Referees have eye on final whistle
ZURICH (Reuters) - Everybody dreams of participating in the final of a major championship and the referees at Euro 2008 are no exception.
"We are the 17th team at the finals and we stick together, but everybody has a personal motivation to referee the final," Slovakian official Lubos Michel told Reuters after a workout at the referee's training base on the outskirts of Zurich.
"We are friends, but we are also competitors. But ultimately it is up to UEFA's committee to decide and all we can do is our best."
However, the progress of many of the 12 referees at the finals depends partly on the success of their own nations during the tournament.
"For me it is actually an advantage that my team is not here, so I have a better chance," he said.
But Spain's Manuel Mejuto -- who "sent-off" Germany coach Joachim Loew and his Austrian counterpart Josef Hickersberger in their final Group B match -- is one referee who is willing to put his country first.
"If Spain get to the final I am happy to go home," he said.
"It is difficult. Spain is having a good tournament. All the players are my friends, I know them from the domestic competition and the players are more important than the referees."
Sweden's elimination from the tournament on Wednesday means Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt could be a serious contender to blow the final whistle of the tournament in Vienna on June 29.
The Swede will take charge of Germany's quarter-final meeting with Portugal later on Thursday.
Having started out as one of the 12 teams of a referee and his two assistants, Frojfeldt is among eight to stay until the end. Four referee teams -- from Austria, Netherlands, England and Norway -- are leaving the tournament, UEFA said on Thursday.
"We set ourselves some goals, one was to have two good group games and the second was to progress further. This has now happened which is great for us," Frojdfeldt.
"Of course I would have wanted Sweden to get to the final, but they will not, so it is lucky for us and now we will want to be in the final for Sweden."
(Editing by Trevor Huggins)
