Pierluigi Collina - Football referee
Pierluigi Collina is a highly respected former football referee from Italy. Born on February 13, 1960, he was widely recognized as one of the top referees in the world during his career. One of his most distinguishing characteristics is his distinctive bald appearance, which combined with his expressive facial gestures made him one of the most recognizable figures in football.
Collina began his refereeing career in the Italian Serie C1 in 1988. His performances were consistently good, and he was soon promoted to the higher leagues. He officiated his first game in the Italian Serie A in 1991.
His career as an international referee started in 1995 when he joined the FIFA list. He quickly gained a reputation for being fair and consistent, characteristics that brought him to the attention of the international football community.
Collina's career peaked in the early 2000s when he was chosen to officiate at several top-level international tournaments. He is best known for refereeing the 2002 World Cup Final between Germany and Brazil, which Brazil won 2-0. In the same year, he was named FIFA's "Best Referee of the Year" for the sixth consecutive year.
Collina retired in 2005 due to the Italian Football Federation's policy of compulsory retirement at the age of 45. However, he was not away from the football world for long as he was appointed as the head of referees for the Football Federation of Ukraine in 2010, and later became UEFA's Chief Refereeing Officer in 2018. He also took up roles in advising and supervising referees at a national and international level.
Apart from refereeing, Collina has been featured in various advertising campaigns and he was on the cover of the video game "Pro Evolution Soccer 3".
Collina was known for his exceptional management of games, his strict adherence to the rules, and his ability to communicate effectively with the players. His focus, understanding of the game, and decisive action made him one of the most respected figures in football.
| Champions League 2005-2006 | ||||
| qualifiers 3rd round | Villarreal | Everton | 2005-08-24 | 2 - 1 |
| WC 2006 qualifiers - Europe | ||||
| Portugal | Slovakia | 2005-06-04 | 2 - 0 | |
| Greece | Denmark | 2005-02-09 | 2 - 1 | |
| Croatia | Bulgaria | 2004-10-09 | 2 - 2 | |
| Champions League 2004-2005 | ||||
| 1/4 finals | Lyon | PSV | 2005-04-05 | 1 - 1 |
| 1st knockout | Chelsea F.C. | Barcelona | 2005-03-08 | 4 - 2 |
| group stage | Leverkusen | Dynamo Kyiv | 2004-12-08 | 3 - 0 |
| group stage | PSG | Porto | 2004-10-20 | 2 - 0 |
| group stage | Olympiakos | Liverpool | 2004-09-28 | 1 - 0 |
| qualifiers 3rd round | Crvena Zvezda | PSV | 2004-08-11 | 3 - 2 |
| Euro 2004 | ||||
| 1/2 finals | Greece | Czech Republic | 2004-07-01 | 1 - 0 |
| group stage | Croatia | England | 2004-06-21 | 2 - 4 |
| group stage | Portugal | Greece | 2004-06-12 | 1 - 2 |
| UEFA Cup 2003 - 2004 | ||||
| final | Valencia | Marseille | 2004-05-19 | 2 - 0 |
