IT’S CRUCIAL THAT YOU DON’T BOW TO PRESSURE
I KNEW exactly what Michael Oliver was going through when he was surrounded by furious Juventus players after awarding Real Madrid a crucial last-gasp penalty. He was correct in giving the penalty and sending off Gianluigi Buffon, but he would have had a nagging doubt about whether he made the right call. It can take half-an-hour of talking through the incident to calm down after the game. There is indignation, then disbelief about the reaction to your decision. Certainly, the attack on Oliver by Juventus goalkeeper Buffon in which he likened the official to a murderer was outrageous. I had my fair share of intimidating moments, but three stand out. SLOVENIA v RUSSIA SEPTEMBER 2001
The day England thumped Germany 5-1 in Munich, I was refereeing another vital World Cup qualifier. A win for Slovenia would have been a huge boost to their qualifying hopes. With the clock ticking and the score 1-1 the hosts won a corner. Russian defenders had been holding and blocking at set-pieces all game and I had warned them I’d give a penalty if it was repeated. The Russian players went mad when I then
awarded a spot-kick for shirtholding, surrounding me and demanding I changed my decision. I felt intimidated and threatened but stuck to my guns. Slovenia converted the penalty to claim a famous victory. My team of officials protected me and we got to the dressing room without being assaulted. Later, I was verbally attacked by the Russian federation who tried to prevent me refereeing them again. I was reported as a ‘big time bandit’. The Russian media got hold of my number and kept calling me. It all seemed grossly unfair. ITALY v CROATIA JUNE 2002
The Italians went berserk at me when my Danish assistant incorrectly ruled out two
legitimate goals that eventually saw the Azzurri lose 2-1 in a World Cup group match. I was accused of deliberately making Italy lose, while Christian Vieri and Pippo Inzaghi, who had had their goals chalked off, accused me of cheating them. That hurt. REAL SOCIEDAD v ATLETICO MADRID NOVEMBER 1998
After sending off two players and cautioning 13 others in this UEFA Cup match I was advised a group of fans were waiting for me outside. I was smuggled out under a blanket like a criminal — just for doing my job. I then found myself on a flight with the Madrid-based reporters and was given a face-to-face critique of my officiating!