Orsato: “The referee must disappear, like Massa in Roma-Inter. VAR? It’s football, not PlayStation, but it was needed for Rowe in Juve-Atalanta”
The new direction for referees, told by the man who has been called to lead it in Italy
Refereeing is being reshaped by a revolution that goes well beyond the weekly controversies matches throw up. IFAB's rule changes first forced teams to adapt, then players, and finally referees themselves, all to a different kind of football from the one seen just a year ago.
Speaking at the Festival dello Sport di Trento, the head of Italian referees, Daniele Orsato, set out that shift. The leading figure among Serie A and Serie B referees explained the difficulties built into the new regulations, the use of VAR, the mistakes made and his view of the referee's role on the pitch.
"The referees are dead tired"
"My lads must be ready physically and technically. They have to run and blow the whistle, without thinking about the crowd or mistakes. Everything is assessed afterwards. IFAB's introduction has got the game moving towards a quicker pace. Of course, my referees are exhausted. They are out there having to count everything in their heads, tired to death. It is not too much, because we are seeing the results"
VAR only for a clear and obvious error
The use of VAR? It's useful, of course, but it should step in only when there's a clear error. The referee has to make the decision and carry credibility, including in the eyes of the players on the pitch. I tell my lads: "If you are in front of a screen and it hits you like a punch in the face, then you are looking at a clear error and you have to intervene."
“It’s football, not PlayStation. Rowe-Kalulu...”
"At the start of this season we made mistakes, mistakes that must not be made, and I was expecting even more. This is football, not PlayStation, and there were situations in which we got things wrong, like Rowe being held by Kalulu in Juventus-Atalanta. If I had to explain to you why it was a penalty, I would be insulting your intelligence. In those cases, VAR would have helped"
The referee must disappear, like Massa in Roma-Inter
"It's important to take responsibility: that applies as much to me as it does to them. You have to know the game and the player. Read the matches."
The referee should 'disappear'. The referee must not be the protagonist. No one should be talking about his officiating. In fact, it's better if no one talks about it, as happened with Massa after Roma v Inter on the final matchday of the league season".
Violence against referees
"Violence has nothing to do with sport. They are horrific incidents. I have happened to speak to parents who no longer wanted to let their children referee. And how can you blame them? You can't. They are things we cannot accept, neither today nor ever".