| Champions League 2003-2004 | ||||
| 1/2 finals | Deportivo La Coruna | Porto | 2004-05-04 | 0 - 1 |
| 1/4 finals | Monaco | Real Madrid | 2004-04-06 | 3 - 1 |
| 1st knockout | Arsenal | Celta de Vigo | 2004-03-10 | 2 - 0 |
| group stage | PSV | Deportivo La Coruna | 2003-12-10 | 3 - 2 |
| group stage | Manchester United | Glasgow Rangers | 2003-11-04 | 3 - 0 |
| group stage | Porto | Real Madrid | 2003-10-01 | 1 - 3 |
| qualifiers 3rd round | Club Brugge | Dortmund | 2003-08-13 | 2 - 1 |
| UEFA Cup 2002 - 2003 | ||||
| 1/4 finals | Malaga | Boavista FC | 2003-03-13 | 1 - 0 |
| 4th round | Celtic | VfB Stuttgart | 2003-02-20 | 3 - 1 |
| 3rd round | Fulham | Hertha BSC | 2002-12-12 | 0 - 0 |
| Euro 2004 qualifiers | ||||
| play-offs | Norway | Spain | 2003-11-19 | 0 - 3 |
| Turkey | England | 2003-10-11 | 0 - 0 | |
| Russia | Switzerland | 2003-09-10 | 4 - 1 | |
| Bulgaria | Belgium | 2003-06-07 | 2 - 2 | |
| Austria | Netherlands | 2002-10-16 | 0 - 3 | |
| Champions League 2002-2003 | ||||
| 1/4 finals | Manchester United | Real Madrid | 2003-04-23 | 4 - 3 |
| group stage | Olympiakos | Manchester United | 2002-10-23 | 2 - 3 |
| group stage | PSV | Dortmund | 2002-10-02 | 1 - 3 |
| qualifiers 3rd round | Auxerre | Boavista FC | 2002-08-28 | 0 - 0 |
| WC 2002 | ||||
| final | Germany | Brazil | 2002-06-30 | 0 - 2 |
| round of 16 | Japan | Turkey | 2002-06-18 | 0 - 1 |
| group stage | Argentina | England | 2002-06-07 | 0 - 1 |
| UEFA Cup 2001 - 2002 | ||||
| 1/4 finals | PSV | Feyenoord | 2002-03-14 | 1 - 1 |
| WC 2002 qualifiers - S. America | ||||
| Uruguay | Colombia | 2001-10-07 | 1 - 1 | |
| Champions League 2001-2002 | ||||
| 1/2 finals | Real Madrid | Barcelona | 2002-05-01 | 1 - 1 |
| 2nd group stage | Porto | Real Madrid | 2002-02-27 | 1 - 2 |
| 2nd group stage | Nantes | Bayern Munich | 2001-12-05 | 0 - 1 |
| group stage | Barcelona | Leverkusen | 2001-10-17 | 2 - 1 |
| group stage | Liverpool | Dynamo Kyiv | 2001-09-26 | 1 - 0 |
| qualifiers 3rd round | Fenerbahce SK | Glasgow Rangers | 2001-08-22 | 2 - 1 |
| Champions League 2000-2001 | ||||
| 1/2 finals | Leeds United | Valencia | 2001-05-02 | 0 - 0 |
| 1/4 finals | Galatasaray | Real Madrid | 2001-04-03 | 3 - 2 |
| 2nd group stage | Spartak Moskva | Arsenal | 2000-11-22 | 4 - 1 |
| 1st group stage | PSV | Anderlecht | 2000-11-08 | 2 - 3 |
| 1st group stage | Galatasaray | Glasgow Rangers | 2000-09-27 | 3 - 2 |
| UEFA Cup 2000 - 2001 | ||||
| 1/4 finals | Porto | Liverpool | 2001-03-08 | 0 - 0 |
| round of 16 | Celta de Vigo | VfB Stuttgart | 2001-02-22 | 2 - 1 |
| WC 2002 qualifiers - Europe | ||||
| play-offs | Turkey | Austria | 2001-11-14 | 5 - 0 |
| Germany | England | 2001-09-01 | 1 - 5 | |
| Greece | Finland | 2000-10-07 | 1 - 0 | |
| Euro 2000 | ||||
| 1/4 finals | Spain | France | 2000-06-25 | 1 - 2 |
| group stage | England | Germany | 2000-06-17 | 1 - 0 |
| group stage | Netherlands | Czech Republic | 2000-06-11 | 1 - 0 |
| Champions League 1999-2000 | ||||
| 1/4 finals | Manchester United | Real Madrid | 2000-04-19 | 2 - 3 |
