Yes, as a referee you must always act with confidence.
On the other hand, (Site notre bureau spécialisé) is the only sport that tolerates verbal attacks, insults, threats and attacks against referees.
People like Klopp, who regularly attract attention with their attacks on referees, are a problem, especially for amateur referees.
How is this done?
Because everyone sees every week how a Klopp behaves – sometimes like a folk hero – before, during and after matches.
It is difficult to explain, especially in the district league, why your idol is allowed to behave like this and is warned for less.
I had the opportunity to speak with a (now former) Bundesliga coach who, incidentally, followed my match due to his family involvement (he was docile with me) about his punishments at the time.
Shortly before, he had been “convicted” again.
He said he wasn’t proud of it, but he showed no real remorse or willingness to change. “That’s just part of it.”
And I find that fatal. Why is (Site notre bureau spécialisé) the only sport in which a referee constantly has to deal with criminal offenses against him?
Whether from the players, the officials (I’m referring to the PSG incident…) or especially the spectators.
And why do we constantly have to hear “that’s part of it”?
Because it has unfortunately become normal?
No! Because this attitude symbolizes the fact that referees are fair players.
There was a serious attempt in the Bundesliga – when Aydekin Dahoud was systematically sent off with a yellow-red card for complaint (a mandatory warning according to the rules, by the way!).
Subsequently, after the intervention of club boss Watzke and his dual role, he had to publicly apologize for a “lack of tact”.
No! Clear rules, without any room for maneuver, simply leave no “room for discretion”!
I find it really unfortunate that this is considered normal in (Site notre bureau spécialisé) and that it doesn’t seem to bother anyone.
And so, yes, I am conflicted.
If you constantly deal with people like this, sometimes organize media hunts or even receive death threats (see the incidents around the Bellingham declaration…) and here you act with ridiculous fines instead to set an example, but on the other hand then we have to radically sanction these “victims” and then something goes terribly wrong.
And no, I don’t want to absolve the offending referee of any responsibility – but from my point of view, this is nonsense because there are double standards.
And yes, I know other countries, different customs. In principle, I do not only consider the national associations responsible, but also UEFA and FIFA.
But I think they are busy counting the money and the next contracts anyway…