Danny Makkelie has been voted Referee of the Year by Voetbal International for the second year in a row. The 40-year-old referee looks back on his past season in an extensive conversation and reveals that he was mentally affected after the World Cup in Qatar. Makkelie missed the final between Argentina and France and says that he has had great difficulty dealing with this blow.
"I strive for perfection, always go for a 10, but it was too often a 6 or 7", says Makkelie in an extensive interview with Voetbal International. Makkelie points to the World Cup in Qatar as the cause, since it was not the end he had hoped for. “The first half of the season was of course all about staying fit”, Makkelie begins. “You are careful in everything, you put a brake on it and adjust your training. You also don't want to be discredited with incorrect decisions shortly before the World Cup. It would be normal in the summer when there are no competitions, but a World Cup in the middle of the season was new for everyone.” His efforts were fully aimed at the final, which he ultimately did not get from FIFA. “It caused me a mental blow. I retreated to my hotel room for two days. At first, we thought that the elimination of the Netherlands was good for us. Everyone will understand that as a referee you also want to reach the highest level and that was in it. We were in the stadium during the quarter-final Netherlands – Argentina watching an insane match. Only afterwards we realized the fuss and the impact created by the behavior of the players. Then it was logical that, as Dutch referees, we could not be appointed to an Argentina match. “It's about imaging, I get that. You just have to avoid appearances. You can talk about professionalism and integrity, but outsiders don't see it that way. Maybe that's why I was sick of it. It was painful.” The referee then retired to his hotel room for two days. “I was emotionally affected.” It was Kuipers who called Makkelie first. "Björn Kuipers experienced the same thing in 2014, when the Dutch national team reached the semi-finals. I really appreciate that; his experiences help me. I look up to him very much. He really is an example; we have had a lot of contact”. In the end, Makkelie only refereed two matches at the 2022 World Cup: Spain – Germany and Argentina – Poland.
Makkelie has thought about the World Cup and his forced departure for a long time but started to referee again and the support of people around him helped with that. “We soon refereed Feyenoord – PSV. It wasn't bad and there was little fuss, but I hadn't quite processed the disappointment yet. The experts saw it, including my coaches Herman van Dijk and Jaap Uilenberg. My mother also saw it. She knows me like no other, she did not see the self-assured Danny.” The referee has experienced 'the aftereffects' of the World Cup for the entire second half of the season, he says. “I also told my assistants honestly. It didn't come naturally; I asked them for extra support. I wanted to keep whistling. As if I had a collision and wanted to drive again quickly.”
Source: VoetbalZone
