Dani Wermelinger, the head of top referees at the Swiss Football Association, gives the top national referees a barely satisfactory report card for the past season.
03.06.2025, 20:35
03.06.2025, 21:15
SDA
"I would give us a school grade of 4.5, which means we have room for improvement," he said at a round table with the media in Volketswil on Tuesday.
After 473 games in the Cup and in the two professional leagues, the Super League and Challenge League, Wermelinger criticized the lack of consistency in particular. "There were many waves and phases in which we were inconsistent. I'm thinking of April, for example. Towards the end of the season, especially in the barrage, the performances on the pitch and in the video operation room were very good."
More VAR interventions again
After the number of interventions by the video assistant referee decreased a year ago, the evaluation of the past season has now shown an increase again. Compared to the previous season, the number of VAR interventions has risen from 74 (of which 71 decisions were changed) to 101 (92).
There was a marked increase (from 46 to 70) in the number of on-field reviews - i.e. those situations in which a referee looked at a decision again on the sidelines. "These higher numbers may be annoying for the referee because he perceived something differently. But it shows that the mechanisms are basically working very well and that the parachute has opened at the right moment," says Brent Reiber, the outgoing Elite Referee Manager.
Praise for international performances
Referee boss Wermelinger was pleased with the international performances of the top Swiss referees. With Sandro Schärer and (as VAR) Fedayi San, Switzerland was represented by its own referees at Euro 2024 for the first time since the 2010 World Cup. Schärer will also referee the Nations League final on Sunday after impressing with strong performances in the Champions League throughout the season. With Urs Schnyder, Switzerland was also represented by a second referee in the top flight.
