- Pierluigi Collina, how did you live your 60 years?
- Too fast, as it happen when you are happy with what you do.
- How did you feel as number one in refereeing?
- I felt very good, but expectations were always high. I could not take any single day of rest. I mean, I could not say "If today I will engage myself less than yesterday, it will be the same result". On Wednesday, I did Real Madrid - Manchester United in Champions League and then a Serie B game on Sunday. It happened and for me both were very important games, like finals. But yes, there is something I have some regrets about...
- What is it?
- If you consider all your games on the same level of importance, you live all of them in a too normal way. Therefore, the memories about a World Cup final, for example, are less distinct.
- When did you say to yourself "I will become a referee"?
- Maybe the day when someone said to me "You are good!". When I was 17 years old, it was something made without a real belief. After that I perceived that I had some skills. It became a challenge.
- Who said "you are good"?
- Many people. The first of them, the president of AIA section in Bologna, Piani.
- You also played football.
- Yes and, if I would had been a good player, I would have continued without doubts that career. However, I enjoyed those years.
- One day, a “small-big drama” happened: you lost all your hair. Did the world fall on you?
- No, because at that time one of my best friends went through chemotherapy and lost his hair as well. We were similar. Unluckily, he did not manage to win that battle. This has helped me to understand the real value of life.
- Do you think your look helped you to become more popular?
- If there hadn't been qualities, people would have underlined negative aspects. Instead, it rather worked on the contrary...
- What about the "perfect referee". Once you said: "A referee cannot be too wise, but a bit mad".
- A referee cannot be too wise on the field means that he cannot take a too long time to make a decision; sometimes he must be very quick. What we call "being impulsive" in normal life it is surely a skill for a referee. However, looking back at my career, I think a bit of madness was surely needed.
- Can VAR help in deciding faster?
- Referee must decide without thinking about VAR. He should enter the field of play as it was before the introduction of technology. The main target regarding VAR is to avoid its use. For this reason, we work very hard and we prepare referees. Then, of course, once a mistake has happened, referees know that VAR is there. However, if fans and journalists can forget about the mistake made, this is not the case for us. We remember it and we assess referees as it was before.
- You officiated without VAR. Do you regret that?
- When I was referee, there were no HQ - HD - 4K and 5K cameras, to be honest.
- Would you describe yourself as perfectionist?
- Someone even said that I am maniacal. Before a game, for example, I needed the maximum of positive tension.
- And of course also much study.
- I always thought that a referee must know everything about a game. Videos for analyzing teams and players, their way of playing, tactics and so on. When I was referee, this was already made, but not so deeply like today. I think nowadays this is the key for success.
- What about your relation with God?
- A very private affair. And surely a game cannot justify certain things.
- Did the criticism bother you?
- Yes. It was really bothering.
- Also the fair one?
- Positive criticism can become motivation for doing better, but I must be honest and admit that also positive criticism was annoying me.
- How much importance had your family in your career as referee?
- It is not trivial to say: "Very important, vital". For being at the top during the whole 90 minutes of a game, under spotlights, you must live a good life. All people you have around are crucial for that. I will always be grateful to my wife, because my children grew up thank to her. When my second child was born, I was officiating a game...
- Now you are a grandfather.
- Yes and my daughter is now waiting for a second child. We are really eager to know the gender.
- Football or basketball?
- For me, football is work and basketball is entertainment. I was born and lived in Bologna, a city where having a passion for basketball is common. Last Sunday, while my daughter was watching Milan's derby, at the same time I was watching basketball on my phone. When Fortitudo Bologna plays, it becomes a bit stressful.
- What would you do in case of two very important finals played at the same time: football or basketball?
- I would watch football live and I would record basketball. First the work, then the pleasure.
- What referees inspired you?
- Agnolin has been one of the best models for my generation: his way of being on the field, his "scenic" presence. But of course there were also other ones, for example the Swedish Erik Fredriksson, I was impressed by him during 1990 World Cup in Italy. Before that time, we were told to avoid to use our finger to show the direction of a free kick, then I watched him doing that and I started to do it as well. Nowadays, it is normal.
- And after your retirement?
- Many referees were good after my retirement. It was not important that they had to be similar to me. You can find quality in the diversity.
- The most and the least polite player?
