L’UEFA Football Board, made up of an illustrious cast of football legends and top level coaches, gathered yesterday, Monday 22 April, at the House of European Football in Nyon.
Chaired by UEFA football advisor Luís sounds coolyesterday’s meeting focused on refereeing issues such as manager and player behavior towards referees, time wasting and VAR.
The Council has consensually recognized that the behavior of players and coaches towards match officials in several recent cases has become a critical issue and does not contribute positively to the good image of the game. Members are united in the belief that this issue must be addressed as forcefully as possible. The Council concluded that it is important that coaches set an example for their teams and that referee bullying is eliminated. Referees are an essential element of football and should be protected from all forms of abuse. What happens in the professional game has the power to influence the entire pyramid; Referee recruitment and retention depends largely on the positive examples set in competitions watched by millions of fans. It was agreed that a firm disciplinary approach is justified, but that it would also be appropriate to improve the transparency of communication between referees and coaches to inspire mutual understanding and respect.
The Council also discussed situations where players fake injuries to gain an unfair advantage, waste time and disrupt the flow of the game and suggested, among other things, that a key player-led campaign be launched to shed light on about the injustice of these injuries. this behavior and discourage it. The Council concluded that effective measures should be implemented to limit the fragmentation of the pace of matches.
The session concluded with discussions on VAR and the Council recommended work to ensure its use is more consistent, transparent and understandable for players, coaches and fans. VAR should be seen as an aid tool for referees and its interventions should not be perceived as a negative judgment on the referees themselves. It is clear that not everything on the pitch can be seen by the referee.
After the meeting, the Council attended the UEFA Youth League final at Colovray Sports Centre, where Olympiacos were crowned champions.
The meeting was attended by Éric Abidal (France), Rafael Benítez (Spain), Oliver Bierhoff (Germany), Petr Čech (Czechia), Rio Ferdinand (England), Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany), Henrik Larsson (Sweden), Michael Laudrup ( Denmark), Roberto Martínez (Spain), Juan Mata (Spain), Predrag Mijatović (Montenegro), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Netherlands), Patrick Vieira (France) and Rudi Völler (Germany).
Luís Figo, UEFA Football Advisor, said: “The meeting with the UEFA Football Council is important for UEFA and football in general as it provides us with valuable information from key stakeholders who have experienced the game at the highest level on the various current topics and issues facing our game. We look forward to revisiting the discussions as part of UEFA’s unwavering commitment to improving the game we love for everyone and for generations to come.”
“It’s great to be in the same room for a great cause with such legendary players, coaches and people who have left a legacy in football. Everyone knows that the UEFA Champions League is the best club competition you can play – every child dreams of winning one one – so if you can do things in the best possible way for the next generation of fans and players, it’s really important,” added Petr Čech
“I think everyone on the Board has their own experiences as players and coaches, so we can relate to the topics discussed today. I think it’s good that UEFA is open to addressing the topics discussed today. We all have the same goal in mind: to make the game more attractive, equal and exciting. I am really happy to have participated in the meeting”, concluded Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Tags: Council urges greater respect match officials
