“I think that’s a missed opportunity,” says 38-year-old Makkelie, who makes his debut as a referee at a major tournament. “The Dutch national team has been vaccinated and I would have loved to have been part of that.”
Björn Kuipers, who is starting his fifth final tournament, will enter the European Championships vaccinated. The 48-year-old arbitrator from Oldenzaal will receive a shot at the GGD on Wednesday. With his age it is Kuipers’ turn through the regular road, Makkelie has to wait a while.
Kuipers and Makkelie will fly with their assistants to Istanbul next Monday, the base of operations for the arbitrators during the European Championship. The video arbitrators Kevin Blom and Pol van Boekel will stay during the European Championship in the Swiss city of Nyon, where the UEFA headquarters are located. From there, the VARs do their work from behind the TV screens at all matches, just as they do in the Dutch competition from the ‘replay center’ in Zeist. Blom and Van Boekel can get two shots in Switzerland via UEFA.
“In principle we could join in, but it was not possible to get the first shot in Geneva and the second in Istanbul,” said Kuipers. “That turned out to be impossible to organize.” Makkelie speaks of a missed opportunity. “I wish I had been offered it. But it is difficult, because there is six weeks between the two injections and you have to have someone in the same place twice. That could certainly have been done in the Netherlands, but that did not happen. Too bad, yes.”
‘I won’t say ‘no’ and ‘never’ again’
While Makkelie will make his debut in a final round this summer, it could just be his last tournament for Kuipers. He has not yet made a decision about it. “I won’t say ‘no’ and ‘never’ again. Before the 2018 World Cup, I said that would be my last tournament and now I’m here again,” said the supermarket owner from Oldenzaal a few days before leaving for Istanbul, the base of the arbiters during the European Championship.
Kuipers was active as a referee at the European Championship 2012, World Cup 2014, European Championship 2016 and the 2018 World Cup. He whistled the final of the Europa League twice, the final of the Confederations Cup in 2013 and in 2014 he was in charge of the final battle of the Champions League. Only the final of a European Championship or World Cup is still missing on his resume.
Björn Kuipers
Ⓒ ANP / HH
“I can see it, I still feel very fit,” said Kuipers. “I let my decision depend mainly on feeling. How are things going at home, how is the European Championship unfolding, what course are we going to sail? I’m not making a choice yet. After the European Championships I will go on holiday and then see what choices and possibilities there are.”
EURO 2020 was supposed to be played last year, but had to be postponed to 2021 due to the corona virus. That means that the next major tournament, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, is already in sight. However, Kuipers does not want to talk about that yet. “That’s beyond what I’m thinking about right now.”
Referee of the Century
Danny Makkelie is ten years younger and is active as a referee at a European Championship for the first time. Makkelie calls Kuipers “the referee of the century” in the Netherlands. “It’s impossible to overtake him.” According to the seasoned Kuipers, Makkelie has everything in-house for this. “He has undergone enormous development, especially in the last three years,” says Kuipers. “He went to the 2018 World Cup as a VAR, which was an eye-opener for him. He has a fantastic future ahead of him. Last year he whistled the final of the Europa League and this season also the highest attainable, a semi-final in the Champions League. It won’t surprise me if we have a referee again at the 2022 World Cup who can lead a beautiful game.”
UEFA has selected eighteen referees from Europe for the European Championship. In the context of an exchange with the South American federation Conmebol, one Argentine arbitrator, Fernando Rapallini, will be added. The arbiters are being prepared for the matches in Istanbul. “We train together, we analyze the matches together,” says Makkelie, who was active as a video arbitrator at the 2018 World Cup. “We are together to be able to switch quickly and to have everyone on the same page. Uniformity in arbitration is very important.”
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