Futsal EURO final referee team relishing the moment
Sunday, February 6, 2022
Article summary
A proud refereeing quintet are sharing the satisfaction of being chosen to officiate at Sunday’s UEFA Futsal EURO final – and are in firm agreement that the chance to take part in this showpiece occasion is an achievement to cherish.
Article top media content
Article body
Portugal and Russia will contest the European title at the Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, and the refereeing team of Juan José Cordero Gallardo (Spain, first referee), Alejandro Martínez Flores (Spain, second referee), Chiara Perona (Italy, third referee), Grigori Osomkov (Estonia, reserve assistant referee) and David Urdanoz (Spain, timekeeper) will have their own important target – to add their seal of quality to an exciting night in the Dutch capital.
“We’re all very much looking forward to the final,” said Cordero Gallardo, the Andalusian who is widely respected as a referee of the highest calibre. “It will be a special day for all of the team.” Martínez Flores, from Murcia and another experienced official, is thrilled at the prospect. “Friday was an emotional day for me. To hear your name chosen to take charge of a final is one of the best moments that a referee can enjoy.”
‘Wonderful moment’
Chiara Perona, from Biella, has made distinguished progress in her career. “It’s a wonderful moment,” she reflected.
Perona is ably following in the footsteps of female football referees who are breaking down barriers and also excelling in the men’s game. “They are setting a fine example,” she says. “I feel huge satisfaction. The tournament has given me a great opportunity to develop, and the challenge for me now is to keep improving my standards.”
Narva-born Osomkov has found the positive atmosphere among the EURO referees to be a motivating factor, and he is keen to emphasise the family spirit within the group. “They talk about 16 teams taking part in the EURO,” he says. “But it’s important to emphasise that there’s been a 17th team here, and an accomplished team too.”
Once in a lifetime
“This feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience”, adds Urdanoz, from Pamplona. “And to be together with Juan and Alejandro and making a notable piece of history as a Spanish trio at a EURO final is something to remember.”
The team have all enjoyed separate adventures to this place. In the case of Cordero Gallardo, who has won world awards and collected vast experience, his road began at the age of 14 with the help of his father, a referee himself, who took his son to his matches. “I have a great deal to thank him for,” Cordero Gallardo says, remembering how he began his pathway by taking charge of children’s matches and setting off on an adventure that saw him gain his international badge in 2014. “Never in my life did I dream I'd get this far,” he insists. “But I’ve worked hard to get where I am.”
Same wavelength
Shared experiences in Spain and beyond mean that Cordero Gallardo and Martínez Flores are very much on the same wavelength as referees. “I know him, he knows me," says Cordero Gallardo of his compatriot. "And I feel that from the moment when I blow the first whistle in the final, I can be confident in our ability to perform well together.”
The five officials are involved in futsal at a moment when the sport is flourishing, not least thanks to UEFA’s strategic vision which aims to enhance futsal’s standing and exposure.
At national-team level, this Futsal EURO is the first to feature 16 teams as part of a new cycle where the finals will take place every four years. Meanwhile, the renaming of the major European futsal club competition as the UEFA Futsal Champions League has been key in providing the game with a heightened profile and boosting its public appeal.
Rising profile
“Certainly futsal’s profile is rising, things are changing,” says Osomkov. “More people are talking about futsal nowadays, and it helps when they know that a lot of star footballers actually started out in futsal and learned from the experience.”
Preparations for Sunday’s final will include discussions among the team about the two finalists’ tactics and playing characteristics – pre-match studies provide an important basis to help referees take correct decisions – and each of the five will have their own special thoughts in the run-up to the kick-off.
“I’ll be in the moment and feeling gratitude to people who have helped me get here,” says Perona. “I’ll think of my family and how they’ve supported me,” explains Osomkov. “Building focus and concentration,” will be Cordero Gallardo’s recipe.
“Every match is important, really,” says Martínez Flores. “It’s true that a final has a special feeling, but then when each match kicks off, you’re focusing on the pitch, the players, your refereeing team-mates – and then that particular match takes on its own special flavour.”
Post-match reflection
The last word ahead of the eagerly-anticipated event in Amsterdam goes to timekeeper Urdanoz. “You try and soak up the atmosphere beforehand, and then you’re concentrating on what you’re doing once the match starts. It’s only after the match, if everything has gone well, that you can stop, reflect and think: “We did it!”.
The close-knit refereeing quintet for the EURO final are confident and hopeful that the abilities and experiences that have brought them all so far will stand them in good stead on what promises to be a memorable Sunday for European futsal.