Wilmar Roldan has established himself as one of the most recognized names in professional football refereeing in Colombia and South America. His extensive experience in national and international tournaments allowed him to wear the FIFA badge for many years, and although he is appreciated by many clubs thanks to his reputation for integrity, his attitude on the field has also sparked many discussions about his personality and style.
During a recent interview with Minister of Foreign AffairsOne of the journalists, Francisco “Pacho” Velez, Antaki asked if he considered himself better than Oscar Julián Ruizformer referee and current advisor to the Colombian referendum. Although he thought he would reject the question, the Amalfi native, who has become synonymous with excellence in performance on the pitch, answered without hesitation and removed any doubt that this might have raised.
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“I don’t feel, I exist”Roldan made a statement that surprised those who participated at the work table. The seriousness of his response allowed us to conclude the way in which he distanced himself from Ruiz, even though the man from Mittensi, after retiring from professional activity in 2011, remains linked to the union in consulting work; Especially when there was debate on social media about which of the two could be considered the best judge in the history of the FPC.
In an interview with this outlet, Pisa delved into the perception around his character and the impact of outside comments. In this sense, he made it clear that he only doubts himself when criticisms affect his integrity, but he ignores those that refer strictly to professional matters or his failures in matches. He remembered a phrase from his mother: “Walk with your head held high and your chest open, for that is the one thing that poverty cannot take away from us.”.
He also told how he faced difficult moments in which he had to assert his personality and make firm decisions, even at the cost of being criticized. “I grew up with the arbitration of character, value and character, where as an arbitrator one had to make strong decisions (…) The pitch can fall, but the decision he made cannot be reversed,” he emphasized during the interview in which he insisted that he preferred to stick to his initial failures.
It should be noted that this is one of the most commented on episodes of his recent career It had to do with an international match in Saudi ArabiaWhere he played the starring role alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Roldan explained that, contrary to the confrontational accounts published by some refereeing analysts, he maintains a relationship of mutual respect with prominent players; In fact, he confirmed that after the match in Riyadh, they ended up exchanging shirts.
“He was angry with the semi-automatic VAR, because the equalizer was canceled out by a centimeter from the shoulder (…) He explained: “He told me: ‘No, I respect you and I believe you,’” and canceled out the victory goal by a narrow margin. Thus, he explained that discipline and respect for players are essential to his refereeing method, although he admitted that he made mistakes in his early years due to the pressure of his debut and the need to impose himself.
The ruling reviewed the current situation of arbitration in the country and the need to improve its conditions and professionalism. Roldan warned of his career spanning more than 24 years in professional footballwhich is unusual in an environment where referees often retire after a decade on the job. According to the referee, the experience accumulated throughout the matches is the main factor in new talents achieving excellence.
“We’re seeing generational changes where you want, to say the least, Marquez, Moncada, Maturil and all these players are playing at a higher level. Refereeing is about adding games to gain experience. “They still have a long way to go,” Antiokyan stressed, noting that the professionalization of refereeing should be an essential next step, because only then will the arrival of referees with high-level football skills be guaranteed.
Regarding his plans when he stops being an active referee, He explained from Amalfi that there was a misunderstanding about his supposed interest in replacing Eimer Machado In the direction of the ruling. The judge stressed that he maintains a good relationship with Casanarinho and that his intention is to add experience and contribute to the group after his retirement, whenever necessary and without the intention of displacing anyone; In one aspect, he came out in defense of the young rulers.
“A lot of times you look at the referee, but there are mistakes that the referee makes and he can’t go and blow the whistle. How do we want a young referee to gain experience if we sit him down at the first mistake?”, noted Roldan, who stressed that the challenges of Colombian refereeing require continuity, support and a system that allows new judges to develop through practice. Mistakes that occur during the learning process are not punished severely.
Finally, Al-Antiqi defended his categorical style inside and outside the courts, Declaring his satisfaction with the reputation he built And the path he took in his career. “Many have doubted that I am fanatical or harsh,” he replied, but pointed out that the main thing is respect between players and referees, and recognition of impartial, albeit firm, action in every match.