We are possibly talking about the most recognized and recognizable soccer referee of the last decades. The Italian Pierluigi Collina, with his impressive image and his ways on the field, earned the respect of the football world, and this is endorsed by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, which has named him the best referee of all time.
He is uniquely respected by players, managers and fans from the world of soccer, where his serene authority and sense of fair play under great pressure made him the best referee in the most popular sport in the world.
Pierluigi Collina is one of the most recognized celebrities on the planet. He has refereed matches at the highest level, including the 2002 World Cup Final and the 1999 Champions League Final, as well as countless international matches, as well as Serie A in his native Italy.
Pierluigi Collina, graduated in economics (cum laude) from the University of Bologna, is the President of the FIFA Referees Committee. In addition to the awards he has collected on the field of play, Mr. Collina has been honored around the world for his achievements. These honors include the Commendatore dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana awarded in 2003.
Likewise, Pierlugi Collina has been from the beginning one of the main promoters and defenders of VAR (Video Arbitration). Tested for the first time during the World Cup in Russia, Pierluigi Collina was one of those in charge of preparing and training referees in their adaptation to this new technology. Part of this preparation consisted, according to Collina, “in carrying out game drills with delayed plays, studying them over and over again and establishing the first communications between the field referee and the VAR room referee.” Subsequently, the referees began to test the system in real time and on the ground and today it is a tool established in almost all football competitions in the world.
Outside of his soccer and professional life, Mr. Collina is an energetic advocate for good causes. He was an International Red Cross Ambassador for the “Children in War” campaign in 2004 and a FIFA Ambassador for SOS Italy Children’s Villages.
Thanks to his versatility and knowing how to be on the pitch, being severe when necessary, but dialogue if the occasion allowed, Collina became popular on the fields of half Europe. His incredible career and experience has been reflected in his book “My game rules. What football has taught me in life” where, in addition, Pierluigi Collina talks about the importance of respecting the rules as one of the fundamental values in life.
