Adrian Chiles, a broadcaster and Guardian columnist, has found a new way to add stress to his sports viewing: rooting for a referee at the World Cup. The object of his support is Maurizio Mariani, an Italian referee from Serie A, whom Chiles met last summer in Sarajevo while working with a charity that brings together children from the former Yugoslavia to play sport.
From Supporting Underdogs to Referees
Chiles describes a lifelong habit of picking someone to root for in any sporting contest, starting as a five-year-old supporting West Brom because his grandad did. This tendency has escalated over time. At Wimbledon, he found himself supporting Maya Joint, an unknown opponent of Serena Williams, after learning she had lost 15 of her last 18 matches. Joint won the first set, and Chiles left the stadium, watching the rest on his phone to avoid jinxing her. She ultimately won.
The habit intensified when watching friends' sons play professionally. For rugby, he watched Dan Luger play for England, turning a 15 vs 15 match into a 29 vs 1 contest against Luger's teammates and opponents. Similarly, for football, when Sam Field debuted for West Brom, the match became 21 vs 1 for Chiles.
Meeting Maurizio Mariani
In Sarajevo, Chiles met Maurizio Mariani, a cheerful Italian referee officiating a charity match. They kept in touch, and when Mariani was selected for the World Cup, Chiles began following his matches. Mariani debuted as a World Cup referee in Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay, a potentially tricky match given Uruguay's reputation. Chiles notes that Mariani survived without being bitten, referencing Uruguay's Luis Suárez biting an Italian player at the 2014 World Cup.
Chiles says, “I couldn’t even tell you what the score was – I’ve forgotten already – but I don’t think the ref put a foot wrong.” He celebrated when a commentator praised Mariani’s performance: “Referee Mariani’s done a good job keeping the game flowing here!”
The Ultimate Stress: 22 vs 1
This support has transformed World Cup matches into a 22 vs 1 contest for Chiles. During Brazil vs Japan, he found himself rooting for Mariani against all 22 players. He watched anxiously as Mariani coolly signaled a Japanese goal and flinched at every tackle. When Brazil equalized, Chiles feared extra time and potential controversy. He leaped up when Brazil scored at the death, avoiding extra time. “The poor Japanese players and fans wept salt tears. But I was celebrating. I bought another pint to toast another fine refereeing performance,” he writes.
Chiles hopes to follow Mariani all the way to the final and jokes about knitting a scarf with his name on it.
