The Incorruptible
Mr. Wagner, most young boys prefer to get behind the ball.
However, at the age of 14, you decided to become a referee. Why?
Wagner: Purely out of curiosity. I am passionate about playing soccer and in my youth I played for my home team in Kriftel, which is close to Hofheim. One time, a boy the same age as me was refereeing one of our matches. I was so impressed by his confidence and skill that, as soon as the match was over, I asked him how and where I could qualify as a referee myself.
You've shared the turf with mega soccer stars such as Arjen Robben and Kevin Kuranyi. How do you create the necessary air of authority?
Wagner: As a referee, it's my job to manage a game, not to blow my whistle at every opportunity. That's the only way to ensure the players respect you in a way that allows you to run the match smoothly. That includes taking preventive action during the game through, for example, gestures and having a quiet word with the players. This approach stops rule-breaking before it happens, because the players are more disciplined and this benefits every aspect of the game.
Referees are seldom praised but are often used as scapegoats. How do you deal with that?
Wagner: I have learned to redefine praise and recognition. If there are no TV cameras or reporters waiting for me after a match, I can be fairly certain I've done a very good job. In those instances, I feel like a striker being carried aloft on a lap of honor through the stadium.
Wagner: Purely out of curiosity. I am passionate about playing soccer and in my youth I played for my home team in Kriftel, which is close to Hofheim. One time, a boy the same age as me was refereeing one of our matches. I was so impressed by his confidence and skill that, as soon as the match was over, I asked him how and where I could qualify as a referee myself.
You've shared the turf with mega soccer stars such as Arjen Robben and Kevin Kuranyi. How do you create the necessary air of authority?
Wagner: As a referee, it's my job to manage a game, not to blow my whistle at every opportunity. That's the only way to ensure the players respect you in a way that allows you to run the match smoothly. That includes taking preventive action during the game through, for example, gestures and having a quiet word with the players. This approach stops rule-breaking before it happens, because the players are more disciplined and this benefits every aspect of the game.
Referees are seldom praised but are often used as scapegoats. How do you deal with that?
Wagner: I have learned to redefine praise and recognition. If there are no TV cameras or reporters waiting for me after a match, I can be fairly certain I've done a very good job. In those instances, I feel like a striker being carried aloft on a lap of honor through the stadium.
During the week you manage projects and on the weekend you need
to keep an unbiased but focused eye on the ball for a full 90
minutes. How do you keep yourself physically and mentally fit?
Wagner: My job and refereeing are like a one-two. I can bring a lot of my experience to bear in both arenas. In fact, there are a great deal of similarities between the two - referees manage projects too, primarily work with people, work under time pressure and need to perform well. Successes on the soccer field are also a source of motivation in the office and vice versa. But of course the groundwork still has to be there and that's why I train every day, except on the day of a match and the day after. What's more, I prepare myself thoroughly for the next game by looking at all the important decisions taken during the Bundesliga matches on the same day and analyzing my performance during the match on DVD. That all eats up time. Taking into account travel to and from the game, preparations and follow-up work, a match takes up a good three days.
The statutes of the German Football Association (DFB) state that 47 is the maximum age for a referee in the top league. Once you reach that age, will you referee somewhere else?
Wagner: After 33 years in shorts, my future will be in long pants! I'll be working for the German Football Association, in charge of training for around 80,000 referees. I'll probably dust off my whistle now and again for a charity match though, as I'm very involved in various aid organizations.
Wagner: My job and refereeing are like a one-two. I can bring a lot of my experience to bear in both arenas. In fact, there are a great deal of similarities between the two - referees manage projects too, primarily work with people, work under time pressure and need to perform well. Successes on the soccer field are also a source of motivation in the office and vice versa. But of course the groundwork still has to be there and that's why I train every day, except on the day of a match and the day after. What's more, I prepare myself thoroughly for the next game by looking at all the important decisions taken during the Bundesliga matches on the same day and analyzing my performance during the match on DVD. That all eats up time. Taking into account travel to and from the game, preparations and follow-up work, a match takes up a good three days.
The statutes of the German Football Association (DFB) state that 47 is the maximum age for a referee in the top league. Once you reach that age, will you referee somewhere else?
Wagner: After 33 years in shorts, my future will be in long pants! I'll be working for the German Football Association, in charge of training for around 80,000 referees. I'll probably dust off my whistle now and again for a charity match though, as I'm very involved in various aid organizations.
