FIFA boss campaigns against attacks on match officials, says ‘without referees, there’s no football’
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during a press conference at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) in Doha on November 19, 2022, ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football tournament. - Infantino hit back at Western critics of Qatar's human rights record at his opening press conference of the World Cup on November 19, blasting their "hypocrisy". (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)
The International Association of Football Federation (FIFA) president, Gianni Infantino, has reacted to the abuse and violence against referees at the 2023 FIFA Football Summit in Saudi Arabia.
The head of the world football governing body condemned abuse and violence against match officials while stressing that there is no football without referees.
The call for the protection of referees follows an attack on a centre match official in a Turkish league match.
Halil Umut Meler was punched in the face after a Super Lig match against Caykur Rizespor that ended in a 1-1 draw on December 11.
After the final whistle, his attacker, who had been detained, walked onto the pitch and punched the FIFA-licensed referee
Several people also kicked him before he was later taken to the hospital for treatment.
Making reference to the ugly incident and others like it, Infantino stressed that “Without referees, there’s no football,” said Infantino, “We all have to fight for the referees against any sort of abuse and violence against referees, but also to bring back respect and tolerance. And this starts with us. This starts with you.”
The FIFA boss harped on the unifying feature of football, saying “You know where we are heading, you know what we want to do, but also, of course, to achieve these objectives, to achieve these results, we need the support of every one of you because our objectives, our goals are obviously to make football truly global and to involve and include the entire world.”
On his part, Pierluigi Collina, the Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, pledged his support to referees while calling on authorities to act accordingly to stop violence against match officiators.
