It´s the highest time to wake up young

17. 04. 2010 00:26:49
  

Ending of your rich referee career did not bring a well – earned rest for you but you have started in a top football team as a manager of the international department. What is your impression at this position?

As a head of the international department in Shakhtar Donetsk I am responsible for all activities towards matches played in European competitons and the other actions abroad. Then I take care of all foreign visitors that are comming to our club like the delegates, scouts or UEFA deputies. Of course I can not compare my present job with a refereeing. Now I have a lot of manager´s duties. I have to ensure a lot of tasks before the match while I was a referee 90 minutes on the field of play were the most important for me. 

Shakhtar Donetsk becomes regular participant of the European competitions. What is your task in connection with these matches?

To be a participant in Champions or European league brings a lot of duties for the club. Such a matches are conrolled by a strict UEFA regulations and for me it represents to manage everything and guarantee a smooth pass of the match. I had a lot of experience with these matches as a referee but I have never could imagine how difficult it is to prepare this kind of match. I found out it at this position. We achieved a great succes last year when we moved to European league Final. For me the preparation for the final match meant intensive contact with UEFA delegate for 5 weeks to fulfill all standards.

In European competitons delegate and the referees arrive day before the match. What is your position during this event?

I take care of UEFA delegate during his stay. It is about the control of the stadium, field of play and a lot of other things day before the match. On match day we have a technical meeting where I am as a righthand man of the delegate in case some problem occurs. I know these sutiations very well therefore I try to be helpful. UEFA regulations do not allow club official to accompany a referees. Usually somebody from the Ukrainian Football Association takes care of them.

We know that your present job requires to travel a lot all over Europe out of season as well. What exactly do you ensure?

Except an academy of Shakhtar Donetsk which travel all over Europe a lot I am responsible for the training camps. In regard of long and strong winter in this part of Europe we spend all winter preparation abroad. This period of year consists of 2 or 3 winter camps and it takes about 6 weeks. Such a camp must be fully prepared. It is similar during the summer break.

How does the preparation for EURO 2012 continue in Donetsk?

Donetsk is one of the place where the tournament will take place therefore a lot of people from UEFA organization and preparatory committee arrive. And of course I meet with them. Last week the UEFA president Michele Platini visited Donetsk. He presented his satisfaction with the conditions, especially with the stadium which fulfil strict regulations. Obviously there are more than 2 years left and a lot of things must be done.

After your leaving some people can think you do not care about the Slovak football anymore. What is your activity in Slovak football now?

My decision to quit referee career and my departure can not mean that I am not interested in what happens in Slovak football. I am still in touch with people who helped me in my career. I am willing to cooperate in any area that is necessary and  I am ready to help in preparation for training camps, friendly matches or in other activities because I still have a lot of useful contacts in a world football.

We got to know you are involved in programme that should help young referees in Slovakia. Can you tell us more about it?

I was talking to Mr. Štefan Czetö who is responsible for a programme and education of the young referees in Slovak Football Association about the possibilities how can I help in this project. Finally we arranged that I will support this project financially. A lot of young people would like to become a referee or they have already became. They know that starting of referee career requires a lot of money for the referee equipment. Therefore I have decided in cooperation with Referee Committee of Slovak F.A., as well as the companies Atak and Didek Sport companies to sponsor in framework of Referee Convention programe for recruitment a production of 500 pieces of this equipment for a young referees. I will be glad if we find several talents who will follow me.

There are also another referees and assitant referees from East Slovak region who quited a career in a last months. We can see a blank space here. What do you think?

East Slovak region used to have above-standard number of referees who represented Slovak referee school at international stage. I can mention Vojtech Christov, Štefan Czetö, Bohdan Benedik or Gerhard Zvolanek. From my generation I can mention Edo Cichý, Richard Havrila. I agree there is a blank space when several of us quited career at short notice and suddenly we do not have so many international referees we used to have. It is a sign we fell asleep in process of education of the young referees. We can not waste the time. We have to awake young people and try to find suitable candidates who would be able to join previous generations.

East Slovak Football Association leads former international referee Richard Havrila. Referee Committee leads former international assistant referee Marian Ruzbarsky. What are your expectations towards the work with a young referees?

Both of them are experienced international referees with a lot of skills. They know criterias that referees have to fulfil. I believe they start programme of education as soon as possible. We need referees who will be ready to stand on at national and international level.

(rm)