Referee Micheľ sparkling in the rain

There is a popular Crowded House song that says: "Everywhere you go – you always take the weather with you." Whether that also means sudden monsoon-like downpours is open to conjecture.

Basel deluge
The deluge that hit Basel on Wednesday evening for the vital Switzerland-Turkey UEFA EURO 2008™ encounter left its drenching mark on players, fans and the pitch – and had match referee Ľuboš Micheľ wondering if bad weather vibes were deliberately following him around Europe. One of the 12 referees at the tournament, it was the Slovakian's second soaking in less than a month, having also overseen a night of drama in driving rain in the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester United FC and Chelsea in Moscow. "It is strange luck," Micheľ said at the EURO referees' base in Regensdorf, near Zurich. "It seems that when I referee an important game, then the rain starts with it. However, it looks like rain brings me luck, it makes me perform well."

Good camaraderie
Micheľ and his fellow officials are enjoying UEFA EURO 2008™. "It's a pinnacle for every referee," he explained. "The [UEFA] European Championship is the biggest tournament which UEFA organises. For me, it's the third time that I've taken part. There's good camaraderie here. We have good conditions, an excellent hotel, the training conditions are faultless and they are not far from the hotel. So far we all feel really good. It's important that we feel comfortable and peaceful. A referee's job is very demanding, mentally exhausting."

Spirit of togetherness
The referees are considered as the 17th team at UEFA EURO 2008™ and the spirit of togetherness that the group is forging at Regensdorf is a crucial element in their success. "For us, it's not a question of who is a star referee and who performs badly," said Micheľ. "The crucial thing is that we hope we can look back and know that the whole tournament was refereed well. For us, it's important that the final assessment after the last whistle of the tournament will be that we all did well that would be our victory." Micheľ has taken charge of both a UEFA Cup final, in 2003, and a UEFA Champions League final, and hopes to go far in this tournament. "This year I reached 40. I feel that I am at the best age for a referee. For all those years I have been refereeing for UEFA, this is the fruit of my effort."

Mutual respect
UEFA EURO 2008™ is being staged under the banner of 'Respect' in all areas of the event – and especially between referees and players. "Respect is important in all walks of life," said Micheľ. "This also apply to players and referees, as well as to coaches. There must be mutual respect of each other's work. In this way football will be a nice game, and entertaining for everyone. For me, it's a great feeling when the match finishes and everybody shakes hands. The players respect our role - and we respect theirs."