- I do not want to mention names. At the age of 60, it is a pleasure for me to meet them again and to perceive that respect is not a formal thing, but something really felt.
- Is there anything you would not do it again?
- I would do again everything that I did in my career. Yes, I made mistakes, for sure, but none of those mistakes happened because I didn't give my best. As long as you don't have regrets, you can be satisfied about everything you did.
- Are you a Lazio fan?
- I grew up in Bologna; when I was a child it was common to be Bologna's fan. When I was 14, I used to play football and was inspired by Pino Wilson (Lazio player), then Lazio won the title, I liked that team. However, at that time, I had no interest in refereeing. It is impossible to think that a referee, a journalist or a player cannot be a fan of a certain team. But then after that you must realize that you become professional, so you become fan only of yourself. I officiated the play-out for demotion Bologna - Parma, in my city. Bologna lost and they were demoted. And Lazio never won in the early nine games I officiated with them. However, there is a question that I still do not understand.
- What?
- When people ask: "Do you prefer to see your national team in final or you to referee such game?" Of course, my answer, I am honest, would be "Me to officiate that game". You work all your life to get this success and so I think this must come before other considerations. But let me clarify: I am proud to be Italian, no doubts.
- Referee or Head of Refereeing: which job is more difficult than the other one?
- As referee, you are directly "owner" of your future; as head of refereeing, your success depends on other people.
- You also received some threats.
- Yes, let me say, whoever thinks that living under police escort is a status-symbol, should reflect on that. I spent the worst 7 years of my life under such circumstances.
- What about your political ideas?
- I am oriented toward "La Destra". Giorgia Meloni could be a very good leader.
- 1999 UEFA Champions League final. Manchester United with a fantastic comeback in last minutes against Bayern. Your thoughts?
- When 1-1 was scored, I said to myself: "Well, now we will have another 30 minutes...". And I was afraid because it could have turned difficult for me, after a good performance during the 90 minutes. But then, immediately 2-1 was scored and game ended without extra times.
- What would you expect in the next 10 years?
- I would really like to go on with what I like: continuing to work for referees on the road to WC 2022 for men and 2023 for women. I would like to do even better than 2018 and 2019. And, of course, to live these years with people I love.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport
- Too fast, as it happen when you are happy with what you do.
- How did you feel as number one in refereeing?
- I felt very good, but expectations were always high. I could not take any single day of rest. I mean, I could not say "If today I will engage myself less than yesterday, it will be the same result". On Wednesday, I did Real Madrid - Manchester United in Champions League and then a Serie B game on Sunday. It happened and for me both were very important games, like finals. But yes, there is something I have some regrets about...
- What is it?
- If you consider all your games on the same level of importance, you live all of them in a too normal way. Therefore, the memories about a World Cup final, for example, are less distinct.
- When did you say to yourself "I will become a referee"?
- Maybe the day when someone said to me "You are good!". When I was 17 years old, it was something made without a real belief. After that I perceived that I had some skills. It became a challenge.
- Who said "you are good"?
- Many people. The first of them, the president of AIA section in Bologna, Piani.
- You also played football.
- Yes and, if I would had been a good player, I would have continued without doubts that career. However, I enjoyed those years.
- One day, a “small-big drama” happened: you lost all your hair. Did the world fall on you?
- No, because at that time one of my best friends went through chemotherapy and lost his hair as well. We were similar. Unluckily, he did not manage to win that battle. This has helped me to understand the real value of life.
- Do you think your look helped you to become more popular?
- If there hadn't been qualities, people would have underlined negative aspects. Instead, it rather worked on the contrary...
- What about the "perfect referee". Once you said: "A referee cannot be too wise, but a bit mad".
- A referee cannot be too wise on the field means that he cannot take a too long time to make a decision; sometimes he must be very quick. What we call "being impulsive" in normal life it is surely a skill for a referee. However, looking back at my career, I think a bit of madness was surely needed.
- Can VAR help in deciding faster?
- Referee must decide without thinking about VAR. He should enter the field of play as it was before the introduction of technology. The main target regarding VAR is to avoid its use. For this reason, we work very hard and we prepare referees. Then, of course, once a mistake has happened, referees know that VAR is there. However, if fans and journalists can forget about the mistake made, this is not the case for us. We remember it and we assess referees as it was before.
