Top FIFA official says it’s harder than ever to be a football referee due to abuse
FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina has revealed it is more difficult than ever before to be a football match official due to abuse on the touchline and online – inflamed by conspiracy theories.
With issues from the grassroots to the professional game, Mr Collina is concerned the hatred aimed at referees is the “cancer that could kill football”.
The Italian, who presided over the 2002 World Cup final, is regarded as one of the best referees of all time.
“It was never easy,” he told Sky News. “So I can say that it is worse now than before.”
Mr Collina is now chairman of the referees’ committee at world football’s governing body, helping to formulate changes to the laws of the game.
“The responsibility of making a decision is something important,” he said. “The interest is very big, particularly at the top level. So it’s difficult.”
And what makes it more difficult are clubs and managers casting doubt over the integrity of referees – insinuating bias.
Jose Mourinho, who is now managing at Fenerbahce, received a two-match ban in recent days after “derogatory and offensive statements” about refereeing in Turkey.
Asked generally about those at the top of football setting a bad example, Mr Collina replied: “Unfortunately, this happens, always. There are people looking for conspiracies and finding something dirty even when there is not.”
Online campaigns that can be waged against referees by fans, even clubs at times, make the atmosphere even more volatile and potentially dangerous.
Pierluigi Collina at this year’s IFAB meeting. Pic: PA
“This probably becomes worse compared to my time when social networks were not existing,” Mr Collina said.
He added: “Different is the matter of the abuse towards referees, particularly in grassroots and youth football. This is something that we need to consider.”
Without referees committing time to youth football, there would be no matches that help to shape the next generation. But there is still abuse hurled at officials on touchlines.
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Major changes to football laws were also announced at the meeting
“I spoke of a cancer that could kill football,” Mr Collina said. “I’m still convinced that it’s not understandable that in youth matches, parents of the boys and girls who are playing football are those who are abusing the referee who is helping.
“They are making the experiences that could be important for the future. Not [only] as a footballer, because probably that 0.0001% will become a professional footballer, but they all become women and men. And that experience they learned as a young footballer may help them in their life.”
The English and Welsh FAs do report an increase in recruitment of referees – with retention now the challenge.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said it is not such a “dark picture” for referees, pointing to improved behaviour in English grassroots games since officials were allowed to wear body cameras.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham at the IFAB meeting.
Pic: PA
Those trials were extended by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which also approved the global use by competitions of a rule only allowing captains to approach referees to discuss decisions after being implemented already in the Premier League.
“We certainly have a responsibility towards the game to make sure that the referees are respected and safe,” FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafstrom said after this weekend’s meeting of football lawmakers IFAB near Belfast.
He added: “So all the initiatives that we are currently looking at, we want to support them for the educational part as well. And it needs to trickle down from the professional game to the grassroots game.”
In the professional game, even the introduction of technology has at times inflamed disputes over decision-making as calls are forensically analysed.
But Mr Collina is certain VAR is here to stay despite some grumbling among fans.
“I’m fully convinced that bringing technology into football has been an improvement,” he said. “I don’t think that anyone likes to lose a game or not qualify for an important competition due to an honest mistake committed by the referee, vanishing all the efforts made during a season for a footballer or for the coach.
“So I’m still 100% convinced that the implementation of the technology in football was something very, very positive.
“Can it be improved? Yes. We are working on it. We know there is some room for improvement. And we are very keen to improve it.
“We have already developed technologies that reduce the time needed to make a decision for an on-field review as well as for an offside decision.
“We are on this way and we think that we will get better and better in the future.”
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But will the future see artificial intelligence eventually replace referees?
“Technology is a great tool to help us to prepare and also to avoid mistakes being committed,” Mr Collina said. “So we need to use technology but not only in football, in every activity in life.
“I always say that I hope that it will be a human being able to make the final call.”
World
Ten explosions near international airport in India-administered part of Kashmir, officials say
Ten explosions have been heard near Srinagar International Airport in India-administered parts of Kashmir, officials have told Reuters news agency.
The blasts followed blackouts caused by multiple projectiles, which were seen in the sky above the city of Jammu earlier on Friday.
Explosions were also heard in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, in the neighbouring Punjab state, according to Reuters.
An Indian military official told the agency that “drones have been sighted” and “they are being engaged”.
It comes as tensions between India and Pakistan across the line of control around the region of Kashmir have boiled over this week, leading to fears of a wider conflict.
On Wednesday morning, India carried out missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered parts of the disputed region.
The retaliation came weeks after 26 people, mainly Indian tourists, were shot dead by gunmen in an India-administered part of Kashmir last month.
