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I was 7 or 8 years old. The phone rang.

A man told me to convince my father to give up refereeing.

Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX

Otherwise, one day he'd come home in a coffin.

I told my father what the stranger said. He continued to referee.

The Second Game

- You were 38 years old? - Yes.

Back in '88.

Look.

One of the linesmen is Crăciunescu, the other is Salomir.

God rest his soul.

How did you decide that the match should go ahead?

When I checked before the match started, it was snowing continuously.

I came out about 3 times to check whether the pitch was playable.

I mean, the ball had to bounce and not get stuck.

But the most important thing was visibility.

You had to be able see the goal from the half-way line.

Visibility was acceptable.

The fact that the pitch was covered with a layer of snow...

wasn't normal, but didn't break any of the regulations.

Anyway, the match was being televised, the crowds were there.

If the match hadn't gone ahead? Did you think about that?

It wouldn't have been a problem, I'd just have called it off.

So it was the Army team versus the Police team?

Actually, the Army and the Secret Police.

The Police and the Secret Police were on the same side.

And the Army

They weren't just the Army...

they were also Ceauescu's favourite team.

Weren't you scared about these kinds of matches?

No, there was nothing they could do to me.

If they caught you with anything, they'd use it against you.

And then you weren't a referee, you were their slave.

You had to carry out their orders.

In these kinds of matches, both sides knew what they had to do.

They knew your entire biography.

They knew everything there was to know.

I refereed more of these matches than anyone else.

Interestingly, the first match between them I refereed,

was after only 6 matches in the First League.

They chose me to referee. I was completely unknown.

The teams accepted me.

Steaua and Dinamo knew nothing about me.

After I was chosen, both teams came looking for me,

even though it wasn't professional or correct.

It brings back memories.

First the guys from Steaua came looking for me,

they even came here,

through this Colonel...

Colonel Popescu, who had an important position.

He may have even been Club Manager.

And Dinamo - I was refereeing a Second League match,

a Police commander was waiting for me in Ibot train station.

I arrived on a sleeper train and he was waiting.

He wanted to take me to Commander Bărbulescu, in Bucharest.

And did they propose a deal?

Of course, they said they had to win

Then, on Tuesday I arrived at the Football Federation

and I told them that both teams had tried to influence me.

All of a sudden, they told me to speak quietly.

I said there was no need, I was just telling them what had happened.

Anyway, the National Sports Council found out,

and both sides started to get worried.

In the end,

I found out later, both teams were saying:

"The referee is crazy!"

"He told everyone Steaua and Dinamo had come looking for him."

"Leave him alone and let him referee."

It suited me perfectly.

I refereed without any problems at all. That was the first match.

This one on screen was the 3rd or 4th, I can't quite remember.

In moments like this, where did you position yourself?

On the diagonal. On a 'flexible diagonal'.

I mean, you had to be everywhere.

But you had to keep your eyes on the linesman.

And you always have to be where the problems are.

When you blow the whistle,

you have to be nearby, I mean, near where...

the foul occurred.

And it's very important to be present, to ensure fair play.

The pitch they're playing on here is to Steaua's disadvantage,

they're a technical, fast team, with better possession.

Dinamo were still developing, they had important players.

Cămătaru in attack, Stelea in goal,

Andone, Rednic in defence

Do you remember...

Did it keep snowing after the match?

Had I worked in agriculture, like today, then I'd remember,

but I wasn't in agriculture, so I can't remember.

After the match, I left. I got on the train,

it was a five hour journey to get home to Vaslui.

Do you think Steaua were playing for a draw at Dinamo's stadium?

I have no idea.

If I'd started thinking about such things, then...

But Steaua were playing away, right?

Of course, they were playing away, but it didn't matter

They often played in the National Stadium.

I remember that my debut in '85 was there.

With 85,000 fans watching. Another Steaua-Dinamo match.

Do you remember their standing in the league?

They had to be in the top 2 positions.

There were lots of 'satellite' teams.

But back then Steaua were already flying high

after winning the Champions League.

If I'm not mistaken, they were playing this match

after another big final

This was in '88. In '89 they played AC Milan, no?

I can't remember. But anyway, they were...

They were the top teams.

Look! Dan Petrescu.

I refereed Dan Petrescu a few times when he played for FC Olt.

Steaua borrowed him, along with Ilie Dumitrescu.

Back then, I refereed the toughest matches.

Especially Steaua playing away. I refereed them at home just once.

It was a really controversial match with FC Olt,

when I sent off Lăcătu.

Both Steaua and Dinamo had lots of smaller teams that were

subordinate to them.

They'd always beat these teams 2-0.

They only played a few matches with their rival's 'satellite' teams.

Apart from these, only the Steaua-Dinamo matches mattered.

Back then I refereed more of these matches than anyone.

They kept a secret record on every referee

and both teams wanted to have a record on me, too.

Dinamo had the secret police and Steaua had their own power...

Look!

...their own powers.

I was really proud of the fact

that I had nothing to do with either team.

Also, it was a period when I went abroad

as an international referee.

At each match, at least 1 or 2 of the 3 referees

was an informer for the Secret Police.

Anyway, these things are past history now.

They're not interesting to anyone.

Just like this match isn't really of interest to anyone.

Nobody cares how many Steaua-Dinamo matches there were.

Time passes, things change, it's always moving forwards...

Hagi.

How old was Hagi back then?

About 20-21,

He left...

He left to play for Real right after the revolution?

In '90, yeah.

Foul.

The pitch was becoming a mudbath.

If it hadn't snowed to cover it, then it would have become...

because it wasn't so cold.

It was snowing...

but it was no more than -1, -2 degrees.

I remember seeing this match. I was so scared!

- How old were you? - 13.

13 years old.

The guy at the back, was he the photographer?

Yes, the photographer.

- Dangerous tackle? - No.

You use the 'advantage' rule a lot.

The role of the referee is to keep the game flowing.

Now, the rules of the game have changed.

The changes were a huge help to the referee,

because you can re-call a decision.

You give them the advantage, and if it doesn't materialize,

you can re-call it and give a free kick.

Before, it was risky to make those calls.

You let them have the advantage but couldn't re-call it.

Yeah, you couldn't re-call it.

You'd have preferred to stop the match more often.

No. In this kind of game you had to intervene, and use the whistle.

If you just gave the advantage, and let the game flow freely,

it would get out of hand.

Only when you're on top of the game, could you allow it...

I refereed in Qatar for 3 months,

and if you didn't blow the whistle, they'd challenge you.

I was with Sándor Puhl.

During one match,

a fight broke out when he allowed an advantaged to be played.

Even the spectators started fighting.

Why?

If you didn't blow the whistle straight away for a clear foul,

and if you let them play on,

then they'd challenge you, and start a fight.

You mean they didn't understand the concept of 'advantage'?

No, they didn't understand that the referee can...

can let the game continue instead of whistling for a foul.

They would need to see the guy who committed the foul punished,

and they'd start fighting.

The players have started arguing.

Hagi is angry.

- He's shouting at you? - No, they wouldn't dare...

The referee had to command respect through his decisions.

They knew who the referee was.

Sometimes it was hard, these players were hard to control.

When did they put a bandage on Cămătaru?

- Who? - Cămătaru.

When did they bandage him?

In the opening minutes, he fouled someone when going for a header.

He hit his eyebrow.

And back then you could just leave the pitch?

Perhaps...

Perhaps they didn't show it on the TV.

He couldn't have put the bandage on himself.

You can see him wearing it.

Probably the footage they chose didn't include him leaving the pitch.

He couldn't bandage himself, on the pitch. It's obvious.

If it were filmed today, they'd have shown him leaving.

Back then they'd rather show the spectators.

Look how he's sliding...

I refereed for them plenty of times, but I never liked them.

I still feel the same way.

It brings me great pleasure when the team from Vaslui...

when we beat Steaua or Dinamo.

They were 2 very important clubs. Steaua is still famous.

They had a great record.

It's the team put together by Valentin Ceauescu.

Ando...

Young and happy.

And...

The...

- Foul? - Yeah. Dangerous play.

Someone's arguing again.

No.

And all those people coming to the match in this weather...

The Dinamo stadium was full, right?

Steaua had their fans, over by the stadium entrance.

- But the stadium was full? - Yeah. For all these matches.

At Steaua's stadium, and Dinamo's stadium, and the National stadium.

They were all real footballers, which Romania no longer has.

See the speed of play? It's fast, despite the bad conditions.

You can see these kinds of matches, in the German Championship,

and in lots of other Championships, they play in the snow.

Look, you can see they've not played down the left side.

Where they've played a lot it's all turned black.

As I remember, Steaua played down the wings.

Maybe they changed their tactics for this pitch?

They didn't change, they played in a tight group,

they couldn't just open up.

So rather Dinamo played with Cămătaru as the pivot?

What did it take for you to give a yellow card?

What do you mean?

I mean, when did you give yellows? You weren't that strict.

- I'd have given 2 yellows already. - Why?

It would have stalled the game.

Any warning you give needs to be absolutely justified in the rules.

You provoke and annoy the players.

If you give 4 or 5 yellows you irritate them even more.

Then when something happens later and you give a second yellow,

you ruin the equilibrium. You can't start playing around.

Any game you're refereeing needs to be balanced.

If you start tinkering and giving out yellows just because you can,

then you make the match difficult and unpleasant for yourself.

I can remember there was a scandal

when you gave Niculescu a yellow, and he made the sign of the cross.

- Yeah, I gave him a yellow. - And it was the second...

No. I gave him one yellow, and he crossed himself.

Ostentatiously and making fun of me.

And so I automatically gave him a second yellow.

He got sent off, so he could pray in the changing rooms.

Dinamo are better, they're more suited to the pitch,

they're more powerful.

Steaua are more technical...

Look at that.

The rules today wouldn't allow us to play with Cămătaru bleeding.

- Today? - See, that's a foul...

But then?

- What? - Then?

- Could he play on? - Yeah, he could play on.

I had to send him to change his bandage.

Which is exactly what happened...

You had a watch with...

- A stopwatch, right? - Yeah.

And you stopped it for things like this?

No. I'm not a basketball referee.

This is wasted time that gets added onto

He pushes with his hand, too.

Dinamo are more aggressive.

And here, what a slide-tackle...

They played hard, right?

They had this attitude...

These matches were highly charged.

There was an indescribable rivalry between the leaders

of the 2 different systems. The focus of power in Romania,

which these 2 teams represented.

Imagine back then if a referee had...

Lots of them messed up. Not many escaped unscathed.

Their reputations, I mean. But I was fine.

Without false modesty, I never had problems, during matches.

And for you, these were real matches, right?

- What? - They were real matches?

They still are. They're Championship derbies.

Steaua and Dinamo are still the most prestigious teams

that Romania has ever produced.

They had power, influence and focussed players.

See where play has been centred? In the centre third...

where Dinamo was attacking and Steaua defending.

- They were dominating. - Now you give a yellow card.

Ilie, who fouled once every 3 months, got a yellow.

But until now, he hardly touched the ball.

The strikers hardly touched the ball: Marius Lăcătu, Ilie, Piurcă.

Dinamo played hard.

No, it was an aggressive defence

they had better possession.

- What a side-foot pass! - Yeah...

Dinamo's coach was...

- Foul? - Yes, yes...

Lucescu,

and...

Steaua had Lordănescu.

It may have been Mr Emi, but I think it was Lordănescu.

Look how hard they're playing.

Letting nothing through.

I like it that even the cameraman is confused!

He's anticipating, letting them play the 'advantage'.

They're filming with...

with 2 cameras, I think.

- No, more. - What?

Well, there's this one, another...

at pitch level...

This one.

This is the 2nd camera,

and the 1st again...

