DALLAS, Texas – This week, prior to the start of the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, Concacaf is hosting a Gold Cup referee seminar in Dallas, Texas in order to make sure all its referees are fully prepared for the start of the tournament.
In attendance is FIFA Referee Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collina, who remains one of the most decorated referees in world football history, including officiating the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final and the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final.
There is no question that Collina is a man who holds his fellow referees to high standards, and he is pleased to see that those same high standards are being applied by Concacaf in its Gold Cup referee preparation.
"The objectives of this seminar are to make sure that all of the referees are ready and prepared for the tournament, and I think Concacaf is doing a very good job at this," said Collina in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com.
"I must give a lot of credit to the Concacaf administration and to Concacaf Director of Refereeing Brian Hall for providing tools to their referees so that they may improve. They are working hard and I’m very confident they will have a successful tournament," added Collina.
With various new laws of the game going into effect this year, Collina does not anticipate any issues in the Gold Cup stemming from those rule changes.
"I’m very happy that Concacaf has already implemented the new laws of the game in their Under-17 tournament, so they have the experience. The referees in Major League Soccer are already using the new laws of the game, so it is no surprise that Concacaf is prepared for these new laws," said Collina.
One of Concacaf’s main initiatives in the last few years has been providing opportunities to female referees, some of whom have had the chance to work in Concacaf Nations League and Scotiabank Concacaf League matches. For Collina, this a great step forward.
"I think it is a very positive thing to see Concacaf providing those opportunities to female referees. What Concacaf is doing on that front is a great example," said Collina.
Overall, Collina has no doubt that when the referees depart this week’s seminar in Dallas, they will be ready to ensure the matches run as smoothly as possible.
"We have been focused on preparation and I think with the work being done here, we will meet that objective. Brian and his staff are committed and working hard to make sure all Gold Cup referees will be fully prepared," concluded Collina.
CONCACAF Media
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