My son is Bjorn to deal with any final nonsense
KUIPERS’ FATHER BACKS REF TO KEEP CONTROL
REFEREE Bjorn Kuipers’ father backs him to deal with any nonsense in this final because he was a big-mouth as a player – and has form for getting hands-on as a ref when things turned ugly.
Dad Jan reckons the Dutch official’s tough approach is borne out of his upbringing in the rough city of Oldenzaal, which sits in the east of Holland near its border with Germany.
Jan said: “His style now is because he was a right big-mouth himself – and I taught him a lesson.
“Bjorn was a very fanatical player for our local non-league side Quick ’20. I was a ref at amateur level and Bjorn was a right nuisance for referees.
He always had a go at them, commenting on their decisions, and at one point I said, ‘That’s it. If you know so much better, go and take charge of a few games’.
“That is how his career started – and he was put in charge of the most scrappy and serious matches.”
It all kicked off in one local derby between Bornerbroek and Dolphia, with flying tackles and headbutts on the pitch, and fights in the stands.
But rather than stand back, Kuipers dived in and yanked the biggest of those involved by the scruff of the neck away from the action.
Jan recalled: “I was there watching and it was serious stuff — the players did not like
a couple of the decisions and that is when it all kicked off.
“But, no matter how young Bjorn was at that moment, he stood right up against them all.’’
Even at the top level, Kuipers has clashed with stars such as Neymar and Marco Verratti (inset), the Italy midfielder, who once claimed the referee told him to ‘ **** off ’.
Fellow UEFA referee Bas Nijhuis, a friend of Kuipers, said: “You can tell UEFA likes his style, because they always give him the s**t matches where there are big things at stake or there has been trouble before.
“Ones they don’t trust any other ref to handle.”