- You officiated without VAR. Do you regret that?
- When I was referee, there were no HQ - HD - 4K and 5K cameras, to be honest.
- Someone even said that I am maniacal. Before a game, for example, I needed the maximum of positive tension.
- And of course also much study.
- I always thought that a referee must know everything about a game. Videos for analyzing teams and players, their way of playing, tactics and so on. When I was referee, this was already made, but not so deeply like today. I think nowadays this is the key for success.
- What about your relation with God?
- A very private affair. And surely a game cannot justify certain things.
- Did the criticism bother you?
- Yes. It was really bothering.
- Also the fair one?
- Positive criticism can become motivation for doing better, but I must be honest and admit that also positive criticism was annoying me.
- How much importance had your family in your career as referee?
- It is not trivial to say: "Very important, vital". For being at the top during the whole 90 minutes of a game, under spotlights, you must live a good life. All people you have around are crucial for that. I will always be grateful to my wife, because my children grew up thank to her. When my second child was born, I was officiating a game...
- Now you are a grandfather.
- Yes and my daughter is now waiting for a second child. We are really eager to know the gender.
- Football or basketball?
- For me, football is work and basketball is entertainment. I was born and lived in Bologna, a city where having a passion for basketball is common. Last Sunday, while my daughter was watching Milan's derby, at the same time I was watching basketball on my phone. When Fortitudo Bologna plays, it becomes a bit stressful.
- What would you do in case of two very important finals played at the same time: football or basketball?
- I would watch football live and I would record basketball. First the work, then the pleasure.
- What referees inspired you?
- Agnolin has been one of the best models for my generation: his way of being on the field, his "scenic" presence. But of course there were also other ones, for example the Swedish Erik Fredriksson, I was impressed by him during 1990 World Cup in Italy. Before that time, we were told to avoid to use our finger to show the direction of a free kick, then I watched him doing that and I started to do it as well. Nowadays, it is normal.
- And after your retirement?
- Many referees were good after my retirement. It was not important that they had to be similar to me. You can find quality in the diversity.
- The most and the least polite player?
- I do not want to mention names. At the age of 60, it is a pleasure for me to meet them again and to perceive that respect is not a formal thing, but something really felt.
- Is there anything you would not do it again?
- I would do again everything that I did in my career. Yes, I made mistakes, for sure, but none of those mistakes happened because I didn't give my best. As long as you don't have regrets, you can be satisfied about everything you did.
- Are you a Lazio fan?
- I grew up in Bologna; when I was a child it was common to be Bologna's fan. When I was 14, I used to play football and was inspired by Pino Wilson (Lazio player), then Lazio won the title, I liked that team. However, at that time, I had no interest in refereeing. It is impossible to think that a referee, a journalist or a player cannot be a fan of a certain team. But then after that you must realize that you become professional, so you become fan only of yourself. I officiated the play-out for demotion Bologna - Parma, in my city. Bologna lost and they were demoted. And Lazio never won in the early nine games I officiated with them. However, there is a question that I still do not understand.
- What?
- When people ask: "Do you prefer to see your national team in final or you to referee such game?" Of course, my answer, I am honest, would be "Me to officiate that game". You work all your life to get this success and so I think this must come before other considerations. But let me clarify: I am proud to be Italian, no doubts.
- Referee or Head of Refereeing: which job is more difficult than the other one?
- As referee, you are directly "owner" of your future; as head of refereeing, your success depends on other people.
- You also received some threats.
- Yes, let me say, whoever thinks that living under police escort is a status-symbol, should reflect on that. I spent the worst 7 years of my life under such circumstances.
- What about your political ideas?
- I am oriented toward "La Destra". Giorgia Meloni could be a very good leader.
- 1999 UEFA Champions League final. Manchester United with a fantastic comeback in last minutes against Bayern. Your thoughts?
- When 1-1 was scored, I said to myself: "Well, now we will have another 30 minutes...". And I was afraid because it could have turned difficult for me, after a good performance during the 90 minutes. But then, immediately 2-1 was scored and game ended without extra times.
- What would you expect in the next 10 years?
- I would really like to go on with what I like: continuing to work for referees on the road to WC 2022 for men and 2023 for women. I would like to do even better than 2018 and 2019. And, of course, to live these years with people I love.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport