MAINTENANCE. Frank Schneider, Ligue 1 referee at the service of Racing Club de Strasbourg, unheard of
Since July 2022, former referee Frank Schneider has worn the colors of Racing Club de Strasbourg as a consultant referee. Two months after taking office, he delivers an initial assessment of this unique retraining in the world of football.
At the end of the 2021-2022 season, referee Frank Schneider hung up after more than 300 matches in Ligue 1, Ligue 2, and even at international level. A few weeks later, he returned to service, this time with a club, the Racing Club de Strasbourg.
Contacted by President Marc Keller just after Racing’s last game of the season, Frank Schneider agreed to join Strasbourg, his hometown. Club jersey on the shoulders, the 43-year-old former referee returned to France 3 Alsace on the mission entrusted to him by Racing, who is experimenting with this position in football.
France 3 Alsace: Why did you accept this challenge ?
Frank Schneider: “I’ve always wondered how a player can be in the best conditions in a match if he doesn’t know the laws of the game, the psychology of the referee, his environment, but also if he doesn’t know how to interact with him. , or how to take advantage of the laws of the game. We are still quite a few colleagues asking ourselves this question, and the opportunity simply presented itself to me.
The idea is to bring this understanding of officiating so that players are really focused on the game.
Frank Schneider
What are your main areas of work? ?
“First there are the technical axes, that is to say the knowledge of the laws of the game: when is there a hand, an offside? Can we play “A throw-in or a free kick quickly? Sometimes there are little subtleties that we don’t know about. It sounds simple, but when we dig a little deeper, it can give us an edge.
On the behavioral axes, we wonder what we can say or not to a referee, and on the contrary, what we can ask him, how we can interact with him. With the coach, we are very focused on behavior. The idea is to bring that understanding of officiating so players are really focused on the game.”
Was there a need for understanding from the players ?
“I don’t know if there was a need. In any case, there was a very favorable reception! Players ask me after practices, games and even after some games that take place. spend the week in the European Cup or in Ligue 2. They want to understand if such a red card was justified or not, for example. I even received late night calls and WhatsApp messages. It’s funny to see this thirst they have, because they finally have an opening in the world of arbitration. »
Racing are yet to receive a red card (the interview was done on September 1, before the match against Brest) but they received four yellow cards against Nice. Is it your role to refocus the actors on this ?
“It is the role of the coach to decree concretely what he wants to address as a technical subject. What I do is that after each day, I debrief the refereeing to the coach so that he understands some warnings. Because we tend to see matches sequentially, but a match is a story for a referee. Why did such a player receive a yellow card? This can be explained by the history of the game. The coach does not have this prism. He has that of the technician, of the expert. Month, I come with arbitration. There are situations on which we do not share the final decision However, he is very open in saying ‘Okay, now I understand how the referee is thinking’.”
I wanted to review all the teams of the Academy so that they have this sensitivity of arbitration.
In addition to the first team, you also work with young people and women…
“It’s a global approach with the Academy (Automotive Training Center, editor’s note). I also bring in young referees to referee oppositions during the week between the U19s or the N3, and the women’s D2 too. I integrate referees who also have optimal training conditions. This is perfect for the Academy, as it relieves them of the task of refereeing.
I wanted to review all the teams so that they have this sensitivity of arbitration. We have reviewed the basics on hands, offsides, yellow cards, red cards… so that they have at least this basic, and we will strengthen it as the season progresses. ”
You teach the players a lot, but what do you learn from them? ?
“I think I’ve learned the most so far. I changed worlds, I changed roles. I also found emotions. Because when you’re a referee, you don’t have one; in any case, you must hide them. There, I learned to no longer be in the field, but to serve those who are in the field, and it’s exciting. I only have a small contribution to the group as a whole, but it is a very interesting learning experience. »
You are the only referee to work in a football club, which exists in the world of rugby. How your former colleagues perceive your new profession ?
“There are those who are very supportive, because they finally see an opening and see the change in behavior. And then there are those who say to themselves ‘Shit, that’s gonna get us in trouble’. Why ? You would have to ask them. In any case what is certain is that all those who came to Strasbourg today saw it with a very good eye and said to themselves that it is top. They felt that it was easier to communicate, that it was an opening and that they also saw prospects there. Referees in general ask for this openness, this communication, these exchanges with the clubs. It is therefore a first step. »
Exactlydo you find that referees are more valued than a few years ago, at the start of your career ?
“I don’t know if there is a difference in valuation. There is a difference in positioning, in communication, that’s for sure. At the time, there was (Tony) Chapron, (Stéphane) Lannoy, from (Saïd) Ennjimi who spoke freely and spoke with everyone. Today, referees have a place further back. That’s it, it’s a fact. For me, that’s neither good nor bad. It’s just a relationship change. »
A change of relationship that Frank Schneider operates with this new position, which therefore arouses interest and curiosity, both players, but also his former colleagues. But Frank Schneider’s mission must materialize over time. If Strasbourg had not yet taken a red card before this interview, the draw in Brest three days later will have been marked by exclusions from the middle Sanjin Prcić… and coach Julien Stéphan for his protests against the referee.