FABIO'S LAW
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THERE was a significant moment during the second half of Wednesday's game in Holland that went unnoticed by most of the 55,000 inside the Amsterdam ArenA and by all of the millions watching on television.
A borderline offside decision was given against substitute Carlton Cole.
Wayne Rooney - having been withdrawn from the action - leapt from his seat and began to remonstrate with the linesman.
Until he sensed a stern Italian glare.
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Turning around, Rooney met Fabio Capello's look.
The England manager simply stared for a second and then nodded commandingly at the empty chair.
Sit down, shut up. Without a word being spoken. Capello loves Rooney's passion, loves English passion, loves passion for football.
But he won't tolerate a lack of respect towards match officials. And that is why he was happy to talk to the News of the World about the FA's ongoing Respect programme and about this newspaper's determination to help stamp out the abuse against referees through our own 'Shut It!' campaign.
Capello believes his players, indeed all professional players, have a duty to set standards for the millions of youngsters who idolise them.
And that includes the biggest names in the game, like his England stars David Beckham and Frank Lampard.
He explains: "The young boys have to respect the referees. But the example comes from the very top of the game. Always. Look, if they see players with their shirt in, they will have their shirt in.
"Players with their shirt out, they will have their shirt out as well. And it is the same with respecting the referees."
On the touchline, Capello becomes as animated, as excited, as frustrated as any top manager. But he never denigrates referees. And the national coach insists that his players - the idols whose boots a multitude of children dream of stepping into - follow suit.
He explains: "I come from Italy where the respect for the officials is not great. But we HAVE to respect the referees.
Mistakes
"Sometimes the players make mistakes, sometimes the managers make mistakes. Everyone can make a mistake. You have to accept the decision of the referee, whether it is right or not right.
"Because it is made honestly. I tell my players to respect the officials and their decisions.
"Once the referee has decided it is a free-kick for you or your opponent, he has decided."
A coach of Capello's unrivalled experience knows that it is unrealistic to expect players not to question referees in the heat of battle. On some occasions, players might have to speak to the referees to find out why they have been punished but they should not do it in an angry way," he says.
"In the Community Shield, I thought it was okay that Rooney and a couple of other Manchester United players asked the referee why he had done something.
"But doing it with respect is so important. Not just for the players but for the fans.
We will name and shame guilty players
"Young fans have to realise that respect is important. Respect for the teacher, for example."
Capello's belief in acting properly towards match officials stems from his unshakeable commitment to the highest standards of behaviour.
"At international level, dissent is worse," he says. "It is never good, not at club level or anywhere.
"But at international level, you are representing a nation, a flag."
However, he also knows that dissent - when punished properly - can cost a team dearly whether that team be Real Madrid, Roma, Juventus, AC Milan or England.
That is why he has always clamped down on players who have over- stepped the mark on his watch.
He explains: "If you get a yellow card for arguing, it is really stupid. Really.
"Right or wrong, the referee has decided and it is his decision. When I was at Madrid, I decided players had to pay money - a fine - if they were booked for dissent because it is particularly stupid."
While Capello, 63, underlines the social responsibility of superstar players, he also has a message for parents, whose behaviour on touchlines has been one of the main issues in the FA's Respect initiative.
And he recalls: "The parents can be the worst.
"When I was working in Milan's academy, I told the parents that if they shouted one thing about another player or about anyone, their son would not play. No matter how good he was."
That is typical Capello.
A fervent lover of the game, a winner, a total professional but someone who believes everyone - from players to parents - has a responsibility for the image of football.
And we agree.
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THIS is an extract from an e-mail sent to the FA by Captain Andrew Butcher, of the Grenadier Guards, a 24-year veteran of the armed forces and a special guest at last weekend's Community Shield.
"We were made to feel special, not only by the FA staff who looked after us, but also both sets of fans who cheered us so loudly when it was announced we were there.
"I have been in the army for over 24 years now and have been to numerous events and public displays but nothing has touched me more than the display of affection which myself and my armed forces colleagues felt yesterday at Wembley."
That is the power of football. The people's game.
And the beautiful game.
The News of the World wants to keep it that way. There is no bigger supporter of football than this newspaper. No bigger fan. And there is plenty to be excited about right now. A vibrant Premier League, massively popular Championship and lower leagues and a national team that - under this hugely impressive manager - has a genuine chance of lifting the World Cup in Johannesburg on July 11 of next year.
Our game is watched in over 200 countries and by a cumulative global audience of more than 4.5billion.
Financially, it is the fourth richest sporting league in the world . . . only behind the three premier American sports.
Nearly 14million people walked through Premier League turnstiles last season. In these trying times, it is the great escape.
But for too long now, the face of professional football has been a scowling one.
The disdain for authority from £100,000-a-week players - and managers - has become a blot on our sporting landscape.
For all his breathtaking brilliance, we still have images of Wayne Rooney berating a hapless official.
For all his accomplishment at left-back, we still can't help but recall Ashley Cole turning his back on Mike Riley.
And youngsters up and down the country are imitating these guys.
In the same way they wear the same boots and try the same tricks, they insult referees in the same abusive manner.
Not just referees. Their teachers, their parents.