| 2nd group stage | Hertha BSC | Porto | 2000-03-21 | 0 - 1 |
| 2nd group stage | Barcelona | Sparta Prague | 1999-12-08 | 5 - 0 |
| 1st group stage | Marseille | Croatia Zagreb | 1999-11-02 | 2 - 2 |
| 1st group stage | Glasgow Rangers | PSV | 1999-10-20 | 4 - 1 |
| 1st group stage | Real Madrid | Porto | 1999-09-28 | 3 - 1 |
| qualifiers 3rd round | Galatasaray | Rapid Wien | 1999-08-25 | 1 - 0 |
| UEFA Cup 1999 - 2000 | ||||
| round of 16 | Mallorca | Monaco | 2000-03-02 | 4 - 1 |
| Euro 2000 qualifiers | ||||
| play-offs | England | Scotland | 1999-11-17 | 0 - 1 |
| Germany | Turkey | 1999-10-09 | 0 - 0 | |
| Ireland | Yugolsavia | 1999-09-01 | 2 - 1 | |
| play-offs | England | Scotland | 1998-11-17 | 0 - 1 |
| Sweden | England | 1998-09-05 | 2 - 1 | |
| Champions League 1998-1999 | ||||
| final | Manchester United | Bayern Munich | 1999-05-26 | 2 - 1 |
| group stage | Porto | Ajax | 1998-12-09 | 3 - 0 |
| group stage | Barcelona | Bayern Munich | 1998-11-04 | 1 - 2 |
| group stage | Kaiserslautern | Benfica | 1998-09-16 | 1 - 0 |
| UEFA Cup 1998 - 1999 | ||||
| 1/4 finals | Celta de Vigo | Marseille | 1999-03-16 | 0 - 0 |
| WC 1998 | ||||
| group stage | France | Denmark | 1998-06-24 | 2 - 1 |
| group stage | Netherlands | Belgium | 1998-06-13 | 0 - 0 |
| Champions League 1997-1998 | ||||
| 1/4 finals | Bayern Munich | Dortmund | 1998-03-04 | 0 - 0 |
| group stage | Leverkusen | Monaco | 1997-12-10 | 2 - 2 |
| group stage | Real Madrid | Olympiakos | 1997-10-22 | 5 - 1 |
| group stage | Newcastle United | Barcelona | 1997-09-17 | 3 - 2 |
| WC 1998 qualifiers - Am/Caribbean | ||||
| final stage | USA | El Salvador | 1997-11-16 | 4 - 2 |
| UEFA Cup 1997 - 1998 | ||||
| qualifiers 1st round | Principat | Dundee United | 1997-07-23 | 0 - 8 |
| WC 1998 qualifiers - Europe | ||||
| Sweden | Scotland | 1997-04-30 | 2 - 1 | |
| Armenia | Germany | 1996-10-09 | 1 - 5 | |
| Champions League 1996-1997 | ||||
| group stage | Grasshopper | Ajax | 1996-12-04 | 0 - 1 |
| European Cup2 1996 - 1997 | ||||
| 2nd round | Galatasaray | PSG | 1996-10-17 | 4 - 2 |
| UEFA Cup 1996 - 1997 | ||||
| 1/4 finals | Tenerife | Brøndby | 1997-03-04 | 0 - 1 |
| 1st round | Celtic | Hamburger SV | 1996-09-10 | 0 - 2 |
| Olympic Games 1996 | ||||
| final | Nigeria OT | Argentina OT | 1996-08-03 | 3 - 2 |
| 1/4 finals | Portugal OT | France OT | 1996-07-27 | 2 - 1 |
| group stage | Nigeria OT | Japan OT | 1996-07-23 | 2 - 0 |
| group stage | Spain OT | Saudi Arabia OT | 1996-07-20 | 1 - 0 |
| friendly | ||||
| Austria | Germany | 2004-08-18 | 1 - 3 | |
| Israel | Norway | 1999-01-20 | 0 - 1 | |
| China | England | 1996-05-23 | 0 - 3 | |
| Netherlands | Germany | 1996-04-24 | 0 - 1 | |
| UEFA Cup 1995 - 1996 | ||||
| 2nd round | Auxerre | Nottingham Forest | 1995-10-17 | 0 - 1 |
| 1st round | Botev | Sevilla FC | 1995-09-26 | 1 - 1 |
| qualifiers | Sliema Wanderers | Omonia | 1995-08-22 | 1 - 2 |
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