Seminar for BH Telecom Premier League referees is underway in Vogosca, where referees from our elite football competition had the opportunity to attend several lectures by two high-ranking referees from Serbia, Milorad Mazic and Milovan Ristic.

Even though he officiated the Champions League match in Munich between Bayern and Arsenal this Wednesday, followed by the domestic championship game between Red Star Belgrade and Novi Pazar on Saturday, Mazic said he is glad he came to our country to share his experiences with the Bosnian colleagues.

"The fatigue is there, but I'm feeling great in Sarajevo and people here have welcomed me in a fantastic way. It's a great honor that president Elvedin Begic arrived yesterday to greet us."

This referee from Vrbas talked about the lectures he gave at the seminar:

"Among other things, we gave referees some guidelines on how to prepare for the game and what teamwork means for us. From the experience, I must say that teamwork is crucial in this line of work. Without that, it's not possible to finish the game in a quality way, no matter how the referee is good as an individual."

He's also familiar with the refereeing in our country:

"There are many talented referees in Bosnia and Herzegovina and I believe there's been a significant improvement in the last few years in that regard. Three young referees who made it on the international list, Jakupovic, Peljto and Valjic have the necessary quality and I believe they can go forward when it comes to the UEFA and FIFA competitions. It's a pleasure to see this many referees at this seminar, and FFBIH will certainly benefit from their skills in the future."

Mazic pointed out that each match is unique:

"Every game is demanding and important in its own way. Our job is such that we're all remembered by the last game, regardless of the rank. Perhaps it's a burden of this work that we do; players are defined by the seasons, trophies and goals, while all our hard work can be undone by the last few matches."

He couldn't not mention the biggest football derby in his country:

"I live in a country where a derby between Red Star and Partizan is inevitable story, just like the "eternal derby" between Zeljeznicar and Sarajevo in BiH. Of course there's a positive stage fright before every game, not just the derby. Regardless of whether it's a pioneer or senior rank of the competition, there has to be a certain passion behind it. Derby game is a demanding match in every sense, both sports and psychological. The game that divides the public in two carries a lot of responsibility, but the experience that we get from previous derbies helped us become better referees and it's my pleasure to officiate such events."