- What's that? - Just a scrum.

They switch to the stands, so they don't show it...

That's the 3rd camera.

The 3rd camera which was specially for this kind of thing.

So that you couldn't see who...

In the socialist era... the communist era,

you couldn't show bad sportsmanship.

Really, it's quite funny, the Army against the Police...

It should have been the Communist Party against the bourgeoisie...

It was the Communist Party against the Communist Party.

Weren't the Army and the Secret Police both communists?

There were big egos involved,

it all became

Look at that... Boom!

- Did the ball go off? - No.

You see? There is still untrodden snow over there.

There's no need to have devices to monitor the action,

or player possession, because we can see it in the snow.

It's really snowing!

It was that kind of snow you can't really see in these images.

They didn't have the technology they do today

but you can't really complain about the image quality,

because you can see everything, right?

It's hard to see the ball, but...

You can see it fine, if you follow it.

It's yellow, it's impossible not to see it.

Now Steaua have really started playing.

- Foul. - Yeah.

They were the most aggressive, Mateu and...

Lăcătu.

Did you give a yellow?

No. For what?

For that shoving...

That wasn't shoving, they were huddling together.

You shouldn't give a yellow for just anything...

The referee isn't... How can I put this...

He's not like a teacher or a judge,

who gives a yellow card if you raise your voice a little.

The wall is too close.

I don't think they are 9.15 metres away.

No...

Yeah, I should have measured, as there aren't any reference points.

There are marks at 5.5 metres and the semicircle at 16 metres.

- There was no mark there. - Because of the snow.

I guess the wall was around 6-7 meters.

A dangerous tackle.

Mateu was small, but he had a big mouth.

- It's almost like a film. - What?

It's almost like a film.

But you couldn't make a film out of this.

- Of this? - Yeah.

Let's see.

Nobody would watch it, it's all in the past.

Better to make a film about how Dobrin played,

or about Dobrin's life, but nobody would watch it either.

If you made a film about Messi in 6 years,

about how Messi played, and how he conquered the world,

still nobody would watch it.

It's like when people talk about Ronhaldino now.

I was referee observer in 3 of his matches.

Everyone was crazy about him, the crowd roared when he appeared.

Now nobody cares.

Football is like everything else

It's like cinema, and art.

They all have their moment, you consume it and it's over.

This is just a Dinamo-Steaua match played in the snow.

They played thousands of matches in the snow.

More important matches than this one, in the Bundesliga...

- But you weren't refereeing them. - What?

You weren't refereeing them.

What about a Champions League match, Liverpool and Manchester.

It was 3-0 at one point for Manch... No, for Liverpool.

No, Manchester playing a German team, I can't remember which,

Bayern perhaps.

And they won 4-3.

Lupu's a great player, I like him best.

- Who? - Lupu.

He was a player with certain limits.

He's very technical.

If the match had taken place in 1989, you could say it had anticipated the Revolution.

They're fighting tooth and nail, but not like in other matches.

Once, they had to stop play, and Dinamo took the cup home.

You could say that was important.

When? One year earlier?

- In '87. - In '87, yeah.

- The match was never finished. - Yes. The match was never finished.

What happened? Dinamo left the pitch, right?

No. Steaua left because of an offside goal.

Dinamo?

No.

Steaua.

- They scored an offside goal? - They scored an offside goal.

No. Steaua scored a goal, and they didn't allow it.

Balint scored the goal.

And the referee didn't allow it.

Linesman George Ionescu called it.

The referee was Radu Petrescu, who died.

The match stopped and Dinamo took the cup.

Moraru took it home.

Then, I don't know how many years after the revolution,

they gave the cup back.

- Why did you give Mihăescu a yellow? - A late tackle.

- But he wasn't the first, right? - No.

You wrote it all in that little notebook.

- It was blue, no? - Yes.

All my kit was in my bag. Your mother always packed it for me.

Everything was in it.

You were in the First League when my brother cut up your...

- What, my shorts? - Yeah.

Yeah.

