They already have a microphone, but only a privileged few have the opportunity to hear what the Ligue 1 referees say during a match.
Exchanges that the French Football Federation (FFF) wants to open quickly to as many people as possible.
Meeting on Thursday, the body's executive committee decided to request authorization from Ifab, the body in charge of football rules, for authorization to broadcast to spectators and viewers of elite matches the remarks made. by the best whistles in France on the pitch.
“We are going to send a written request to offer to be the first major championship in charge of experimenting with a live broadcast, from the first to the last second of each match, of these exchanges with the players, but also with the assistant referees. and the Var, explains to the Parisian-Today in France the president of the Federal Commission of Arbitrators and member of the Comex, Eric Borghini.
I myself have the opportunity to put on the headset and hear all these discussions when I go to the stadium, and I can assure you that it is very enriching.
With that, we will understand the game much better.
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But this federal desire is likely to come up against the line of the decision-maker, the Ifab.
Composed of representatives of Fifa and the British federations, it accelerated on Wednesday on a file where it had been severely procrastinating in recent years, evoking us in 2021 "a subject dealt with internally".
Meeting on Wednesday at Wembley Stadium in London, Ifab decided to test in international competitions the sound system for discussions between the central referee and his assistants in charge of video refereeing.
An experiment launched in February at the Club World Cup in Morocco.
Broadcasters and referees in favor of the measure
“In the event that Ifab refuses this first proposal, we also volunteer to put the sound on during these field viewings in the Var, adds Eric Borghini.
This is something very interesting, which could make it possible to promote our championship within the framework of the next call for tenders for the broadcasting rights of Ligue 1 (scheduled for the fall).
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The FFF, which so far said to be open to the idea while being rather passive in this file, suddenly accelerates.
A change of posture, undoubtedly linked to the eviction in November of the boss of the Technical Direction of Arbitration, Pascal Garibian, replaced in January by another ex-arbitrator, Antony Gautier.
The withdrawal of the president of the FFF Noël Le Graët, absent during Thursday's Comex and not known internally to be a big fan of the idea, also played a role.
The will of the FFF will satisfy the broadcasters, more than ready.
In February, Amazon Prime had retransmitted in deferred exchanges of the referee of OM-Angers, Jérémy Stinat, with the players of the meeting.
Most of the people concerned also adhere to the project.
In the summer of 2021, 60% of the referees questioned in an internal consultation of the Union of Elite Football Referees (Safe) were in favor of it.
“The FFF finally follows the will of its referees, welcomes the president of the union, Olivier Lamarre.
It is important that the general public can understand our decisions, it will limit controversy.
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A green light in principle from those concerned is also valid for another reform enacted by French refereeing officials: the possibility left, after media-training sessions, to let referees express themselves to the media to defend their controversial whistle.
