Learn how to prepare brilliantly

As a referee, you don’t just need to be fit and know the rules of the game. You can only make the best decisions if you know everything about the match in advance – for example, the playing style and tactics of the teams and individual players. After all, much of what will happen on the field is predictable if you do your homework. This will help you be in the best possible way to make a good decision.

At this level of football, you can’t justify something that went wrong by saying, “Sorry, I didn’t expect that.” You have to stay one step ahead, so you’re not just reacting to what happened. You need to be able to anticipate what is going to happen so your call is much more likely to be right. Before the 2002 World Cup final in Japan, I spent a day and a half watching videos of all the matches played up to that point by Brazil and Germany in the competition, often rewinding and watching parts over and over again. Seeing what happened in all the matches played by them individually made me prepared for the match between them. Preparation doesn’t replace a moment’s judgment, but it makes you as ready as you can be, which gives you confidence.

The same applies to business leaders. You need to absorb as much information as you can about the market, your customers and your stakeholders so that you come from an informed position when you need to make a quick decision.

Learn from your mistakes and take responsibility

Even if we can do everything to be very well prepared, we will still make mistakes. Even the best players in the world do them; they miss a penalty in a World Cup final. The best football clubs today are companies, some are even listed on the stock market. As a referee, you are aware that a poor decision leading to relegation can have a huge impact on the fortunes of both the club and the players.

The stakes are high, never more so than the match to decide who goes from the Second Division Championship to the Premier League. The economic price is between £150-300 million. And whether you come through or not depends on the judge’s decision – a decision made in a split second. If I had made the wrong call in the Champions League final and it had cost the team the trophy, it would have killed my career and had far-reaching consequences.

But very few mistakes are truly career-ending. As German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” Most of the time, mistakes are opportunities; a chance to learn, grow and improve for next time. What is important is not to find an alibi, an excuse, but to find a solution. It’s the difference between losers and winners. Losers are always looking for an excuse – it’s not my fault, it’s someone else’s. The word “alibi” means “away” in Latin – you put the responsibility away from yourself.

Importantly, don’t dwell on your mistakes. After the match, analyze it to understand why you committed it in the first place and avoid repeating it in the future. Forget it then, because during the next game you need a positive mentality. You have to believe in yourself and think that you are very strong. That’s why when someone asks me, “What was the biggest mistake you ever made?” I always say “Sorry, I forgot.”