Indian referee in the FIFA panel, Rowan Arumughan says besides having top fitness and understanding of the laws of the game, a football referee also needs to perform consistently to earn the respect of the players.
Arumughan, who officiated in Lionel Messi’s first match as Argentina captain in a FIFA friendly against Venezuela in Kolkata in 2011, said a referee also needs to know “skilful players who can challenge the referees”.
“Information about teams and players becomes important… They should know about the players who are skilful. These are the players who can challenge the referees,” Arumughan told AIFF TV. “We need to be consistent. If you do well in one match and not in the next, it doesn’t work. You need to perform consistently over time to gain respect. When you gain respect, players understand that this referee minds his own business, so that makes life easier.”