Football: Exclusive interview with World Cup referee Eddie Maillet-‘I feel good and proud to be seen as a role model’ |09 July 2010
Chosen as the fourth official for the England/USA group B match on Saturday June 12,
Although he was shortlisted for the knockout phase of the tournament, Maillet – the first Seychellois referee to officiate at the World Cup – was unlucky but returned home this week with some good memories.
Sports Nation met Maillet on Wednesday night and we bring you an interview with the man who is close to reaching 100 international matches.
Sports Nation: What was the feeling when you went out on to the pitch to officiate in your first World Cup match?
Maillet: It was an unbelievable feeling. The World Cup is very big and is always under media scrutiny. There is a lot of pressure, but like the other referees I was able to cope with the pressure thanks to the training we followed beforehand. It was a joy and it's been a great experience, on and off the pitch.
Sports Nation: It was a high-tempo encounter between Honduras and Chile?
Maillet: Matches involving South American teams are always played at a high tempo. I prepared myself psychologically and I used the first five minutes to cool down the players’ nerves by blowing for all fouls committed and rough play. After that the players got down to playing some nice free-flowing football.
Sports Nation: Your aim was to officiate in at least one match and you took charge of two in the group stage. What was it like to surpass your expectation?
Maillet: We (assistant referees Bechir Hassani and Evarist Menkouande and myself) performed very well in our first match, and the second appointment came four days later. It’s like the Fifa referees’ committee wanted to confirm what they had seen in our first game. We welcomed the second game and it was a success. I felt more at ease and confident this time.
Sports Nation: Your trio were one of nine retained by the Fifa officiating panel for the knockout stage of the World Cup. Did you think of that before the start of the tournament?
Maillet: There were 29 trios at the start of the tournament and 10 were sent home at the end of the group stage. At this point, I thought we would have been asked to do a round-of-16 match. But after we were not called on, I focused on getting the third place play-off match because I felt we were among the top candidates in the first African World Cup. In the end, we were not chosen and I respect the Fifa referees committee’s decision as it is under pressure to make the right selection of officials for each match.
Most of the referees who have been selected to officiate in the knockout stage of the tournament are experienced with at least two World Cups under their belts. This is my first World Cup and it has been a fruitful experience.
Sports Nation: You are a role model for many Seychellois after making an appearance on the biggest stage – the World Cup.
Maillet: I feel good and proud to be seen as a role model. I’ve received words of encouragement from a lot of people and I thank them from deep down.
Sports Nation: We have read that Fifa gave strict instructions to referees during the tournament.
Maillet: It’s true, but we could read anything we wanted. On the other hand, Fifa restricted personal interviews but there were press conferences with refereeing trios, and some journalists also followed our training sessions.
Sports Nation: Some decisions caused controversy during the tournament. What can you say about those?
Maillet: There are guidelines officials have to abide by in every tournament. As long as we respect those guidelines, we are OK.
We can never think of a tournament without a mistake. It’s inhuman. There were two major mistakes in two matches out of the 62 already played. If I was to rate the officiating level at the World Cup, I would say it would be at least 95%, which is very good. This for me is a successful tournament, but as referees we want to do even better. But human mistakes will always be part of the game.
Sports Nation: Are you for or against technology in the game?
Maillet: I won’t make any comment about this issue.
Sports Nation: The World Cup in South Africa topped the three million attendance and is third behind the United States in 1994 and Germany in 2006. How does it feel to have been part of such a big event?
Everything went along fine and no one can complain about a lack of security or anything. It’s true that Fifa brought its experts to South Africa for the tournament, but the country itself made the African continent proud with its high level of organisation.
Sports Nation: What is your next objective?
Maillet: It’s been a nice World Cup for me, but I feel a bit sad because at 43 I won’t be selected for another one as I will be over the age limit of 45. If only I was a little younger I would have been able to build on this first experience.
Before hanging up my whistle, I would like to officiate at the prestigious World Club Championship in Dubai in December, and I hope to be chosen to referee the 2012 African Nations Cup final. I’ve already refereed an opening match and two semifinals at the African Nations Cup and the final will be the icing on the cake in my career.
Sports Nation: Your pick on who will win Sunday’s World Cup final?
Maillet: The two finalists have equal chances of winning the title. But for me, the final was played on Wednesday night when Spain beat Germany 1-0 in the second semifinal. I feel Spain will go into the final with an edge over Holland.
Sports Nation: Can you pick a best player at the World Cup?
Maillet: There have been some good players at the World Cup. I can think of Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Mueller, Mesut Özil (Germany), Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben (Holland) to name a few. It’s not only the players’ individual skills that make them shine, it’s the teamwork.
Sneijder is a firm candidate to win the first Fifa Ballon d'Or trophy, which will be presented on January 10, 2011 in Zurich, Switzerland, after winning the Serie A, Italian Cup and European Champions League with Inter Milan. Winning the World Cup will be a big plus for him.
Sports Nation: As a Seychellois referee you’ve refereed at the highest possible level. What can you say about the level of refereeing in Seychelles?
Maillet: I trained with referees who have refereed in two or three World Cup tournaments and I don’t see any big difference between them and me. The difference lies in how you approach a match and your personality. I feel that other local referees can also officiate at the World Cup and I’m happy with the level of officiating here. It’s time local footballers and fans respect and believe in our officials.
I remember going into the changing room of the England team at the World Cup and you could feel the high level of discipline in their camp. Although they are world stars, not even one player questioned the officials’ decision when they were asked to take off certain ornaments they were wearing.
Refereeing cannot be separated from the game itself. If refereeing progresses, our level of play must follow suit.
Football at the World Cup and at professional level is neat and is played at a different pace. As a referee you can enjoy the game as there is less intervention. This helps to upgrade the level of officiating.
Sports Nation: Who do you think can be the next Seychellois official at the World Cup?
Maillet: I can think of Jason Damoo, who is part of the world assistant referees’ elite group. Referee Bernard Camille is also a good candidate. We also have some very good youngsters around. The best thing is not to think of the World Cup at this point in time. Young referees should focus on the African Under-17 Championship.
Maybe some people might still be asking what did Seychelles benefit from hosting the same championship in 2001?
I made my international debut then, and I’m now the referee everybody knows. I believe that if the country has the capacity to host such tournaments, it should do so because many more Seychellois will get the opportunity to show what they are capable of doing.
Seychellois referees can reach the highest possible level because we have the potential. As a referee you should be able to live with critics, train hard and always want to do your best. I feel I should have started refereeing a little earlier. The more good referees we have, the better.
I also hope to become a referees instructor at the end of my refereeing career so I can help others. We are also fortunate to have the backing of the Seychelles Football Federation.
G. G.