Jan Seidel attended the FIFA World Cup in Qatar as an assistant referee of Daniel Siebert and accepted a conversation about a football marathon, heated emotions, and Euro 2024 in Germany. In football, the performance of the referees is discussed at least as intensely as that of the players, a circumstance that Jan Seidel is very familiar with. The 38-year-old assistant referee from Brandenburg regularly works along with Daniel Siebert in Bundesliga and Champions League. In Qatar, their team was appointed for the first time to a World Cup match.
- You made your World Cup debut in Qatar as Daniel Siebert's assistant. How did you experience the tournament?
- I found the tournament very positive. From the whole organisation around it and from the weather conditions as well. The tournament itself went well for us, so we can be satisfied.
- How did you prepare for your first World Cup?
- We worked a lot in the physical area. We have had a fitness trainer at the DFB for years who supports us and does one-to-one training - if desired - by planning a unit for each day, depending on what the body needs and what the requirements are for a tournament. In cooperation with a physio practice in Berlin and a second physio, I then tried to develop an optimal training plan, which started in the summer. From then on, I kept it up until the World Cup.
- What is the everyday life of an assistant referee during a World Cup like this?
- During the World Cup, we were asked to watch and analyze as many games as possible, so that we can learn something from others when things are going well. That way, we know what is going on, what is being discussed or what might be interesting situations in terms of applying the rules. For years, our team has been discussing by phone important issues from matches. That was also the case at the World Cup. I can say that I really followed every game. I have never managed to do that completely before.
- So, you analyzed every World Cup game together with Daniel Siebert and the other assistant, Rafael Foltyn, until you left?
- We analyzed every World Cup game [with Siebert and Foltyn] and partly also with the two [German] video assistants, who were, however, often appointed with other referee teams. Our team often watched matches together. There was a common room where we could do that. And when it was late, everyone watched in their own room. We then evaluated the important situations via chat or at breakfast the next day. In addition, FIFA held a "debriefing" every day after a match, i.e., a meeting where the most important situations were discussed. That gave us one more reason to watch the games, so we knew what it was all about, and we had meaningful discussions.
- Away from football, what do you remember most about the country and culture of Qatar?
- We had the chance to explore Doha a bit in the hours when we were free and there was no football. Two or three times we were in the city and had a quick look at the old town, which was very nicely decorated, with lots of restaurants. From Azerbaijani to Georgian restaurants, everything was there. I did not expect that. If you go there and you do not get to know Doha, you might think that there are three high-rise buildings and that's it (laughs).
- You are already used to the Champions League: is that comparable in terms of the pressure or is the World Cup a completely different challenge for a referee team?
- The World Cup is different from a Champions League match. We had officiated a Champions League quarter-final second leg recently, so that was close, I would say, but the World Cup is simply something special. You must try to keep the emotions as low as possible and judge the situations objectively. And I think that is generally easier for the referees than for the players, as we have seen.
- Let’s talk about your second game between Uruguay and Ghana. The South Americans have unsuccessfully claimed a penalty twice. How did you experience that game?
- We had tried to fade out all possible situations in the group in the sense that we wanted to concentrate on the actual situations as much as possible. But of course, you must know that, when a team scores a goal, like South Korea, Uruguay suddenly needs a third goal, which was not necessary before. And it was precisely at that point, when the goal was scored against Portugal, that it started to get critical and emotional. Up to that point, the game was under control. You can see that the cause was rather the result of the parallel match. And then it was difficult to slow the players down and calm them down.
- That means you always had the context in the back of your mind. Were you also informed about intermediate score during the game?
- We have agreed with the video assistant referee that when important goals occur that are relevant for our game, we want to have that information. That also helps us in the match management because we know that, from that moment on, every decision is important, and we must take a closer look and put a special focus on individual situations. So, we had the knowledge that a striker might now try to get something out of it because they could not do it just by playing. That is exactly what happened to us. We had to be prepared for that. For all the critical decisions, though, I have to give Daniel a lot of credit. He was very close and analysed them very well. Both penalty decisions were according to the way FIFA wants them to be. That was also confirmed the next day.
- After the game, Siebert felt the frustration of the players and they fled into the tunnel with him. How did you experience that situation?
- Of course, from Uruguay's point of view, it was frustrating. And it is nothing new that the players, some of whom were playing in their last World Cup, get frustrated and try to channel this frustration somewhere and direct it at the referees. I think Daniel reacted very strongly with his body language and handed out cards after the end of the game. But no matter what you would have done in this situation, you would not have been able to calm the players down. There is nothing to be gained from that and you should go to the dressing room as quickly as possible, because every second you stay out there, it gets worse.
- Did you understand FIFA's decision not to appoint your referee team for a third World Cup game?
- We were one of ten European referee teams at this World Cup and by far the least experienced team, both in terms of age and international experience. In addition, we had not yet refereed a European final. All the other nine referees had. Therefore, it was clear to us that it would be a great achievement if we referee two matches. You could also see that great referees went home with one game or none at all. Those were the ones who were more affected. We can be satisfied with our tournament. Hopefully, we can build on that at the next tournament.
- Are such World Cup games the greatest thing you can achieve as a referee or assistant?
- A World Cup match is the best thing you can achieve. The first World Cup game we refereed, Australia against Tunisia, gave me shivers before the game. Because we realised what we had achieved. More is not possible. The World Cup is the greatest thing ever.
- You are mainly an assistant in the Bundesliga. To what extent, in your opinion, does the work of a referee differ between the league and the World Cup?
- We tried to approach these games as routinely and down-to-earth as possible. But I have to say retrospectively that the pressure situation at the World Cup is different when I realise that the whole world is watching. And what adds to that is that we did not have a European team in our two games. We are very used to European football. There are other systems of play, other characters, and a different temperament. We saw that with the Moroccans, for example, with how much passion they play football. And Uruguay was like that too.
- Perhaps a brief outlook at the end. There are other tournaments coming up, for example the Euro 2024 in Germany. Is it your goal to be there?
- In terms of age, we are not yet talking about the last tournament. We still have a perspective. Once we have relaxed a bit and come to terms with everything, the next big goal is the Euro in our own country, that is clear.
- And then the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the USA?
- Actually, our plan was not this World Cup, but the next one. The last two years have been very steep and unexpectedly uphill. That is why we are still sticking to the idea that "our" World Cup should come in four years.
Source: Sportschau