If you ask football historians, former referees, players or journalists today who the best referee in history is, Pierluigi Collina will probably be the most frequent answer. That says a lot: there is a consensus.
His authority was extraordinary; he was strict and rigorous in his profession. What Pierluigi ordered was carried out. No one dared argue with him.
Pierluigi Collina commanded respect without needing to gesture too much, partly with the help of his tremendous physical presence: completely bald, very pronounced eyebrows and an intense gaze.
Let us remember his milestones. Between 1998 and 2003, he was chosen for six consecutive years (six!) as the best referee in the world by the IFFHS, a record no one has matched.
In addition, the same organization ranked him as the best referee in history in its historical ranking.
And now for his résumé. His achievements include: the 1999 Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich, the 2002 World Cup final between Brazil and Germany; UEFA Cup and Serie A finals, and numerous international classics.
In times like these, when everything is VAR and the “magic” of the sport sometimes seems to disappear, figures like Pierluigi seem even more valuable, more indispensable.
A legend.