At 38 years old, Thibault Bigaré is once again recognized by a large part of the public and other Sifflet d’Or juries as the best in his corporation. He largely benefited from the public vote, just like Xavier Croquey and Didier Van den Eede, who are appreciated for their very friendly way of leading the meetings.
More respect?
Thibault Bigaré has spent more than ten years with whistle in hand at the highest level and has numerous finals to his credit. He addresses the problem of lack of respect for referees with good nature. “ I’ve seen some things about this, but I haven’t had a problem with it; from time to time, there is discussion but I think that it is mainly in the lower divisions that this happens. It’s true that we lost the family tradition and that after the big increase in the number of players, we broadened the public and some reproduce the things we see in football. Some referees may be more affected than others, and negative comments may affect. I saw a referee who didn’t feel comfortable at the end of the match and who quickly left in his car at the end of the match. »
Motivation
Thibault Bigaré explains that his motivation keeps him in the job: “ If your motivation is not at its highest, it can lead to feeling fed up. I’ve been refereeing for 15 years and I’ve always advocated discussion, but after the match. If there has been an incident, I go to the players or the coach to explain; in general, it’s very respectful. Explaining the rules helps with understanding but the players also need to read the rules. Refereeing is difficult, the rules change often; One day, we had a phase that led to discussion and we asked 15 people to judge it: we barely received 15 different answers. In any case, in the game, you have to give your decision, possibly explain it but not too much; It’s time to play. You shouldn’t give the impression of justifying yourself every time, but perhaps for the important things. »
A quality championship
The Belgian competition increases in quality from year to year. The post-Olympic year saw the return of several Belgian internationals, plus the arrival of foreigners. “ We see some guys who have been to the Olympics and who bicker verbally in the game. We have to manage egos, that brings frustrations and additional tension. The game is getting faster and faster, you have to make decisions more quickly: the timing must be sharp and quick. And then we find ourselves with big names: when I see the match sheet with, next to my name, those of Denayer, Kina, Charlier, Boon, Blaak… that’s beautiful! »
Room, constant management
Our 2024 Golden Whistle can be found every Sunday whistling indoors. “ I really like the room, the contact with the game and the players is more direct. Everything goes faster, there is more to whistle, we are in constant management due to proximity. We referee two matches and therefore we have the opportunity to see at least one other match: we learn more by watching the other referees. The human aspect of the room is bigger, more family-friendly and, also, we are constantly coached. We learned more in a day than in half a season outdoors. »
Thibault Bigaré, a beautiful Golden Whistle
Belgium
