|
Michel Vautrot -
tending the refereeing roots
"You often hear stories that the referee is there to annoy people – but
all he’s doing is helping to make a football match." Michel Vautrot
immediately jumps to the defence of his colleagues, who are often seen by
football enthusiasts as actually setting out to destroy the game that they
have paid to watch.
Vast experience
The Frenchman speaks from vast experience within the refereeing
sector, both as a referee and a refereeing administrator.
High-profile job
For 15 years, until 1990, Vautrot was a FIFA referee, who saw action at
the highest level, taking charge of a wealth of big matches at French
domestic, European and world levels. After his retirement as a referee,
Vautrot has stayed in the refereeing sector in a high-profile off-field
capacity. He is now National Technical Referee Director within the French
Football Federation, and a respected figure within UEFA and FIFA circles
as a committee member, referee observer and educator.
No regrets
"I owe everything to football and refereeing," says Vautrot. "But I don’t
actually miss refereeing on the field, because if you get too nostalgic,
you can hurt yourself. The refereeing profession has given me the chance
to visit countries and see great players, yet I have never been one to
look back with regret at the end of my career as an actual referee. I knew
I would have to stop one day, and I was fortunate enough afterwards to be
given a position within the French federation."
Game has changed
Vautrot admits that he and his colleagues from previous years would
probably have to work twice as hard to survive at the highest level these
days. "The difference between football then and football now is like day
and night," he reflects. "Nowadays, the games is quicker, players are much
better prepared, and referees are much more exposed to TV scrutiny."
More TV coverage
"I am not saying that matches at that time were not difficult, but there
was not as much TV coverage to show bad tackles or foul play," says
Vautrot, who spends considerable amounts of time training and lecturing
young referees on how to perform to the best of their ability and
interpret the laws.
Greater problems
"Referees these days have greater problems in trying to detect simulation,
because the players have got this off to a fine art now, together with
shirt-pulling or pushing in the penalty area. The referees have to be
extremely alert."
Relaxed referees
In giving invaluable advice while fostering the development of referees in
France and abroad, Vautrot always tells up-and-coming young match
officials that the more relaxed they are as referees, the better their
chances of progress. "The relaxed referee will be able to cope with the
pressure of his environment," he says.
Feeling the spirit
"I always give priority to human aspects of refereeing," Vautrot explains.
"A good referee is one who is capable of applying the rules in an
intelligent manner, and he must be able to feel the spirit of the game. It
is also imperative now that he studies tactics, because the way that teams
play can help him understand a game."
Fewer 'characters'
The Frenchman does feel that, just as there are fewer eccentric
"characters" among the players, there are fewer "men in black" who enjoy a
constant stream of "banter" with the 22 actors on the field. "That is not
a criticism," he says. "We have got excellent referees, but probably less
refereeing personalities because of the way the game has gone, and the
pressure that referees face. For example, the days of a top referee with a
portly figure are long past - they have to be high-level athletes now."
Healthy basis essential
Ensuring a healthy refereeing grassroots is another of Vautrot's briefs as
an administrator – and it's an area where he expresses real concern. "I
fear that we sometimes forget that refereeing starts at the basis, and we
are losing potential referees, because the way that players are perceived
as behaving towards them does not provide good publicity as far as
recruitment is concerned. We must strive to tend the roots."
Standard criteria
Another aspect of refereeing where Vautrot is pushing for improvement is
to guarantee that disciplinary criteria are applied in a uniform manner at
both domestic and higher levels. "It is often the case that the conduct of
players and coaches is different in a domestic championship match to how
they act in a UEFA club competition match, and this creates problems for
referees – football authorities everywhere must be strong in ensuring
against laxness and double disciplinary standards."
Vital role
Vautrot has been in some of the hottest football "kitchens" around as
a referee. While dismissing the sarcastic view that some referees are
deliberately out to antagonise football fans, he is aware from a vast
reservoir of knowledge that referees can play a vital role in turning a
good match into a great one.
Orchestra conductors
"Referees are like orchestra conductors in some ways," he reflects. "If
the musicians – the players – are in the right mood, then the referee can
make his contribution to a successful 'concert' through his natural
authority and serenity, and by inspiring confidence."
Like a pilot
"You can equate the referee's job in certain ways to that of a pilot
flying a plane with a lot of passengers. If you see that the pilot is
nervous before the flight, you would want to get off the plane. If he is
confident, everyone feels fine. If a referee remains relaxed and lucid, it
helps him take the right decisions."
|
)
