In 1995, Urs Meier received his first “Referee of the Year” award and stood on the field in many decisive football matches. Today, six awards later, he stands on stage and gives lectures at numerous events on the subject of “making decisions”. In this interview, conducted by our senior partner Alexander Hornikel, you will learn what led Urs Meier to his career as a referee, how he set up his own companies and what the connection between football and business is.
As a Swiss referee icon you have already played in World Championships and Champions League finals. It was a long way until there – how did your career as a referee come about?
Initially through my love for football and then, certainly through my ambition to make it all the way to the top. When I was 14 years old I realized that my football skills would not be enough to reach the top, so I decided to start my career as a referee.
In order to participate in the referee course, you had to be at least 18 years old, so I continued to play football in my home club, SV Würenlos and became at least in this time a regular player and captain of the 1st team (3rd league).
Which decisions have influenced you the most in your career?
Over and over there were decisions which concerned people, i.e. promotions, hiring but above all also dismissals of long-time employees. On the playing field there were also human decisions, such as warnings or exclusions, which hindered the player from participating in the final.
Since I have led many semi-final rematches, there were also some of them (Roy Kean + Paul Scholes Manchester United Champions League Final 1999, Michael Ballack World Cup Final 2002, Pavel Nedved Juventus Turin Champions League Final 2003, Akis Zikos AS Monaco Champions League Final 2004). It always hurt. As a footballer you try everything to be part of such a game. Fortunately, the cards are now cancelled after the quarter-finals so that such a situation can no longer occur.
Which game has shaped you the most in your career and why?
Undoubtedly the quarter-final at the EURO 2004 Portugal-England, after which I was labeled a scapegoat by the English tabloids, although my decision was the right one, I decorated the front page of the Sun for four days and received over 16,000 death threats. When you go through this you will see who your friends and “enemies” are, and you will become stronger so that it would need a bigger “hurricane” to get you off your track.
Which anecdotes from your career as a referee do you remember in particular?
I always remember the contact with Georg Bregy, who used to play for the Young Boys in Bern. It was a meeting at Easter time in his hometown Wallis in Sion, when he came to me after about half an hour, after he had praised me in the first 20 minutes and said: “You whistle like an Easter bunny today”. It just fitted and I still have to smile today when I think of this situation.
With nearly 900 games you have led, you certainly didn’t always make the right decisions. How did you deal with wrong decisions and what can the economy learn from that?
The important thing is that you’re honest.
Urs Meier
The important thing is that you’re honest. Honest with you and what you do. As long as the decisions that you make are honest, so not influenced from outside, or compensation or concession decisions, but from the heart, you are not actually vulnerable. They can criticize you, question your decisions, but as a person you remain strong. Such wrong decisions naturally hurt, but you can process them much more quickly and forget them.
How do you keep a cool head during a hot game?
By trusting one’s own strength and ability. But that also means that you have to have human and professional qualities, which are adapted to the league, otherwise it can quickly come to an overload and the sovereignty is quickly lost.
How do referees deal with the heavy criticism of players and spectators?
By remaining calm and confident, not becoming hectic, but rather encountering the players and the audience with slow, open movements and a view at eye level.
How did you make the step from being a referee to being an entrepreneur?
Since I felt that I only had the freedom to carry out my hobby professionally as an independent entrepreneur, it was clear to me that I had to start a business.
I did this in 1986. As a result Urs Meier Haushaltgeräte AG and Mundart Küchen + Haushaltgeräte AG were founded. In the meantime I have sold both and am now managing Urs Meier Management AG, Sportbird GmbH and SportCare GmbH.
You are a sought-after speaker at various events. What parallels do you see between the football world and the economy?
Many! I keep saying: Football is life in 90 minutes. As a leader in business, you need exactly the same qualities as a top decision-maker in football, whether as coach, president or referee.
What tips do you have for people who find it difficult to make decisions?
Start right away. It’s like learning to walk, you fall down about 1500 times before you can walk. You have to make decisions first, so that you notice and feel how good it feels when you decide.
Thank you for the interview!