Former FIFA referee: "Monzul's first steps will show whether she lives up to expectations"

Former FIFA referee Myroslav Stupar commented on the appointment of Kateryna Monzul as the head of the UAF Referees Committee.

"Kateryna began her ascent when I was responsible for the training of referees at the then Football Federation of Ukraine. Gradually, she overcame all the steps and deservedly became one of the best referees in the world, who successfully serves men's matches.

Frankly speaking, I don't know which of Monzul will be a better manager. This is a very serious challenge for her. And she needs to start making up for lost time by eradicating the system of referee training introduced by Kateryna's predecessor, the Italian Luciano Luci, when the classroom option was adopted, rather than the practice of serving control matches at training camps.

What else would you advise the newly minted chairman of the UAF Referees Committee? Take care of inviting former players to officiate matches. I remember that at one time in Ukraine, a whole group of well-known players in the past were visible in the refereeing corps. I don't know why, but this practice was gradually abandoned. Young people who had only seen football on TV started refereeing, but they were good at running and spoke English. But what about their understanding of football, their sense of the spirit of the game?

The introduction of a polygraph is a necessary step if we want to get rid of corruption in the judiciary. As for the introduction of a draw for the appointment of referees, it will be effective when the same elite group that officiates UPL matches has at least four candidates for one game.

During a recent meeting with the referees at their meeting in Uzhhorod, UAF President Andriy Shevchenko stressed that it is necessary to restore the trust of the football community not only to the association but also to the referees in particular. And a lot will depend on the first steps of the head of Monzul, on who she chooses as her assistants, whether she will be lucky enough to meet expectations," Stupar said.