Adrian Chiles, a broadcaster and Guardian columnist, has discovered a new way to heighten the stress of watching sport: rooting for a referee. At the World Cup, he finds himself supporting Italian official Maurizio Mariani, whom he met last summer in Sarajevo while working with a charity that unites children from the former Yugoslavia through sport.
From backing underdogs to cheering officials
Chiles traces his habit of picking sides back to childhood, when he idolised his grandfather and adopted his support for West Brom. Over time, this tendency has intensified, extending beyond his own football team to individual players and even referees. At Wimbledon, he found himself rooting for Maya Joint, an opponent of Serena Williams, after learning she had lost 15 of her last 18 matches. Joint won the first set, and Chiles left the stadium to watch the rest on his phone, believing his presence might jinx her.
He recalls the stress of watching friends' sons play professionally. Dan Luger, a winger for England, turned a rugby match into a 29 v 1 contest in Chiles's mind, as he feared Luger's teammates might let him down. Similarly, Sam Field's debut for West Brom transformed a football match from 11 v 11 to 21 v 1.
Maurizio Mariani: a referee to support
Chiles met Mariani in Sarajevo, where the Italian refereed a charity match between superstars and children. Describing Mariani as a “delightful, wise, gentle man,” Chiles kept in touch and learned that Mariani had been selected as a World Cup referee. This changed Chiles's World Cup experience entirely.
He began scanning matches for Mariani's name. Mariani's debut was Saudi Arabia v Uruguay, a potentially tricky fixture given Uruguay's spirited reputation. Chiles worried about the biting incident from 2014, but Mariani survived unbitten. Chiles recalls a commentator saying, “Referee Mariani’s done a good job keeping the game flowing here!” which he celebrated like a goal.
Next came Colombia v DR Congo, where Mariani's performance attracted no attention—a sign of a good official. Then, in the knockout stages, Mariani refereed Brazil v Japan. Chiles watched in his local pub, now feeling it was his Italian against 22 Brazilians and Japanese. He watched every move, flinching at tackles and fouls. When Japan scored, he noted Mariani's cool indication of the goal. Brazil equalised, risking extra time and potential controversy. Chiles wanted a quick resolution and leaped when Brazil scored at the death, avoiding extra time.
The joy of a referee's success
Chiles celebrated with another pint, toasting Mariani's fine performance. He hopes to follow Mariani all the way to the final and even jokes about knitting a scarf with his name. For Chiles, supporting a referee is the ultimate stress-inducing fandom, but it also brings a unique sense of triumph.
