In an extensive chat with Diez, Honduran referee Said Martinez talked about his World Cup participation in Qatar 2022.
- Were your efforts and sacrifices rewarded by reaching the World Cup?
- I remember that we arrived in Doha, Qatar, and they picked us up at the airport to take us to the hotel. Once we arrived, they gave us all the tools needed to do our job. The attention was spectacular. It is a dream come true. I would never have imagined that I will be attending a World Cup at the age of 31. We are happy and very committed to what may come in the next three and a half years.
- Apart from your 9 fourth official appointments in a competition of this magnitude, what was the best thing that you experienced in Qatar 2022?
- The most beautiful thing was sharing with the greatest referees in the world and understanding that we are still a big family no matter where we are. We all treat each other the same within refereeing. I talked with great referees as if we had known each other for a long time and spending time with them at the farewell dinner was magnificent.
- What experience can you share with us?
- We interacted with the World Cup final referee Szymon Marciniak about refereeing in Poland, about his anecdotes in the Champions League and he asked me about the football in Central America; we did that with various colleagues from around the world.
- One of the images that went viral in Honduras was seeing you talking with Messi before the game against Poland, what did he say?
- I talked with Messi in the tunnel part because I was the only one in the referee team who spoke Spanish. I remember that he arrived there, and all the children were excited, so I told him: “look how you made them happy”, and he replied: “children are a blessing, brother”. Although we only greeted each other on camera, the one with whom I experienced something curious at that moment it was with the captain of the Netherlands, Virgil van Dijk. I was very serious before the game and he approached me to say: “you look very good today, but you're too serious”, and he made me smile.
- We were wondering why we did not see you as a referee in any game?
- The truth is that there is no reason; they did not tell me. They just told me that they were preparing me for the future and that I left them very happy with the work they had seen in me. I would say that I have also been waiting for that opportunity and I will continue to bid my time.
- Would you trade your nine matches as fourth official for one as a referee?
- An instructor there in Qatar asked me the same question and I answered yes, but he made me reflect when he said: “what if you had done badly in that match, as happened to other teammates?”, that's why I think what has happened has been the best.
- What is coming for Said Martinez in 2023?
- We have short, medium and long term goals. In the short term it is the Nations League tournament, and they will see a very competitive Said Martinez; in the medium term it is the Gold Cup and we want to try to get into the important matches, and in the long term delivering good performances to be able to take a place in the next World Cup.
- What advice would you give to the new generation of referees in Honduras?
- I want to tell my colleagues not to stop dreaming, but they have to get up from that dream; it's not enough just to dream, they have to make it come true.
Source: Diez