Chairman of AFFA Referees Committee Frank De Bleeckere assessed the ongoing training camp of referees in Turkey. The Belgian expert told the press office of AFFA that he was satisfied with the preparation of the referees.
He said that all conditions have been created for them to hold a high-level training camp in Antalya: "The training camp is very important in terms of preparation for the second part of the Misli Premier League. That is why we are here. It is now the fourth day that referees have physical training twice a day, and we also have two technical sessions a day. A doctor and a physiotherapist came with us. There are all conditions for referees to undergo professional training. We train referees like a football team. They prepare for the second part of the season, train together and this is very important for teamwork. They talk to each other and learn from each other. I am very happy that we can work in such beautiful conditions in good weather, on fantastic football pitches. I thank the management of AFFA for giving us this opportunity."
Frank De Bleeckere assessed the performance of the referees in the first half of the Misli Premier League: "I am very satisfied with the first part of the season. When I first came to Baku at the end of July last year, the referees were new to me. I saw a group that wanted to work. Sometimes there were those who were a little skeptical. However, we made a really good team. The most important thing for me is that we find a very good balance between the referee and the VAR on the pitch. We have a high interference line; we do not want to give light yellow, red cards and penalties. This is very important for us; it is also the main line of UEFA. In general, I see personalities on the pitch, my referees have high qualities, and they have good game management. I think we performed well in terms of game management. Of course, there are always things we need to improve, nobody is perfect. I want us to continue like the first part of the season until the last game day in May. Now the main thing is to show that our team is ready for big, important games in the coming weeks and months."
The chairman of AFFA Referees Committee explained the reason for appointing young referees for the control matches: "We have 4 friendly matches. One is already behind. We assign young, promising referees to these matches so that they can gain experience by officiating international matches. This is good practice for young referees. They are the next generation. I want to give the youth more experience in the games of foreign teams. We do it step by step. FIFA referees and other experts are here to prepare for the second part of the season.
We have three international referees, two of whom are in the first category. This is an excellent indicator. Both they and we worked hard in the first 6 months. Now everyone wants to achieve the maximum. We also need to prepare young referees for the next months and seasons. That is why preparation in Turkey is very important."
Note that the training camp of referees in Antalya will continue until January 12.