Referees relish finals chance

By Andrew Haslam in Blois

The third UEFA European Under-17 Championship finals in France's Centre region have been marked by excellent sportsmanship, with the 12 group games bringing just 34 yellow cards and no dismissals.

Official challenge
However, officiating at such an event represents a significant challenge for the six tournament referees, who include Gambia's Modou Sowe, in France as part of UEFA's partnership arrangement with the Confederation of African Football (CAF). uefa.com met Sowe and Belgium's Joeri Van De Velde to learn more about their roles in the tournament.

uefa.com: How has the tournament been for you?

Joeri Van De Velde: On our second day here, we were given our appointments and I think my first appointment was the match between Spain and Turkey. The day before the match we have a meeting to ensure we are aware of our duties, and then there is the game itself. What is particularly wonderful for me is that there is a lot of respect for the referees from the players, which is very important. The day afterwards we have a debriefing session about the game, what we have done right and wrong. The members of the [UEFA Referees'] Committee give us instructions and advice so that we might learn for the future. It is a youth competition, we are new international referees so we have to learn.

Modou Sowe: The players give us respect, which is great. This is the first time I have refereed at a football tournament in Europe, and it's a good experience for me. The tournament is going smoothly, the players and the teams show the officials respect and discipline and play good football. The games are a little bit different here than in Africa, but it seems to be going well. CAF selected me to represent Africa at this tournament, which makes me feel very proud. I'm very happy to be here.

uefa.com: What are your duties on a matchday?

Van De Velde: We arrive at the ground 90 minutes before the game and go to the dressing room. We have to test all the balls, take care of the administration and check the shirts of the two teams. Then we go to the pitch to see that everything is all right - the goal nets, lines, position of the cameras and so on. If all that is OK, we do a warm-up of around 20 minutes. This is essential, because it is crucial that the referee keeps up with play from the first whistle. After the game, the fourth official takes care of the administration, we shower and return to our hotel.

uefa.com: And the day after a game?

Sowe: The preparatory meetings are to ensure we know our pre-match duties, such as checking the ball, the pitch and so on. The debriefing after the match concentrates on our technical performance, and we study what we did during the game.

Van De Velde: The observers make notes throughout the game, so they talk with the referees as a group. They ask us what we thought of the match, how it was for us, whether it was a good game or not and also what we thought of our performance. So we speak about the match with our colleagues, and study video tapes. I am enjoying the tournament very much - for me it's a first tournament.

uefa.com: Finally, are you enjoying the experience?

Sowe: I'm enjoying the weather, it's very fine!

Van De Velde: It's perfect to be involved in this finals tournament, and it's a really big chance for us. It's great.