Former referee Pierluigi Collina on Turkey: They never lost a match with me

Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said that Turkish teams have not lost in the 11 matches he has officiated.

Collina attended the last day of Turkey Innovation Week in Istanbul. Stating that he loves Istanbul very much, Collina said, "I refereed 11 matches involving Turkish teams, they never lost a match with me. It's been 20 years since I retired but people still love me very much."

Emphasizing the importance of making fast and fair decisions, staying cool under pressure and getting back into the game, Collina said, "You are under pressure in matches against top teams. You have to make a decision but you don't have time to make a decision. You have to make a decision in a split second and it is very important for you and for the players. It is also very important for the countries. A team wins or loses according to your decision. It all comes down to a single whistle. Most importantly, you need to be ready for the challenge. You have to work hard for it. I worked hard because you can't rely on luck for a good decision. You have to be prepared for what happens. You cannot rely on your talent, you have to work. Don't be lazy."

Explaining that she faced very difficult situations and experienced moments that could be called moments of fate, Collina said, "For example, my body decided to change. I was 24 years old, for 10 days all the hair and hair on my body fell out. I'm talking about 1984, everyone was looking at me. I shaved my head, they kept me aside for how many months. I waited for my hair to grow. I was appointed referee for a big match and I saw that nobody cared about my physical condition. Everyone cared about my decisions."

Stating that technology will not break the spirit of "anything", Collina said: "Technology is a tool, it is very important for you to make your decisions more accurately. We are human and we make mistakes. If it's a technology to prevent you from making mistakes, that's great. Technology does not steal the spirit of the match. It helps the referee to do his job."

Referring to the fact that he started refereeing as a result of the course he attended on the advice of his friend, Collina said, "When I was 17 years old and playing football in Bologna, my best friend at school said 'I signed up for a refereeing course'. So I signed up. I didn't think much about it, just to get experience, I just decided to do something different. Then someone told me that I was very good at it and I decided to become a referee because I loved the challenges. Years later, I am still doing what has become my passion."

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