Diary of a referee: Collina observed our half-naked bodies with an ice-cold gaze'

"It had taken time, filled with patience, tough decisions and priorities. But it was also the beginning of a change that gradually meant stress, pressure and discomfort around the tests that Uefa's top management had introduced. You didn't just need to be a good referee, it was also about prioritising diet, looking like a top-level referee, that the weight and fat percentages were right, otherwise you risked being reprimanded, getting fewer matches and ending up in the cold."

"During the first year, there was an extreme focus on physique, measurements of weight and body fat, and mandatory vision tests. Vision tests might sound like a given, but it hadn't been before. At the courses they not only examined basic things like being able to read small text at a certain distance, but also more specific tests adapted for professional football referees. Some referees were found to be colour blind."

"For me, the vision test was a reassurance. It signalled professionalism, thoroughness and a desire to get better. Jonas Eriksson books Manchester United's Patrice Evra in the Champions League in 2014. Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Uefa/Getty Images When it came to tests of weight and fat percentage, however, I mostly felt disgust, anger and humiliation. It wasn't the tests that were the problem, but the way they were conducted."

A referee reduced weight by nearly 10kg over eight years, transitioning from heavy and untrained to light and well trained. UEFA replaced its refereeing organisation in summer 2010 under Pierluigi Collina and introduced stringent standards focused on physique, body-fat measurements and mandatory vision tests. Vision assessments identified issues such as colour blindness and unilateral blindness, with results kept confidential. Physical and body-fat measurements became linked to match allocations and job security, creating stress, pressure and feelings of disgust, anger and humiliation among referees because of how the tests were conducted.

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