What match?

Jiul versus Steaua.

- Advantage. - Yeah.

Ok, that was a mistake, now I see,

I let them play on advantage, they took possession,

but if it had been a more dangerous tackle, then...

Look how well Lupu's protecting the ball.

This pitch was good for him. He was well-built and muscular,

he had powerful legs and

And technical, too...

What's this, an indirect free kick?

A foul, but I shouldn't have given it indirect.

It should have been direct, they made contact.

I gave an indirect because there was an obstruction.

An obstruction doesn't mean contact.

He got in front of him, and they made contact.

He barged him.

It would be hard to score from a direct kick anyway.

He'd still have to pass.

Dangerous tackle.

You left him like that, on the ground?

They're asking for a 2nd yellow for Ilie.

Yes?

Hello.

Thanks...

Bye.

Yes, it was generally a good first half...

for Dinamo.

Wow! What a foul.

What's he saying? "I didn't mean to."

Did the players swear at you behind your back?

What?

The players swore at you behind your back?

Who knows. If you hear them, you hear them...

No, they weren't swearing. It was a clear yellow.

Look what images these idiots are showing now.

And so many people...

This was Dinamo's bench.

Look, Flacăra Moreni and ASA Tg. Mure, two satellite teams.

Flacăra Moreni were with Dinamo,

and ASA Tg. Mure...

Tg. Mure were more honest. They beat Steaua once.

I was the referee.

It seems to be snowing harder now.

The snow started coming down harder after the game started.

If this snow had fallen 2 hours before the game,

then we couldn't have played.

Dinamo are now in blue.

Look, Ianul.

He died, too.

They should really keep the same colours.

They didn't have another white kit.

Nowadays they wouldn't allow this kind of thing.

Yes, Viorel, tell me.

You brought them already?

The cakes?

I'll call you later.

Did they say at half time, "We're changing shirts"?

The rules actually don't allow that kind of thing.

You should keep the strip you're playing in.

It's not allowed now. Back then, you could.

You announced the kit before the game, and you couldn't change it.

The referee checked the kit before the game.

So, you were allowed, then?

The rules said at half-time you could announce the change.

You could change the colour of the shirt. Now you can't.

It's snowing hard. It's covered.

Real action!

I think that's Lupu...

- No, Cămătaru. - Cămătaru?

The picture quality is from the stone age.

They've brought Dragnea on.

I should have given him a yellow here.

Did I? Let's see.

He already had a yellow.

It was Mihăescu. He already had a yellow.

Yes, Mihăescu did something that deserved a warning.

But he already had a yellow.

To send a player off for throwing the ball down is...

No, I think I made the right decision.

It wasn't worth damaging the flow of play for a stupid gesture.

Back then if you kicked it to the keeper he could pick it up.

The rules of the game have changed,

because you wasted lots of time picking it up.

They changed it all for the spectacle.

What a slide!

Dinamo is still playing more aggressively.

I don't remember, but I think that based on league placement,

Dinamo knew they needed to win.

Steaua are playing aggressively, but without conviction.

But they're a more powerful team.

That's Dragnea. They brought him on.

See how fast he is.

What a cross!

Who did that scissor-kick?

Was it Lupu?

Great execution.

Sabău made the cross.

Sabău set it up, but...

- Sabău was on the right wing? - On the right, he made the cross.

Now, you can't pick it up, you kick it back. It speeds up play.

Dinamo have got better possession.

- They're better during this half. - Dinamo were pretty frustrated.

They'd been playing together for a while, without much success.

Steaua had won everything, and now they were really annoyed.

But they were a good team. Stelea in goal,

Mihăescu right-back, Rednic, Andone...

Who was the left-back, I wonder?

I think it was Varga. Yes.

And Lupescu in the middle.

Perhaps they changed him for Dragnea during half-time.

- Mateu... - I just saw Lupescu.

- What? - I just saw Lupescu...

I don't understand.

I saw Lupescu in the second half, he made a pass.

Probably. But Dragnea came on.

