Referees' fitness put to the test

It is that time of year when people feast on festive food but while you tuck into your next turkey sandwich the top stars of the UEFA Champions League cannot enjoy such pleasures, with the next game always on the horizon. What many people forget is that the same also applies to the game’s top officials. But just how fit do referees need to be?

Tough test
The UEFA Training Ground sent uefa.com journalist Simon Hart to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome to find out more about the fitness test every referee must take and pass to officiate at the elite level. Like players, referees today have to be fitter than ever before, as our man found out as he took the test himself. Click here to find out how he got on.

Preparation
The fitness test is part of a referees section on the Training Ground which aims to cover every area of the game involving the man or woman with the whistle. You can find out more about how referees should prepare with Pierluigi Collina, while there are also features on how officials are selected and their retirement ages. All of this and much more is there for you at the click of a button.

Big names
The Training Ground now hosts over 170 videos and features exclusive masterclass sessions from big name players such Kaká, Andrea Pirlo, Robinho, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Deco and Klaas Jan Huntelaar – among arguably the greatest array of football talent assembled for a learning-based website. Coaches Roy Hodgson and Lars Lagerbäck have also been recruited to help inform and educate players and coaches of all ages and abilities, while Europe's top referees offer guides to rules, regulations and much more - all as part of the most comprehensive guide to skills and tactics on the internet.