“I dream to serve RPL matches”: Pustovoitov referee on women judges, work at the World Cup and VAR at the Russian Championship

- On Wednesday, August 14, a unique event took place: the UEFA Super Cup match was served by a female referee Stephanie Frappar. Is her appointment a surprise?

- She went for this for a long time, for several years she judged the men's top division in France, has a contract of a professional judge. There were all prerequisites for this appointment.

- How did the team work?

- In my opinion, the judges did very well, everything went at a high level. It was clear that Stephanie was a little nervous at first, but then calmed down and felt confident. It was nice to see that the players behaved correctly, with respect. There were many smiles and other moments pleasant to the viewer.

- Do you think this was a one-time action, or will women continue to be involved in servicing matches at major international tournaments?

- I am sure that this practice will continue. Up to this point, female assistants have repeatedly worked in men's and youth matches of the final stages, and now, I believe, we will increasingly see the main female referees at them. The news is very good: the younger generation of judges now understands that anything is possible.

- What match would you like to work on yourself if you had the opportunity?

- It's hard to say - for starters, I want this opportunity to present itself. My dream is to serve RPL matches. After yesterday’s event, I understand that everything is possible, everything is affordable. Train, work and everything will work out. For example, Catherine Monzul of the order of three to four years serves the meetings of the Ukrainian League, she is a great fellow. The main thing is to have trust.

- You have judged two really top matches this year: the final of the Women's Champions League and the meeting for the third place of the Women's World Cup. Expected to receive such appointments?

- If we talk about the Champions League, then during the tournament there were two sensations. Together with assistant Ekaterina Kurochkina, we counted on the quarter-finals or semifinals, but it did not work out. A little upset, of course. And then, on the eve of the final, UEFA representatives contacted us and said that they plan to appoint us to one of the decisive matches. It was unexpected and very nice!

- Would you exchange the final for two matches of the quarter-finals and semifinals?

- In no case! I would be ready to sit all season without games, just to get the final.

- Was there a chance to get the World Cup finals? Or is the match for third place already a success?

- To begin with, getting into the final part of the World Cup is already an achievement, Katya and I dreamed about it. They worked hard, went through a tough selection and got into the tournament. Initially, getting at least one game was for happiness. As a result, they got one match first, then the second. The appetite came during the meal: I really wanted to sue another meeting in order to extend the buzz from my work. But then the quarter-finals, the semi-finals passed, and we already thought that the tournament was over for us. There was little objective hope for the final: there is priority for the referees who judged men's meetings. Therefore, the appointment for the match for third place was a real gift for us.

- Strongly worried on the eve of such status fights?

- Honestly, there is always a jerk, regardless of the status of the match. On the other hand, we were well prepared, we were confident in ourselves. We studied the problematic players, watched how the teams participating in the finals go from defense to attack. We have access to the WyScout platform, where you can watch any match and get ready.

- Can you add a year to your asset?

- Definitely. We went down in history, and I am very proud of it.

- What plans do you have for the future?

- The most ambitious! We want to get to the Olympic Games, which will be held in Japan in 2020. Next will be the final round of the European Championship - 2021, we are starting preparations already this season.

- How do you feel about the video assistance system for arbitrators?

- Very positive, positive. I am for it! I think that the VAR system is the future. As you can see, it is already used in all leading championships and international tournaments.

- You judged matches with this system, were there cases when VAR helped you?

- Yes, there were two points at the 2019 World Cup: in the match Sweden - USA, I checked the offside position and eventually counted the goal, and in the game Sweden - England I, after prompting VAR, canceled the goal for the English women.

- After the end of your career, do you see yourself as a person who sits in the VAR studio and controls the work of referees in matches?

- For this you need to undergo special training, get a certificate. The project manager for the introduction of video replay in Russia Leonid Kaloshin attracted me to several training sessions for VAR and AVAR judges (VAR assistant). If the leadership in the future sees me as a referee at the monitor, then I will definitely go through training. In my opinion, this is a very good career continuation.

- This year, the VAR system is introduced in the Russian Premier League. Follow the process?

- Yes. I am very impressed with how the guys work. I want VAR to be used at all RPL matches as soon as possible. I can say that there were already moments in the championship where the VAR would help the referees make the right decision.

- This season we are discussing a lot of refereeing mistakes made in the championship of Russia. What is your opinion on this?

- Unfortunately, we have such a profession, where every oversight is in sight. The judge is in the thick of things, he sees what is happening from one single angle, from one angle. It is clear that people who are sitting at the TV screens see several slow-motion repeats in close-up at once, so they have everything in full view. On the field, you have just seconds to make a decision. You must understand that everyone is mistaken, this is a human factor. As I said, introducing VAR will help minimize the number of judicial errors.

- Ex-football player Evgeny Savin recorded with you one of the issues of his program. The video gained one and a half million views. Have you felt popularity?

“I did not expect such a reaction.” They began to recognize at airports and on the street. There were a lot of nice words, wishes. Honestly, I do not really like increased attention, but it's great that people have learned about the inside of our work. It was believed that the judge arrives, runs around the field, whistles and leaves. And after graduation, many began to perceive our profession in a different way. Thanks to my wife for such a positive video, I received a positive charge.

- There was a funny episode in the issue when Savin “charged” your slippers for good luck.

- In fact, these sneakers go everywhere with me: they were at the World Cup, and in the Champions League, and they ride at my Russian Championship matches. Girls sometimes ask me to blaspheme them, but I don’t give anyone. In the video there was a condition that after this ritual I will sue the Premier League match. The deadline is fixed, let's see (laughs) .

- Do you have any superstitions, rituals?

- By and large, no. There are colleagues who rise from the right foot, but I am a simple person, I do not believe in signs. If a black cat crosses the road, I don’t stop. I remember once living in a room with three sixes, but I did not experience any negative emotions. This is all from the head. The main thing is competent preparation and well-being. The only thing is that, with the assistants, we sit down on the track according to the Russian tradition before the match, we observe only this ritual.