Curious suggestions from ex-referee
Curious suggestions from ex-referee
Referee expert Urs Meier calls for a comprehensive restructuring of German refereeing – and makes a whole range of suggestions.
For a long time, he was the Swiss Urs Meier himself as a top referee. Now he has called for comprehensive reforms and more professional processes for the Bundesliga referees.
In an interview with a kicker, Meier said about the referee’s performance in the Bundesliga: “You can tell that there is a lack of understanding of football.” This understanding is necessary to make tricky decisions like handball.
At the same time, Meier made several suggestions as to how this shortcoming should be remedied.
Referees should visit the training ground regularly
For example, he called for a weekly meeting of the German referees after a Bundesliga weekend. “On Monday, all referees and VARs should meet in Frankfurt on the DFB campus and work through the day of the game. They have to look at the relevant scenes, discuss them and recognize the areas in which they need to converge in the interpretations.”
If it was up to the 63-year-old, the referees should also be more active on the field themselves. “Tuesday is about practical training on the pitch, both for the role of referee and player,
in order to achieve a better understanding of movements,” explained Meier.
“Let the referees head or slide. This is filmed and afterward, you show them what their arms and hands are doing during these actions. When you see and feel yourself,
you have a greater understanding of players,” demanded the 42-time Champions League referee.
READ MORE: Lewandowski: “Football players are people too, we are not cars”
“Referees should be the 19th team”
According to Meier, ex-professionals could also be of help when discussing complicated decisions. In addition, the former top referee called for weekly fitness and endurance training in order to prepare the referees more professionally.
“The structures have to be more professional and the referees have to be the 19th team, with everything that goes with it: coaches, assistant coaches, physiotherapists, psychologists, training, analyze – not just in the two training camps a year,” emphasized Meier.
