Olsson support for Portugal officials

Preparatory course
"I hope you are proud to have been chosen, because we are proud of you," Mr Olsson told the 12 referees, 24 assistants and four fourth officials at their preparatory course in Portugal. "There are thousands who would want to be in your shoes. You will be setting the standards for the years to come."

Issues discussed
The referees are spending four days at their tournament headquarters at San Félix da Marinha, near Porto. Besides acclimatising to their surroundings, they are discussing issues such as uniform decision-making in various areas of the Laws of the Game, taking fitness tests to check their condition and learning about their duties in representing UEFA at the event.

Good blend
Mr Olsson described the EURO2004™ refereeing team as a good mixture of experience and enthusiasm provided by match officials who were either old hands at this level or experiencing their first taste of European football's premier national-team competition. "The [UEFA] European Championship is the third major sports event in the world after the Olympic Games and [FIFA] World Cup," said Mr Olsson.

Global audience
"You will be setting an example for football and for refereeing throughout the entire world. The event is going to be transmitted in more than 200 countries around the globe. The outcome of your performance will be judged by everyone - from the sofa, in the seats in the stadium and by the media."

'Important figures'
Mr Olsson explained that the referees at EURO 2004™ would have a crucial role to play in upholding football's key principles. "You, together with the players, are the most important figures on the field," he explained. "You are safeguarding sporting values. We have to be credible. Football stands for fair play, and you are the ones promoting fair play on the field."

Consistency is key
The UEFA CEO said it was essential that the referees showed consistency in their decisions during the tournament's matches: "The fans must be able to see that the referees are applying the same rules and interpretations from match to match. The success of football also depends on what you do on the field.

Difficult task
"The referees are at the centre of interest for players, coaches and the media, and your job is a difficult one. The game is fast and you have to take decisions in milliseconds. Assistant referees also have a difficult task - they have to concentrate and make the proper interpretation of offside incidents. Co-operation between the referees and assistants is extremely important. The role of the fourth official is also demanding, because they may have to step into the match - it's not just about asking the coach to stay in the technical area."

Optimistic of success
Mr Olsson expressed optimism that the finals would be a resounding success, thanks to preparations off the field and the efforts of those in the spotlight on it. "If [the referees] do a good job on the field, and if the players play as well as they did [at UEFA EURO 2000™] in the Netherlands and Belgium, then we will have the best European Championship so far," he concluded.