The government in India said it hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites, while Pakistan said it was not involved in the April attack and the sites were not militant bases.
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Explained: India-Pakistan conflict
Around 48 people have been killed since Wednesday, according to casualty estimates on both sides – which have not been independently verified.
India also suspended its top cricket tournament, the Indian Premier League, as a result of rising tensions, while the Pakistan Super League moved the remainder of its season to the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a conference on Friday that the US is in constant contact with both India and Pakistan.
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Conclaves are famously unpredictable affairs – and once again the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the new pope caught many by surprise.
The newly elected Pope Leo XIV won the consensus of the 133 cardinal electors after only four ballots – a fast process for a diverse college of cardinals.
Though his name had circulated among some Vatican watchers, other cardinals had emerged as clear front-runners, including Pietro Parolin – the Vatican’s number two who would have been the first Italian in almost 50 years to become pontiff – or Luis Tagle, a Filipino cardinal looking to become the first Asian pope.
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What are the conclave’s secrecy measures?
Instead, it was the first North American to win the highly secretive process.
So, what went on behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel?
Until Thursday lunchtime, Cardinal Parolin was ahead, gathering between 45 and 55 votes, sources say.
A substantial number, but well short of the 89 votes he needed for a two-thirds majority.
At this point, Cardinal Prevost had between 34 and 44 votes.
But as the Italian struggled to grow his support during the first three rounds of voting, he stepped down from the race, endorsing Prevost instead, Sky News understands.
Read more:
Who is Pope Leo XIV?
List of demands in new pope’s in-tray
How does new pope compare to his predecessors?
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Who is Pope Leo?
An internal battle between Luis Tagle and Pablo Virgilio David – both cardinals hailing from Asia – cancelled out both of their chances.
And a contender from Africa – the most conservative sector of the church – was never likely for a conclave where the overwhelming majority of cardinals had been appointed by Francis, a progressive pontiff, sources say.
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Moment new pope emerges on balcony
An American pope has long been seen as highly improbable, given the geopolitical power of the US.
But Cardinal Prevost was able to draw from across the groups making up the electors: moderate US cardinals, South American cardinals and many European cardinals all coalesced around him.
Italian newspaper La Repubblica said Prevost “certainly attracted cross-party preferences, both ideologically and geographically”.
“In the conclave he was the least American of Americans: Born in Chicago, he lived 20 years in Peru,” the newspaper said.
It added: “As a man used to teamwork, Prevost appeared to many as the right man to make the papacy evolve into a more collegial form.”
Standing on Red Square, this was an intimidating sight, which felt much more like a celebration of war rather than peace.
I could feel the ground shake as the tanks rolled past, their caterpillar tracks on the ancient cobbles providing a deafening clatter.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up in fear as the phalanxes of troops roared “Hurrah” in response to their commander in chief.
And the sight of combat drones being paraded on their launchers was actually quite sickening. Weapons that have been at the forefront of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were paraded in a show of pomp and patriotism.
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin watch the procession. Pic: Reuters
Ukraine war latest: Putin welcomes Xi at Victory Day parade
For the rest of Europe, the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War has been a celebration of peace, but this felt much more like a celebration of war.
And it wasn’t just military hardware on display here, but the very identity of modern Russia.
Pic: Reuters
For this is a country that is now defined by its military and its memory. The glory and sacrifice of 1945 have been weaponised to give credence to Russia’s current course and to make people believe that victory is their right.
For Russians, it served as a rallying cry and there was applause when the troops who have fought against Ukraine marched past.
But for those watching in Kyiv and other European capitals, it was an overt warning that Moscow has no intention of backing down.
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Putin hails sacrifice of Russian troops
The parade was considerably larger in scale than in recent years, when units and hardware have been needed on the battlefield. I think it was a deliberate attempt to project an image of confidence, and so was Vladimir Putin‘s positioning of his guests.
China’s Xi Jinping was given a prime position on the Kremlin leader’s right-hand side. It was no surprise given the economic lifeline Beijing has provided, but it felt like a particularly pointed gesture to the West – that they were looking at a new world order.
Despite that appearance of confidence, there were signs of Moscow’s unease that the parade could be disrupted.
There were snipers on every rooftop. Security was extremely tight. And the mobile internet signal across the city centre was completely shut down for fear of Ukrainian drone attacks, meaning none of the international media that had gathered could broadcast any live transmissions.
After the parade finished, Putin saluted the crowds as they spontaneously erupted into rhythmic shouts of “Rus-si-ya” at the sight of him.
Another PR coup complete without interruption, he will have departed as a very happy man.
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