That is why these players must realise they have a social responsibility. And we will name and shame those who don't.
We know the passion involved - we get carried away ourselves.
But the only thing the News of the World asks is for players to treat officials with respect . . . and to behave in a way you would want your children to behave.
And as Lord Triesman, the chairman of the FA hints today (see below), what a fitting tribute it would be to Sir Bobby Robson if football cleaned up its act.
"Value the game above the prize," was a mantra that Sir Bobby stuck to throughout his glorious life.
And it's one today's superstars would do well to adopt themselves.
By Lord Triesman, FA chairman writes exclusively
WE launched our Respect programme a year ago and it would have been doomed to failure if it had been just a short-term initiative.
If it had just been a soundbite - a project that we dip into now and again, spend a couple of days here and there on.
To change behaviour throughout every level of the game will take a lot of work and a lot of time. That is why it is brilliant that the News of the World is running this campaign.
Football is a sport in which there is a tremendous influence from those people at the very top. The superstar players, the managers.
Everyone looks at those people as role models. That is a fact of life.
So the influence of those people gives them a special responsibility.
Anyone who is so deeply admired by other adults - never mind youngsters - has a responsibility.
Those at the top of the fashion industry - or in sport, showbusiness and politics - don't ask for that responsibility, but they have it. They are in the public eye.
They are at the pinnacle of a public profession and are very highly paid. And it's not just the players who have a responsibility. It's also the managers who have an enormous influence.
And it is imperative they do not question the referees before a game.
And then even after a game, the managers can decide whether they are going to trash somebody or just say that they had difficulty with a decision. They can choose which one of those paths they want to take.
I have seen signs that managers and captains are prepared to take responsibility. And that is great.
But - amid all the passion, all the excitement of this wonderful game - we need to remember that we all have a duty to respect the game itself.
A wonderful game, an uplifting game, which when played in the right spirit, can lift people like no other.
The FA and everyone connected with football have been paying their tributes to Sir Bobby Robson.
But what better tribute would there be to the late, great Sir Bobby than for everyone to pay respect to the beautiful game?
This article has 23 comments
Respect is reciprocal and it must be earned. Balancing the act in the middle of a heated game could be hard. Technology to the rescue for apportioning purnishment to errings. But watch out such that it doesnt remove the passion in the Game. Capello, u are doing a great job in England. At least, the team is regaining confident, which is key to their success as they hope to contest against their nemesis, Brazil, Argentina, Germany and the like. Good luck
By Scrach. Posted August 21 2009 at 10:05 AM.
Fabio could be right now as a 63-year-old coach but we need to understand the matter from the stand point of these players. Some referees' callings can be really annoying. In the heat of competitive matches like Barca and Chelsea at the Bridge in the UEFA semi, the ref was awful. He made one side to work earning nothing and another to walk away with victory at ease. Players can get punished for reacting to such ref's decision but those who govern the game need to know better in assigning officials to matches. For the good of the game, players need to respect officials but for a better game better officials are needed; not those who make whack decisions under pretext that 'to err is human'.
By CJ. Posted August 20 2009 at 3:42 AM.
when i saw the first comment in this article i couldnt believe my eyes.
"Soccer could learn a lot from rugby union, where the players respect the officials."
Bloodgate, 3 yr international bans, illegal drugs at bath, eye gauging. and were supposed to still believe this well-worn clap-trap about how sqeaky clean rugby is, give me a break, I used to play Rugby and I know the truth.
Ronaldo might go down easy occassionally but I have never seen him reach for the ketchup, these over-pumped rugby SCOUNDRELS make football players like Drogba look like saints.
By Stu. Posted August 19 2009 at 12:09 PM.
Soccer could learn a lot from rugby union, where the players respect the officials. Any dissent is punished by moving the free kick 10 metres further upfield. Yes, a free kick would become a penalty (and virtually a goal) if committed within 10 metres of the penalty area. This would stop this intimidation and abuse virtually overnight - the managers would see to that!
By G. Giller. Posted August 18 2009 at 6:32 AM.
It says players should respect match day official's... doesnt respect have to be earned? Yes everyone makes mistakes but Ref's make numorous mistakes every single game, sometimes huge ones. If someone with a real job made that many mistakes they'd be fired on the spot
By iddy. Posted August 17 2009 at 9:27 PM.
Why not do the same as rugby, if the player is disrespectful, then its 10metres or the decision reversed against them.
By Kinse. Posted August 16 2009 at 3:33 PM.
I agree with Fabio Capello. Who doesn't make mistakes in life? It's not a big deal if a referee make a mistake. Even players makes mistakes so for the good of the game let the officials alone and let them do their jobs.
By Chris Saliba. Posted August 16 2009 at 3:20 PM.
i am afully qualified fa coach and ref.and i am constantly abused by parents on the sidelines!my children are only 8/9 years old.no wonder children act the way they do if parents are acting like they do!!good on mr capello this sort of behaviour needs to be stamped out.it can only be stopped at the very highest level in order to set a good example to parents and children alike.after all i believe football is there to be enjoyed by everyone,it is the beautiful game!!!!!!!
