UEFA will deliver an unprecedented insight into one of the toughest jobs in football with the release of an original documentary series showing up close and personal what it takes to be a UEFA Champions League referee. ‘Man in the Middle’, a weekly four-part series premiered on UEFA.tv on 16 November, tracks the professional and private lives of 16 match officials from 11 countries over an 18-month period (February 2019 to August 2020). Each is among an elite group of referees selected by UEFA to officiate at matches in Europe’s premier club competition. "This is a very important documentary for UEFA and our family of referees," said UEFA’s chief of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti. "It highlights the professionalism, motivation and dedication of some of Europe’s best officials, as well as showing the human beings behind the figures seen by players and supporters on the pitch." Thanks to its unprecedented access, the documentary reveals the hidden sides of refereeing – from candid footage of on-field exchanges with players to personal interviews about the pressures of balancing a high-profile job with family commitments. "I hope everyone can enjoy the series and that people can learn more about what it takes to become and be an elite UEFA referee," added Rosetti. Free-to-view on UEFA.tv, ‘Man in the Middle’ is the first original documentary series produced for UEFA’s own digital video platform. Episodes will give the officials’ personal verdicts on several key video assistant referee (VAR) incidents. Viewers will also learn about the psychological preparation that is a major part of elite referees’ training these days, as well as the online workout sessions that became the norm during football’s temporary halt earlier in 2020. "The introduction of VAR and the Covid-19 pandemic have brought new challenges for our community of officials, but we are extremely proud of how they have adapted and continue to set the standard for football officials around the world," said Rosetti.
Referees featuring in ‘Man in the Middle’: Cüneyt Çakir - Turkey, William Collum - Scotland, Carlos Del Cerro Grande - Spain, Ovidiu Hategan - Romania, Björn Kuipers - Netherlands, Antonio Mateu Lahoz - Spain, Robert Madden - Scotland, Danny Makkelie - Netherlands, Szymon Marciniak - Poland, Michael Oliver - England, Daniele Orsato - Italy, Gianluca Rocchi - Italy, Damir Skomina - Slovenia, Anthony Taylor - England, Clement Turpin - France, Felix Zwayer - Germany. (Source: UEFA)
The first episode spends a lot of time covering Kuipers, and no wonder. The Dutch official is not a man to be trifled with, even giving Lionel Messi a dressing down during the first leg of Barcelona's semifinal against Liverpool. With Barca winning 3-0 up at Camp Nou, Messi still tries to engage in some time-wasting: not on Kuipers' watch. "Messi! Why? Come on! Show them some respect!" Kuipers shouts, pointing to the 'Respect' logo on his sleeve. "Go! Every time you do it. Come on! Why do you do it? Go now!" Liverpool would go on to upset the odds by winning the second leg at Anfield 4-0 and reach the final. Even more impressively, Kuipers later reveals he limped through 86 minutes of that match, as he was carrying a muscular injury. (Source: ESPN)
Referees know that they will be overturning their decision as soon as they are asked via radio to check the VAR monitor, a Champions League official has claimed. Felix Zwayer, a top tier UEFA ref who regularly takes charge of Champions League showdowns, shed light on the subject when recounting his experience two seasons ago when taking charge of Atletico Madrid versus Juventus. Zwayer was the man with the whistle inside the Wanda Metropolitano, when a thumping Alvaro Morata header was brought under the spotlight by VAR, after a potential shove was seen in the area. Speaking in the UEFA Documentary series 'Man in the Middle,' Zwayer recounted: "They called me for an on-screen review and at this moment I already knew I would have to cancel the goal because they have evidence. I am working with my VARs for a long time, so they would only call me if they have evidence and I need to change a situation. It's not about that they are taking a decision, but I know that if I have to go in front of the monitor there will be something which will change my mind."
In the documentary the pressures and high stakes of VAR decisions are shown clearly to the viewer, with previously unseen footage showing the events during Manchester United's heroic victory against PSG in Paris, during the early stages of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign. A late penalty was awarded to United, which referee Damir Skomina had to check on the pitchside monitor before confirming Marcus Rashford could indeed step up to take it. Rashford hammered the spot ick home, and United progressed against the odds as a result. The clip shows Skomina surrounded at the monitor by players and coaches from both United and PSG, before trying to hastily wave them away. Clearly he can be seen gesturing for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to remove his staff members, saying: "Coach, Coach! This is pressure."
Outlining how they feel in these situation another referee, Clement Turpin, told the documentary: "You have to be aware of the information received from the VAR and be focused on it. You have to be aware of your body language, at this moment all the people in the stadium and all the cameras are on you. So, important to be focused on the communications but also to be aware of the message that you give in this moment. Calm, confident, in control." (Source: Daily Mail)
In episode two, one scene involves Hategan explaining how he changed his position on the field for Borussia Dortmund winger Sancho against Barcelona last season, as he subsequently gave a penalty for a foul by Nelson Semedo. “Even now, I see in Dortmund they have a very good right winger from England [Sancho] and one against one with the defender, [he] always creates problems,” Hategan said. “When he has the ball, I always move a little bit on the right-side on my diagonal - so I broke my diagonal and I went on the right-side of the penalty area because I knew something could happen.” Footage then cuts to Hategan giving the penalty for the stamp by Semedo, and he quickly receives confirmation from the Video Assistant Referee saying: “100 per cent a penalty, it was a stamp.” Hategan continues to describe the incident: “I was in the perfect position, I've seen the stamp, clear foul and I whistled the penalty without any hesitation.” Marco Reus' penalty was then saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, after the referee warned the Barca goalkeeper to stay on his line as clearly heard by the microphones - the game finished goalless at Signal Iduna Park. Describing his reaction after big matches, the Romanian says: “At the end of the match, you know as a referee if you have done a good match. My team were very happy in the dressing room after the match. When I see the replay [in] the next days, I can hear the crowd signing because when I'm there on the pitch, I'm so focused - I'm in my own world.” (Source: Daily Mail)