In Doha, for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar (November 20-December 18), there will not be only the Blues to represent France. Six tricolor referees (Stéphanie Frappart and Clément Turpin as field referees, Nicolas Danos and Cyril Gringore as assistant referees, Jérôme Brisard and Benoît Millot as VAR referees) have been selected by Fifa to officiate during the competition. They met the press on Thursday, September 29 afternoon, at the national football center in Clairefontaine.
“It’s always the same emotion to participate in a World Cup. When you use these three words with a football player, his eyes shine. It’s the same for a referee“, quickly launched Clément Turpin, who will experience his second World Cup after that of 2018 in Russia. The 40-year-old man with the whistle will be one of the two French field referees during the competition. A first since the presence of Joël Quiniou and Michel Vautrot at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
Turpin will be accompanied, among the field referees, by Stéphanie Frappart. Already a pioneer in the feminization of refereeing in men’s competitions, she will become the first woman to referee at a World Cup, with Rwandan Salima Mukansanga and Japanese Yoshimi Yamashita also selected. “There is a lot of enthusiasm, and positive pressure“, assured Stéphanie Frappart, first in front of the journalists of the written press before repeating the exercise in front of the radios.
During this meeting exclusively devoted to the World Cup – the referees present are therefore not expressed on Ligue 1 and their performances on the lawns since the start of the season -, recent developments in terms of refereeing in football. Like the adoption, during the upcoming World Cup, of semi-automated offside. A new technological evolution “much more precise and which makes it possible to make a decision in a few seconds“, described Cyril Gringore, touch referee.
The latter, well known to Ligue 1 pitches and who has been assisting Clément Turpin alongside Nicolas Danos for many years, will retire at the end of the World Cup. “I want him to like it seriously“, enthused, with a smile on his face, Clément Turpin. All spoke of their pride when approaching this competition, specifying not to be “insensitive to ecological issues or the question of human rights in Qatar“, clarified Cyril Gringore. “But we try to focus on football.”
Because the World Cup, “it’s a childhood dream, which we had at the beginning as a player. But that we finally transposed into a referee“, explained Jérôme Brisard. The latter will officiate at the video assistance to the arbitration (VAR), with a Benoît Millot very inclined to answer questions on the evolutions of the arbitration. The distinction between field referees and referees VAR will not change much in Doha: all, French or foreign referees mobilized by FIFA, will live together in isolation for 40 days in Doha.
A sometimes heavy context. “What is important, when you are not well, is to get up in the morning remembering that you are at the World Cup“, smiled Nicolas Danos. With his experience in 2018, Clément Turpin believes he will be able to achieve more”serene“and that one”Successful World Cup, it would be a successful first match“. Which would make it possible to referee other matches during the competition. Even if the presence of the French team in the final would prevent him from refereeing this one.
All are currently in the dark: impossible for them to know in advance which matches they will referee, since they will only learn 48 to 72 hours before each meeting. One thing is certain: the six French referees, the largest contingent of a nationality at this World Cup, will travel to Qatar on November 9, eleven days before the start of the competition.
“To adapt and redo some physical tests“, explained Stéphanie Frappart, while the French referees had taken part in a first seminar in Madrid (Spain) in June. A dress rehearsal is also planned when they arrive in Doha: the referees will refine the last details during a tournament with youth teams Before the start of the football high mass on 20 November.