Pereira rewarded with final opportunity

Emotional moment

‘Great honour’

Refereeing dream

Seventy-eight internationals

Same preparations

'A good career'
Once the final whistle has gone in Rotterdam, and the players and match officials have collected their medals, completed their celebrations and retired to the dressing room, will Pereira feel a moment of sadness? "I don't think so...I will feel emotional, for sure, but you have to accept that things come to an end. I've had a good career which I can look back on with pride - and I've got a lot of things to look forward to in the future," said Pereira, who hopes to stay in the refereeing sector in some capacity in his native Portugal.
 
World Cup swansong
The immediate future for Pereira will still be on the field. This summer, he is one of 14 European referees going to the World Cup in Korea/Japan. Before then, a fine UEFA career which has earned Pereira the respect of everyone throughout the game is being given a fitting finale on Wednesday.