Tribute to a Legend – Pierluigi Collina (Part 2)
Collina’s never ending list of accomplishments kept going strong even after the World Cup as the Italian was given the refereeing duties for the UEFA Cup final 2004 (now Europa League) that was played between Valencia and Marseille. Euro 2004 was Collina’s
last major tournament as the Bologna native was reaching the mandatory retirement age of 45. When Collina turned 45, IFF (Italian Football Federation) raised the retirement age to 46 just to accommodate the legendary referee for one more season. Sadly, Collina
could not take the pitch for the entire one year as a sponsorship dispute with the IFF saw Collina handing in his resignation. The Italian Refereeing Association tried to talk Collina out of his resignation but the referee had made up his mind.
Collina was such a firm fan favourite that he was chosen as the cover figure by a popular video game, Pro Evolution Soccer, twice in succession. Collina was also an “unlock able” referee in another popular football game, FIFA, in their 2005 edition of the
game. Collina has become synonymous with football refereeing, so much so that he has been featured in many advertisements over the years for International brands
The 2006 Italian football scandal was an even that shook the Italian game to disaster. The biggest testament to Collina’s honesty and fair play has to be the loathing he earned from Luciano Moggi; the instigator of 2006 Calciopoli scandal. Moggi claimed
Collina to be too ‘objective’ and demanded him to be punished. Collina and Roberto Rosetti were some of the few coaches who escaped the scandal with their integrity intact. Even Jose Mourinho, who can be seeing blasting and bashing the referees, called Collina
‘the best in the world, a man with personality and quality’.
Pierluigi Collina is undoubtedly the best referee to have ever officiated. From 1998 to 2003, he won the IFFHS World’s Best referee of the Year Award for six consecutive years. IFFHS later declared Collina the best referee of the last quarter century. His
honours and recognition of his achievements just don’t stop there. In 2004, Hull University awarded the Italian an honorary doctorate in Science for his outstanding contribution to the world of sports.
Even after his retirement, Collina’s love for the sport could not be dampened. Collina is a voluntary consultant for Italian Football Referees Association (AIA) while also serving on the UEFA Referees committee. Whenever a charity game is arranged on the
globe, Pierluigi Collina is the undoubted choice for the refereeing job. The ‘Kojak’ always turns up with his trademark smile.
It would be just fair if Collina is tagged ‘Maradona’ or ‘Pele’ of referees. Collina was wildly respected and adored by the players and the crowds alike. His friendly personality and charming aura were such that his retirement has left a huge void that will
never be filled.
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