to learn, then a referee might as well end their career.

uefa.com: What does the future hold for Futsal refereeing? Is there more talent coming through?

Filppu: There are several good talents coming through, although it would be better if there were more international matches and tournaments in order to provide more opportunities for experience. There is also a problem that referees very often prefer football to Futsal, maybe because of money. All Futsal referees are amateurs and have to work for our living, which is not the case in football at the highest level.