Refereeing: “Certain behaviour cannot be tolerated anymore” (Roberto Rosetti, UEFA)

"It is our duty to protect football’s image, and we must seize this opportunity for change. Certain behaviour cannot be tolerated anymore. We must set a good example for boys and girls who love the game. We want our referees to be robust and take action," said Roberto Rosetti (ITA), chief refereeing officer at UEFA, during a press conference held in Monaco in conjunction with the European Cups group stage draws, on 30/08/2023.

"It’s time to act. Yellow cards must be shown for attempts to deceive the referee, feigning injury, simulation or exaggeration, or delaying the restart of the game. And in cases of offensive or inflammatory conduct such as insults or abuse, the punishment should be a red card. Of course, football is a game of emotions - but a player or coach insulting or abusing a referee cannot be considered as an emotion," added Roberto Rosetti.

The Italian's comments come as UEFA has launched its "Be a referee" campaign, which aims to "inspire a new generation of referees" through a video starring Stéphanie Frappart (FRA) and Michael Oliver (ANG) on 30/08/2023. The European…