Ten Great Football/Soccer Referees

Can you imagine a football match without a referee? No, we cannot. They are as important as the players in a match. In a football match, there are normally 4 referees. Inside the match, a referee actively takes the decisions and conducts the match. Two linesmen help him by staying just outside of the pitch. The fourth referee takes care of other matters like changing players and announcing the extra minutes etc. Here, I have made a list of 10 great football/soccer referees. All of them conducted international and world cup matches.

Pierluigi Collina

It has not been long since that a person with black dress was seen running in the football field with his trade mark bald head. If you have not figured out this person yet and if you are a regular spectator of world football then for sure your memory is cheating with you. Yes, I am talking about Pierluigi Collina who is considered universally as the greatest referee or field official in the history of football. This benevolent figure was born in Italy. Though he started his career as a football player in a local team but he could understand his talent in referring. First he officiated in the Serie C1 and C2 matches and very soon he became regular in Serie A, the highest football league in the country. Having officiated in 43 Serie A matches he was included in the list of Fifa referees.

Collina’s first major tournament was 1996 Olympic Games including the final match between Nigeria and Argentina. His involvement in the international tournaments accelerated in the following tournaments including UEFA Champion’s League final in 1999 and most significant World Cup 2002 final between Brazil and Germany. He last appeared in the major tournament in EURO 2004. He had to go for retirement after reaching at 45 which is considered as the retirement official age for Fifa referees. However, the age limitation was raised by one to 46 for the domestic league of Italy by the Italian Football Federation as to show respect to this experienced referee so that he can continue another new season. Pierluigi Collina is regarded as the first celebrity referees in the football world. “Kojak” nicknamed this legendary referee was also included in some of the popular video games including “Pro Evolution Soccer 3” and “Fifa 2005”.
Image Link: Fifa World Cup

Phil Sharp

Image Link: Fifa World Cup

Sharp is another famous referee at present. In particular, he is one of the best assistant referees in the present world. This Englishman was a footballer in his school and he first got introduced with referring through Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme as a part of his service in the community. He was assigned as referee in the football matches in Hertfordshire County League where he showed his potential to be a notable referee in future. After showing his talent in this regional league and also in premiership he was included in the list of Fifa referees in1997. His first major tournament was the 2000 European Championship. Sharp got his highest ever opportunity in his career being assigned in the 2002 world cup final as an assistant referee.

Arnaldo David Cézar Coelho

This Brazilian referee is the first non-European referee to have officiated final match of a world cup tournament. He made this record in the 1982 world cup final between Italy and West Germany. He started his professional career as a referee in 1965 and in 1968 was included in the list of the Fifa referees. In his time, he was thought to be the highest paid match official in the world. This talented referee was selected for two consecutive world cups in 1978 and 1982 where he directed 7 world cup matches in his career.

Arthur Edward Ellis

This English football referee is best known for his match in the 1954 world cup between Brazil and Hungary. Though both the teams were considered as football power at that time in the football world, they presented one of the worst examples of power football in the history of football in stead of their classic football. Players of both teams often involved in collision in the field and after the match, team officials of both teams also joined in the fight. In that match Ellis sent off three players for indiscipline and he had a little to do in that situation as players were too much aggressive to each other. Ellis referred two world cup tournaments in his career. He was an assistant referee in the 1950 world cup and in 1954 he referred as the main referee including the 3^rd place play off.

Said Belqola

This Moroccan referee became the first African to referee in the final match of a world cup tournament. He was assigned as a referee in the 1998 world cup final between Brazil and France. He involved in the international football as a referee in 1993. In his professional career he was a customs officer. He refereed in the African Nation’s Cup in 1998. In the same year he died. He was a generous person in his personal life and was involved in social works. French Football Federation gave him money in return of the ball of the 1998 final match and all the money he donated to local charities in his native region.

Gottfried Dienst

Gottfried Dienst is a former famous referee who could referee in the world cup tournaments. This Swiss referee is best known for his referring in the final match of the 1966 world cup between England and Germany. He gave a controversial goal for England after having a non-verbal communication with Azerbijani linesman Tofik Bakhramov who was very confident regarding this goal. However, it is still a mystery that whether it was goal or not but it was really tough to understand from Dienst position. He is one of the four referees in the world who refereed two European Champions Cup final in 1961 and 1965. He was also the referee for the European Football Championship final in 1968. He had many other successes in his referring career.

Jack Taylor

This English referee is famous for his referring in the final of the 1972 world cup final between Holland and West Germany. In that match he gave two penalty shootouts in the first 30 minutes for each team. This was the first example of giving penalty in the world cup final which had not seen in the previous world cup finals. Though both of the decisions were controversial, he always thought that he gave the right decision. However, his glorious 33 years of referring made him one of the best referees in the world. In his career he referred over 1000 games and 100 international fixtures over the 60 countries. In 1999 he was inducted in the Fifa Hall of Fame.

Jean Langenus

This Belgian referee was the first referee who referred in the world cup final in the first world cup tournament in 1930 between Uruguay and Argentina. He was selected for three world cup tournaments in his career which is rare in the history of football. He could how his talent in referring in the 1928 Olympic Games. In the final of the 1030 world cup, the situation was very critical as there were not much rules of different situation. He allowed both of the teams to play with their own ball in each half as there was not any official ball of Fifa.

William Ling

William Ling was former Englsih referee. He is famous for his referring in the 1954 World Cup final match between West Germany and Hungary. This tournament was his only international tournament in his career. He could refereed the match well except a controversial decision of calling Puskas offside following the lineman Griffith’s flag. A film was made in Germany based on the story of this final match.

Tofik Bakhramov

This Azerbaijan assistant referee is best known for his controversial decision of goal in the final of the 1966 World Cup. He was assigned as an assistant referee in that match. After 11 minutes of the first half of extra time, Geoff Hurst of England made a shot on goal which bounced off the crossbar and it seemed that the ball dropped out side of the goal line. To be a goal the ball is to be dropped inside the goal line. It was not easy to understand what actually happened as there were no opportunities of TV reply at that time. Though everyone was in a dilemma, Tofik Bakhramov showed the signal of goal. After a non-verbal communication between the referee and Bakhramov and referee Deinst, the decision of goal came finally from the referee. Later Bakhramov showed his logic behind this decision that there should not have any question regarding the place of the ball dropped as it was bounced not from cross bar rather from the net. In his country a stadium was named after Bakhramov to show honor to this famous figure of international football.