Football Stakeholders

Despite the diversity present across stakeholder groups in our global football community, a common thread for us all, particularly in the past 18 months, has been the need to constantly evolve with our sport and our society to protect and grow the game. In the “Football Stakeholders” interviews contained in this issue, we spoke with two men about the changes and transitions taking place in their respective fields. Firstly, what is it like to have spent three decades at the very top of world refereeing, and now to be overseeing the evolving role of technology in the Laws of the Game? We caught up with the most recognisable referee in world football, Pierluigi Collina, to find out about his iconic career and his vision for the future of officiating. Secondly, how does a single organisation effectively represent and support professional football leagues around the world, and how did the pandemic force it to intensify its activities to ensure football could come back safe and sound? Jérôme Perlemuter, the General Secretary of the World Leagues Forum, answers these questions and outlines key issues facing football leagues in the post-pandemic world.