Marius Avram resigned from the referee even though he still had 4 years to work. Taking him off the FIFA list put the lid on him

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Despite the fact that Marius still had four years of arbitration, the son of the former BCC director, Vasile Avram, decided give up your career.

His elimination from the FIFA list was the picture that filled the glass and over which Marius did not want to pass. His relationship with the Central Arbitration Commission, probably after his father’s change, says he was strained and left his mark.

Marius Avram withdrew from arbitration. Taking him off the FIFA list put the lid on him

At the end of this year, Marius Avram, 41, will officially leave the FIFA List, along with Sebastian Colţescu, 43. The seats of the two were occupied by Marian Barbu, 32, and Andrei Chivulete, 33 years.

“I would like to announce with emotion that I have decided to end my career as a soccer referee at the end of this year.

I remember, as I write, 1994. I was a 15-year-old teenager who tried on the equipment his father bought to discover that it fit him perfectly … This is exactly how the 27-year adventure began, including 14 years in League 1 , where I refereed almost 250 games.

I also highlight here the final of the Romanian Cup, the final of the League Cup, the Romanian Super Cup and after 11 years on the FIFA list, almost 150 international matches (as referee, additional referee or fourth official) in competitions such as the Champions League, Europa League, Nations League, three youth European Championships where I refereed two semi-finals.

I don’t know if it’s enough, at 15 I probably would have said yes. What I know for sure is that I did my job with devotion, honesty and seriousness. I take with me the memories and feelings of each game, full of gratitude. Maybe more could have been done, but I know I put my soul into every game I played.

Arbitration is more than a profession, you have to love it, be passionate to endure in the long run. Referees find out about the schedule a few days in advance, they are unsure of a steady income and they are the most blasphemous people on the pitch. Legend has it that road umpires and police officers are among the first in public popularity. First in line, of course. However, this is not a problem, but a challenge, and I took it as such from the beginning. It was the challenge of being better from game to game.

The really difficult thing about arbitration is that you have to accept that it is possible to miss the birth of your child (which also happened to me), best friend weddings, birthdays and many other events. It is also possible that your loved ones are in the hospital while you have to focus on the field.

I don’t regret choosing the whistle. Our only regret is that we have not been able to get this profession recognized and there is a minimum of security for those who want to practice it with honor, professionalism and dedication. I would have liked to know at the time of retirement that I left behind a generation that will have a work contract, paid travel and health insurance. It has not yet been possible.

Except for the “fights” that take place every year in the relationship with decision makers in arbitration, a not infrequently tense relationship, as well as the difficult moments in life that left traces, all culminating in my change in the FIFA list (decision considered by many unfair). All of this contributed to my retirement, at 41, 4 years before I thought this chapter would end. A new chapter awaits me and I want to give “life without arbitration” a chance.

Marius Avram at one point interrupted his career to study in Switzerland

“Just as in the past, with one foot in League 1, I chose my studies and left the country for a few years, now is the time for an election. A much more difficult one, one that I embrace with the confidence that it is time to take a step off the field, “Avram said, quoted by Prosport.

“It is time I left a vacancy for a young man who, perhaps, like me, dreamed at 15 that he would reach this position. those who arrive last to contribute to the sporting spectacle, with seriousness and equity.

After all, this is a referee’s job description. Mistakes will always be made, but character and good faith are what matter in the long run and make the difference in your career.

I thank all those who have believed in me over time and who have been and continue to be people of honor. Thanks also to the audience without whom the matches feel different from the pitch. How probably and without referees on the field the matches would be more boring ”, is the statement from Marius Avram.

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