Referees, CORE 56: Andruccioli and Zaghini in Nyon for the Consolidation Course

They set off for Switzerland on Monday, Mattia Andruccioli and Andrea Zaghini. Respectively referee and assistant referee within ASA, they are among the participants at the CORE 56 Consolidation Course (Convention on Referee Education and Organisation) – the programme run directly by UEFA which aims to deliver top-level referee training, while also promoting refereeing roles and improving the dedicated structures across the continent. Taking part from 9 to 13 October, Andruccioli and Zaghini are working their way through a packed schedule of activities, tailored to the participants coming from all over Europe. Monday afternoon saw the opening of the Consolidation Course, effectively the next step after the first session on Swiss soil for the course attendees a few months ago. From there, proceedings resumed with the review of match footage and the analysis of participants’ progress, an activity which also involved their respective coaches, among whom was San Marino’s own Stefano Podeschi. For Andruccioli, meanwhile, the real work began with the UEFA20 Screening, carried out digitally and aimed at referees. Nothing is left to chance, to the extent that yesterday morning biometric data – such as the participants’ weight and body fat – were meticulously collected by the fitness coaches involved in the UEFA programme. A digital test on the international Laws of the Game was held shortly after breakfast, followed by analysis – through individual clips – of recent performances by referees and assistants, together with senior figures such as former international referee Herbert Fandel and high-profile assistant referees such as Tonolini and Wierzoboskwi. Individual analyses continued in the afternoon, after a late-morning training session focused on agility, injury prevention and exercises to enhance concentration. A plenary discussion session, scheduled for yesterday afternoon and led by Herbert Fandel, rounded off the second day’s programme. This morning, both referees and assistant referees reviewed in detail clips from recent matches in their respective national leagues. A further training session, this time centred on speed work and fitness tests, will break up the schedule on the third day of the Consolidation Course. Additional video analysis is planned for the afternoon, along with group sessions with their respective coaches. While Friday 13 October will effectively be devoted exclusively to travelling back to their home countries, tomorrow’s agenda is packed with activities. It will begin with a detailed presentation on VAR operations – an element which, although not yet present in every national league, becomes a concrete prospect once you embark on an international refereeing career. Strength circuits and exercises focused on offside situations will effectively bring the final morning of work in Switzerland to a close. Tomorrow afternoon, in addition to the essential activity of sharing results and feedback from the days of intense work on and off the pitch, there will also be space for a detailed explanation of integrity issues and UEFA’s anti-match-fixing policy, firmly backed by all affiliated member associations. A few days before this important commitment for Zaghini and Andruccioli, Podeschi and Nanni were also involved internationally. Stefano Podeschi, in his role as UEFA Referee Observer, was appointed to the UEFA Champions League match between Copenhagen and Bayern Munich, at the very Parken Stadium where around a month ago San Marino’s national team faced Denmark. For Massimo Nanni, meanwhile, there was a new appointment as mentor for a new UEFA Futsal Delegate, the Englishman Graeme Dell, on the occasion of the match between France and Croatia – valid for qualification for the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024.

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