I had to abandon a game last season because of threats made by a spectator. This wasn’t a snap decision for me – I am a police officer and deal with abuse on a daily basis. The difference here was that I referee to enjoy football, and no one has the right to put my safety at risk when I expect to go home to my children.
Players, coaches and spectators appear to believe it is a right to abuse the referee. (Grassroots referee, England) The Uefa European Football Championship – commonly known as the Euros – is one of the world’s most valuable sporting events. This summer’s 17th staging, which kicks off in Germany on June 14, is expected to generate commercial revenues of at least €2.
4 billion euros (£2bn). Upwards of 5 billion TV viewers will watch the 51 matches, culminating in the final in Berlin’s Olympiastadion on 14 July. At the heart of this global spectacle are the 19 men whose job it is to keep order on the pitch.
Their split-second decisions can decide the outcome of games – and infuriate legions of fans. They are regarded as the best referees in European football (plus one from Argentina) – but, like officials at all levels of the game, have endured abuse from players, coaches and spectators on their journey to the pinnacle of the sport. One of the two English referees at this year’s Euros, Michael Oliver, was subjected to particularly shocking abuse , including death threats, after awarding a last-minute penalty in a Champions League quarter-fin.