Former referee Pierluigi Collina is widely regarded as the greatest referee of all time - and the way he prepared for the 2002 World Cup final proves why.
The 63-year-old was named"The World's Best Referee" by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics six times in a row between 1998 to 2003.
"I had to ask for VHS tapes of both teams. I locked myself in my room for a day and a half, taking notes and watching every minute of every match. "Because the goal of a referee is to be one step ahead, to know what is going to happen before it happens."At the time, it was pretty unusual to prepare like that... but I'm proud of the fact that today this is normal prep for a referee.
Referees are often seen as the villain on the pitch and regularly come under fire for their decisions, or lack of.Perhaps, Collina's poignant comments on accuracy remain more important than ever. During the same interview, he said:"Sometimes accuracy and speed don't go together. ... If you want to be sure, it takes time."
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