There are few referees, the FIGC and the Hague (the association of what were once called black jackets) run for cover. By dividing the regional championships between Saturday and Sunday, enhancing the initiatives to bring young people closer to the direction of the match and, if needed, calling the referees back on duty but who can still whistle a free-kick or a penalty, see a offside, waving a red card under the nose of a player guilty of a serious offence.
The task of putting the Sardinian referee class back on track will fall to Roberto Branciforte, 44, from Nuoro, who has been at the helm of The Hague on the island since July in place of the outgoing president Marcello Angiuoni. In the past Branciforte was, for five years, a member of the regional executive and, for two, vice president. Even earlier, for years he was a technical assistant in the interregional referee commission and mentor for the UEFA project. “I refereed up to Serie C and was also the fourth official in Serie A and B – Branciforte begins - . Off the field, I'm in charge of running an appliance repair company”.
Turning immediately to the state of health of the Sardinian arbitration world, how many members are there in Sardinia?
“Sardinia has 940 members, 624 active, of which 105 are women. The island has nine territorial sections, namely Alghero, Cagliari, Carbonia, Nuoro, Olbia, Oristano, Ozieri, Sassari and Tortolì”.
How many judges have been drafted in the last year?
“The latest courses have 161 students enrolled with the end of the course and exam expected at the end of the month. A new course will start immediately in all sections in December”.
And how many “retreats” have there been on the island in the last year?
“Every year the loss of workforce fluctuates around 20 percent”.
What are the main causes of abandonment?
“They are mainly linked to the acclimatization of the new entrant in the first races he goes to direct. The sometimes hostile environment generated by members and the public who resent a decision against their own interests leads the boys to abandon the discipline. The other main cause can be attributed to travel outside the island for study or work needs".
Is refereeing always considered a mission?
“It becomes a mission if the referee is not considered a component of the game of football. Many judge them convinced they know better but very few would have the courage to take a whistle in hand and direct a race even among friends. The referees' sections are the real glue because they are close to the needs not only of the sports of the boys, places of aggregation, comparison and civic growth".
You were a footballer: what prompted you to switch to the other side.
“Maybe I haven't kicked a ball at a competitive level since, but my love for the game of soccer has made me experience it from a different perspective. I have drawn great benefits from this discipline, not least that of respect for others and the rules of the game".
Has Covid made the abandonment of this discipline worse?
“Surely in all sports, Covid has left an indelible mark for a long time. Many young people have abandoned the practice of sport, becoming disaffected also because starting over involves great physical and motivational sacrifices. In refereeing, the abandonment percentage remains constant regardless but unfortunately in the two years of the pandemic it was not possible to take referee courses, creating a gap that is difficult to fill in the short term ".
The first possible solution was to anticipate twenty matches from the Excellence to the Second category. Will she be the only one?
“Thanks to a positive synergy with the regional committee and the president Gianni Cadoni it was possible to buffer temporarily. Several companies have understood, demonstrating maturity and attachment to sporting values, and this is certainly a positive starting point. Without referee no You can't play a football match and this can't be the only solution. On a physical level, our kids can't handle such intense stress for so long. Training a referee for excellence requires, in the best of cases, 5/6 years of activity and not one to be found on the street to referee a match as someone mistakenly thinks”.
Is it possible to reverse the trend these days?
“In my day you had to choose whether to referee or play, today there is a double membership and a boy can play and referee in federal championships. It is an epochal turning point that tries to unhinge the politics of suspicion that is certainly alive for my generation but quite obsolete and sometimes incomprehensible for the new generations. In fact, football clubs have the opportunity to revolutionize a sporting culture by encouraging their members to try the experience, directly benefiting from it for teaching and comparison. Furthermore, as happens in other European realities, the clubs registering for the championships present a referee for each category to the Federation. Following these paths would not only solve the problem but would improve the quality of the referees and of the clubs themselves".
Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi made her debut in Serie A. Is there a Sardinian women's movement?
“Sardinia has 105 members, several represent us with dignity at national levels and many others deservedly operate at regional and provincial level. There are targeted growth paths that overturn stereotypes for these colleagues who are increasingly entering this discipline".
Can Sardinia be proud of its referee class?
“Absolutely yes and the numbers we express at national level from Serie A to D and in national Futsal demonstrate it despite the small regional numbers. If we have kids, we know how to make them grow but the epochal turning point would be that even a coach, a manager and a parent recognize that little boy with the whistle as his own athlete, member or son, respecting him and giving him the opportunity to grow up in peace and let him have fun with the right to make mistakes without being offended or insulted. It is not only sport but also education and civilisation”.