By arnie. Posted August 16 2009 at 1:43 PM.
in sir alex we belive 18 fact... any way their is way 2 much cheeting in the game, i think the only way 2 stop it is when a player is play acting the next game the manager should put him on the bench,,,, p,s i know it wont happen [ ireland 4 the world cup]
By wally roy . Posted August 16 2009 at 12:17 PM.
I think you will find that Drogba got booked yesterday for taking his shirt off, so that blows that snide remark out of the water. As for showing respect towards officials, when the FA finally come down hard on SFA or all the comments he makes about or towards officials, then the players will follow suit. This all started big time with Fergie and his players, we had it before but it was never really a big problem as itis now. Man Utd took it to a new level and others have seen the way officials have been 'got at' after Fergies comments. Maybe if the FA started giving out point penalties instead of slaps on the wrist the lack of respect will continue and the best pace to start would be against the biggest culprit of the lot.
By Tom Neale. Posted August 16 2009 at 12:09 PM.
my son plays rugby and from the first time they play they are taught that the ref is in charge and they must respect them.
they are told by the ref at the start of the game that the only person he will speak to is the captain so why can't football be like that. footballers today are over paid over hyped idiots they wouldn't survive in the real world
By sharon. Posted August 16 2009 at 11:57 AM.
When is FIFA,EUFA AND FOOTBALLING BODIES GOING TO WAKE UP AND MOVE INTO THE 21ST CENTURY WITH MODERN TECHNOLGY.THE MEN IN BLACK HAVE TO HAVE HELP!Not rules that are mostly from 20th century and out of date.
READ RULE LAW 12 WITH ITS 37 POINTS I WOULD THINK AN AWEFUL LOT OF MATCH OFFICIALS and FOOTBALLERS NEED TO READ IT BEFORE THE START OF A GAME!!!
when is the Norwegian referee going to held accountable for last seasons Chelsea we WOS ROBBED against Barcalona! Didier Drogba stood up to be counted and was summarily executed by the Dictators of Soccer!
By GREATEST TOUCHLINE JUDGE. Posted August 16 2009 at 10:32 AM.
I hate to admit this being a Scotsman, lol. But I think Fabio Capello will lead England to win the world cup.
His style of management is excellent and he will not put up with spolied brats in his team, so rooney watch it son,lol.
I will be supporting England in south africa, more so now as my own country are a joke as far as football is concerned.
By William Grant. Posted August 16 2009 at 9:29 AM.
If there was a way to address some of the shocking decisions that happen week in week out then the referee would get the respect. At present there isn’t a way of sorting out a diabolical decision which must lead to a great deal of frustration for the players and yes sometimes it can go too far but remove the passion and kill the game. Its time technology was bought in to help the referees.
By Carl warmington. Posted August 16 2009 at 9:22 AM.
If this was quote had not had to be translated first I would agree with every word but as it comes from a man who after 2 years in England in a top football job requiring constant communication (in English) to both the media & the football fraternity, cannot string more than one sentence together without prompting from the sides, I can't stomach it!
By SirMiketheRight. Posted August 16 2009 at 9:14 AM.
Yes its a good idea, but refs should also be made to acknowledge there mistakes after the match. Last season we saw Styles make some shocking mistakes, but not once did he appologise for them
By jeff. Posted August 16 2009 at 9:12 AM.
The likes of Drogba, Barton, Bowyer, Bellamy, Ballack etc...... I do not want my son to see in the game. The cheating, diving, swearing, hounding referee's in not good for the "next generation" to see.
It's no wonder grass roots refereeing is on the decline, why should they have to put up with abuse from young kids & there parents, just because they see some "superstars" doing it on there TV's??
By P. O'Connor. Posted August 16 2009 at 8:59 AM.
Maybe some of the managers should set an example as well . I noticed Dogface got off scott free after taking his shirt off yesterday , is that because hes a member of the top 4 ?
By Geezer. Posted August 16 2009 at 8:56 AM.
its a two way street what respect did the ref show crystal palace yesterday. none How can anyone respect such utter idiots is beyond me.
By carl warmington. Posted August 16 2009 at 8:19 AM.
respect for referees is vital for a football game at any level...funny thing my son attended a football tournament in Iceland for 1,100 kids from 6 - 8 years old...and what I saw amazed me...it was like watching mini-me's of the premiership....diving...cheating...abusing referees...
wake up you overpaid footballers....you are an example to kids all over the world....oh by the way what do you actually do....kick a ball....try saving a life...
By Mladen Hosi. Posted August 16 2009 at 6:40 AM.
Football is so boring unless it's an International Game - i am subjected to weekly doses of Match of the Day by my husband who forbids me to speak whilst it's on.
Isn't it more exciting if there's some passion in it, including the refs getting an ear bashing?
By Mrs W. Posted August 16 2009 at 3:41 AM.
And who should referees respect???????
By rosie. Posted August 16 2009 at 1:54 AM.
These sad gits try to live through their
little darlings, standing on the touchline.
Rooney? Well look at his club manager!
It is a question of this country being full
of obnoxious cry babies who don't know
the meaning of the word 'no'.
By SB. Posted August 16 2009 at 12:20 AM.