UEFA enforces comprehensive ban on deactivating during European Championships.
UEFA intends to put an end to the group protests made by professional footballers to referees during the European Championship in Germany. Instead, only team captains will be permitted to address referees, or face a penalty.
The European Football Union (UEFA) aims to prevent potential disputes resulting from contentious refereeing calls at the tournament in Germany (June 14 to July 14), allowing only the captains to speak to the referees. And if any player ignores their captain or disrespectfully complains to the referee, the player will receive a warning.
"When 22 players are discussing a decision with you, it's impossible to justify the decision," explained Italian UEFA referee boss Roberto Rosetti: "If you try to explain your decision under such circumstances, the game risks getting out of hand, damaging the reputation of football."
Hence, as per Rosetti, "only the captain of the team wishing to question a decision should be granted the opportunity to address the referee". Leading captains such as Germany's İlkay Gündoğan are additionally tasked with ensuring their teammates show respect towards the referees, maintain a safe distance and refrain from disrupting them. Any player found to be disobeying their captain, addressing the referee, and/or engaging in disrespectful behavior will be warned.
If the captain occupies the position of a goalkeeper, "an outfield player should be assigned to serve as a liaison should a contentious situation arise at the opposite end of the field," Rosetti said.
Referees' increased communication
In a bid to foster an amicable environment, referees will be encouraged by UEFA to regularly communicate with team captains. Two German referees - Daniel Siebert and Felix Zwayer - are also included in this plan.
"The match officials will be encouraged to have open communication with captains to create a respectful climate among all parties," Rosetti stated: "By doing so, they can establish a strong foundation of trust with the players and demonstrate the leadership abilities necessary for contemporary referees."
Further, referees are expected to elaborate on their decisions more frequently, granting team captains and coaches greater awareness of the reasoning behind their calls. In order to help the European Championship participants acclimatize to these changes, UEFA plans to provide all 24 teams with thorough information from a member of its expert team and a tournament referee prior to the competition's commencement.
UEFA's initiative is likely to serve as a model for broader changes in the management of football matches. As early as March, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) initiated a one-year trial phase for a rule discouraging group protests, which has already found application in other sports like rugby.
(Source: https://sport360.com/article/football/europe/uefa-wants-only-captains-to-speak-to-referees-at-euros-and-warns-players-for-other-complaints)
By Alexander Finch
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Source: www.ntv.de
