Leading referees hail UEFA training

Newcomers and veterans
More than 100 élite, first-class and new international referees have gathered on the Greek island of Corfu this week for three days of fitness training and discussions on the refereeing sector in view of the second half of the UEFA season. UEFA has also continued its recent policy of staging its courses for élite and new referees at the same time, to give Europe's refereeing 'rookies' the chance to mix with their more experienced colleagues.

Common issues
"I think it's important that people in refereeing share their experiences," said Pierluigi Collina, the Italian referee who took charge of last year's FIFA World Cup final. "It's good that all of the referees and refereeing officials can get together like this and discuss common issues, and the experiences that we have, in view of the future."

Referees a team
"Referees are really a team, and a team only wins if all of the parts do their job. To do the job, the key word is preparation – fortunately, UEFA is giving the referee every support to be able to prepare in the best possible way," added  the renowned Italian match official, who also praised the Hellenic Football Federation and the football authorities in Corfu for their preparation and hospitality towards the cream of Europe's referees.  

Greater respect
The referees and European football's governing body are in full agreement that every effort must be made to create greater respect for referees, who are under constant pressure in modern football, both on and off the field, from coaches, players, spectators and the media.

Question of education
"Respect is really a big problem," said the chairman of UEFA's Referees Committee, Volker Roth. "For me, respect is a question of education, and there is not enough respect for referees at the moment. Around Europe, the most criticism is for referees. If a player misses a clear goal, it is written about less than when a referee makes a human mistake - this is unfair on referees."

Uniform interpretation
In addition to their fitness training, the referees have also been hearing presentations ranging from uniform interpretation of various aspects of the laws of the game, co-operation with assistant referees, preparing for UEFA matches and UEFA's campaign to eliminate racism from football.