Who's this fast guy, Piurcă?

No. Lăcătu I think.

All you can see are black shadows.

Someone's had an accident, trying to attack. Who was it?

It'd be great to have snow like that right now, over here.

They forgot to move the camera.

Don't you think it looks like one of my films?

What?

Don't you think this match looks like one of my films?

It's long, and nothing happens.

Yeah, but...

And you'd be the main character.

And what would this main character do?

The referee who... No.

And what would the film be about? A match in the snow...

that was almost unplayable, right?

And the referee? I refereed well.

It was a very difficult match, like all the Dinamo-Steaua matches.

I like the snow, it has a certain poetry...

There's no poetry here.

What poetry is there in a football pitch like a farmer's field?

The pitch looks like a farmer's field.

It's all so archaic.

It was 25 years ago.

Yes, but it's not...

Nobody would watch this kind of thing now.

Look at the great TV shows made by Mitran. Have you seen them?

Yeah, that's where I saw 20 minutes of this match.

They showed 20 minutes, they show all kinds of things,

but nobody watches. They have shitty ratings.

They want to drop the show 'Replay'.

There's no audience, even though they show real national matches.

Like Steaua winning the finals.

People live in the present.

Football is not a subject. It's a perishable product.

You have to consume it straight away. Eat it now.

What slide-tackles!

Look how hard they're playing.

Look at that...

That was something.

- What happened? - They had a real chance there.

They're really playing.

They're not managing to score,

but they're aggressive and combative.

They have attitude.

That's great receiving.

I let them have the advantage.

It's a shame we can't rewind it to see it better.

Someone pulled Cămătaru's shirt, but he kept running.

I allowed the advantage, and couldn't change the decision.

Today, I could have re-called it.

- And you would have given... - A free kick, from 20 metres.

I was right. He had the advantage. How could I stop him?

They didn't cheat. Nowadays, I think any striker

falls over if someone touches him, right?

How they're playing! Dinamo are playing really well.

Looking back at the match, Steaua were rated more highly.

They were already wearing a halo from their Champions League matches,

or 'Liga Campionilor' as it was first known.

But seeing the game again,

Dinamo were dominating them from just about every point of view.

Steaua are a technical team, a fast team, a team with...

But the pitch wasn't to their advantage. Dinamo had more power.

But neither of them had many chances to score.

If he'd have managed that scissor kick...

It was hard on this pitch.

But look now...

This was their big chance.

I like it. It's a beautiful match.

There's no beauty in it,

besides the players' tenacity.

But they're technical.

You can see it as they come in on the left wing.

They're dazzling.

Were there times in the game when you got tired?

You had to be physically prepared.

They could get rid of you in a second if you weren't careful.

There were times after long sprints that...

Now I had to run, see?

Keeping tight to the diagonal.

What diagonal do you mean?

The pitch is rectangular, and you go along the diagonal.

So we have this diagonal here,

and you don't run straight down the pitch, you take the diagonal.

And you must always keep the ball to your left.

See how it is now?

The ball is there.

You go towards it, coming from the right, along this long diagonal.

You keep it tight until... See? You get to here.

And now... If they attack, you come back on the left.

If the other side attacks, you go down their left.

You run towards it, coming from the left,

so you can always have it in your field of vision.

He called offside.

The wall was bad again.

- That should be a yellow, no? - No.

But nowadays?

- What? - What about nowadays?

No. Why should you give a yellow?

Because of a tackle from behind.

Do you give a yellow just because the wind blows harder?

Why a yellow? It's foul play, a shove.

- I thought it came from behind. - What?

Today, everything from behind gets a yellow.

Not everything...

A foul from behind?

Only if it's a dangerous one.

See how close I was?

I had to be right in there.

Mateu was a good striker.

Yeah, Lupescu is on the pitch.

Răducioiu.

So young! How old was he?

17? Like the number on his shirt?

18-19...

and Gabi Balint.

What does he want?

It's hard to see the line!

Watch this...

Steaua have started to push forward.

