VAR introduction and a new policy in appointing referees: Rosetti's era has started

Three monts have passed since the announcement of Roberto Rosetti as new head of UEFA Referees Committee, on last August, after Collina's resignation. Some things have already changed.

Roberto Rosetti has replaced Pierluigi Collina as head of UEFA Referees Committee

Roberto Rosetti has immediately started his work and after three months we can already notice that some things have changed. The most interesting topics are for sure the new policy in referees appointments and VAR introduction.  Let's start with the latter.

VAR INTRODUCTION 
After having appreciated his work at 2018 WC, it was not so difficult to associate again the figure of Roberto Rosetti with VAR when he was announced as new UEFA Referees Committee. Indeed, as it was expected by many people and football lovers, on last 27 September UEFA has officially confirmed that, starting from next season, the technology will be used also in its competitions.

This was a mandatory step, nowadays referees at top level need this help because it is not easy (sometimes for sure impossible) to spot everything. We talked about this topic many times on the blog during the past. Referees and assistant referees can be the best officials of the world, but the mistake is always ready to happen. In a very important and rich competition like Champions League, it is difficult to accept that, for example, a qualification could be decided by a goal scored in tight offside. This is something objective, so the referees and the assistant referees themselves will be very happy and proud of having this help at their side.

Rosetti has always repeated that "VAR must give the maximum benefit with the minimum interference". We agree: the authority of a referee on the pitch will not be affected, at the same time many big problems will be solved.

In order to achieve this goal, several meetings for UEFA referees with VAR intructors have started. The first one has been held in Netherlands some weeks ago, the second one is now in course in Spain. Referee attending the lessons have been divided into different groups: it is indeed very important to know who has already a certain experience with the technology on the pitch, and the ones who need to lear everything, without any background. We praise the organization of UEFA, in cooperation with the involved federations.

At the same time, on a similar topic, FIFA is working with VAR as well, by organizing several meetings with VAR instructors. It was reported by FIFA sources (Collina, among others) that after World Cup many federations had asked FIFA for learning more about the technology, being ready to import it in their leagues. This is for sure another very good aspect and we wish that many countries will introduce soon this helpful instrument for all referees at major level.

A NEW POLICY IN REFEREE APPOINTMENTS 

Three matchdays of Champions and Europa League have been already played, in addition, there have been also some Nations League assignments. What we can say, reading the appointments so far, is that for sure Rosetti has changed everything.  It will be helpful to report a list of all referees who have already had their debuts in these first matchdays.

In Champions League we saw for the first time: Orel Grinfeld (ISR), Carlos del Cerro Grande (ESP), Andris Treimanis (LVA), Daniel Siebert (GER), Jakob Kehlet (DEN), Bobby Madden (SCO), Paweł Raczkowski (POL). Seven referees in three matchdays. Some of them, after the first appearance, have managed also the second game. This is a very interesting signal. This wouldn't have happened with the previous management by Pierluigi Collina, who allowed some debuts, but rather in the last matchdays and almost never with an immediate second assignment to follow. So for sure a new trend, but also at the same time, in case of (at least) expected level, also an immediate trust.

A similar speech can be made for Europa League, with the following referees appointed for the first time ever in tis phase of the competition: Enea Jorgji (ALB), Irfan Peljto (BIH), Sergey Ivanov (RUS), Marco Guida (ITA), Juan Martínez Munuera (ESP), Roi Reinshreiber (ISR), Manuel Schüttengruber (AUT), Ville Nevalainen (FIN), François Letexier (FRA). Nine referees in three matchdays, we should add also Alan Bieri (SUI) among the debutants, but reporting that he had been a replacement for Sandro Schärer (injured).

For sure, this new trend is something very positive. The biggest problem before Rosetti's nomination, was the very limited number of options in appointing Elite referees for very important and crucial game. The committee now must give trust and create a new reliable pool of officials, who in a not so long period, should be a valid option for crucial games. This is not easy, but for sure the process of testing new names should have already started even years ago. What we can criticize about the previous management by Collina, is surely the policy of appointing always the same referees for big games. This shouldn't happen again. The last clear signal of a bad management had been the appointment of Kuipers for the second time in his career as referee for EL final. As already stated in past on this blog, this is not a speech against the Dutch, but agains the lack of other options. Now it seems as something is changing and some referees are for sure showing good skills.

We can point out another interesting thing as last part of our analysis: for the first time, at least in recent seasons, the pool of Elite referees will meet in the middle of Group Stage phase (on next Thursday, in Spain) with committee. This is for sure a very good signal, the work of committee with UEFA Referees is surely different if compared to the one made by domestic heads of refereeing. They can meet referees almost every week, and therefore they can analyze matches. In UEFA level, this is almost impossible, there are private ways of communications between committee, experts, and referees, but for sure at least an additional meeting could have been added and indeed this will take place on this week, at the end of the second VAR seminary for UEFA officials.