In an extract from a new book, former international referee Jonas Eriksson has revealed the humiliating physical tests imposed by UEFA under Pierluigi Collina. Eriksson describes how top officials were forced to strip to their underwear to be weighed and have their body fat measured in front of the former referee chief.
The Swedish referee recounts the first such test in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in autumn 2010. Around 15 referees were told to undress in a cold conference room. 'There we stood in a long row, in just our underwear. We were Europe's best referees, elite athletes, role models, adults, parents, strong personalities with great integrity … but no one said anything,' Eriksson writes.
Eriksson says Collina observed them with an 'ice-cold gaze' as they stepped onto the scale one by one. An instructor loudly announced each referee's weight. 'I felt how Collina paused, looked at me and scanned my nearly naked body. I thought to myself that this is not worthy,' Eriksson recalls. His weight was announced as 96.2kg and his body fat percentage as 18.7%.
The tests were part of a broader overhaul of UEFA's refereeing organisation in 2010, which also included mandatory vision tests. Eriksson notes that while the vision tests were professional, the weight and fat tests felt 'disgusting, anger and humiliation' due to the way they were conducted. Some referees were found to be colour blind or blind in one eye, with one reportedly forced to quit.