Hagi...

I don't notice your interventions in the game anymore.

- What? - You really got into the game.

You set the game through your first interventions,

then you just have to be careful not to make mistakes.

I think you depend too much on advantage play.

It worked, but it was risky.

How fast they're passing.

They're real footballers. Such difficult executions!

And what passes on a pitch like this!

They're the best of the best.

Dangerous play.

Cămătaru and who?

Did he say he was fit to play on?

Belodedici.

That's a foul.

In fact, this snow started about 1-1½ hours before the match,

but it wasn't as strong.

If it had snowed for 2-3 hours like this,

the pitch would have been unplayable,

the snow would have been too thick.

But it snowed continually,

it didn't stop at all during the 90 minutes.

And after?

I don't know. It might have kept snowing.

It wasn't a hard winter.

Steaua are wasting time now.

Steaua are wasting time.

I guess they were happy with the score.

But Dinamo were playing at home.

What an advantage! Crossbar.

I let them play the advantage. It's a penalty.

I let him play on - it was just him and the keeper.

It's a foul, the ball goes to Ilie. He shoots and hits the bar.

People talked about this a lot.

I remember it well.

With the new rules I could have re-called it and given a penalty.

The advantage didn't materialize.

They played on and he hit the bar.

Interesting I remember this part.

We can't rewind it, no?

No, we can't.

That was a foul on...

I think it was Piurcă, but it was a clear foul in the box.

You let them play on advantage...

He was 6 metres from the goal. What more could he want?

People criticised me after the match. They said I should have given a penalty.

But isn't being 6 metres from the goal better than a penalty?

You let them play advantage the whole match.

No, I...

That's how you played it from the start.

No, it wasn't a mistake.

He was on his own against the keeper,

and hit the bar at 6 metres

There's a saying:

"You have the best advantage at 11 metres."

But if he'd scored, it would have been a great advantage.

No, it was the correct decision, I've no reason to doubt it.

What kind of criticism was there?

Was it right afterwards, in the changing rooms?

No, it was the journalists.

They commented on the decision.

Because I'd let the whole game flow as it did,

there was no sense to suddenly stop it then.

If I'd have stopped play, and he'd scored,

if the ball hadn't hit the bar,

then wouldn't it have been a mistake to whistle for a penalty?

But he was alone. I signalled that Ilie had possession.

If I were to joke about it, I'd say I couldn't see the penalty spot anyway.

I'd have to measure the distance.

You couldn't see a thing!

Look, where is the 11 metres mark?

Where do you kick from?

If you made a mistake, did you think about it a lot?

No, it's like the dead. If you start thinking about them, you're lost.

No, I mean, after the match.

Of course, after the match I'd analyse everything.

I'd watch it on video at home. I'd analyse the tapes.

I'd re-watch them.

Look, look, what an advantage.

Super!

Look, it's so fluid.

Right?

If I'd stopped the game it would have fragmented.

Better to let them play!

It was a fight to the death.

Foul.

Anyway, it's impossible to referee a match perfectly, right?

Perfectly?

Look, the snow was... the pitch was almost unplayable.

Almost. But you couldn't...

It's important to start a game,

and equally important to finish it.

What a...

What a struggle!

You've started to like it.

What?

I said, you've started to like it.

- The match. - The match? Sure.

Offside.

How it snowed.

The snowflakes are even bigger now.

What was really hard was getting up close.

You couldn't see the marks.

If something happened on the edge of the penalty area,

then you couldn't see the marks at all.

You had to get close to see the marks.

But from this distance you can't see.

Look, it's Balint...

Look how hard they're playing.

That's it, the whistle's coming.

You see?

No one's cheating, they're not tripping each other.

Look here...

Kamikaze... Look at that...

Foul.

Didn't I call it?

Play on advantage!

Oh, my God...

Look how hard they're playing!

Look at this, straight from one goal to another.

See how the balance can shift?

Look...

I think I blow the whistle now.

Yeah.

Bravo, old man. You refereed well.