Serbian referee Mazic's motto: You can't please everyone

Serbian referee Milorad Mazic, who drew the wrath of Portugal in their 4-0 World Cup defeat by Germany, goes to work knowing that he can't please everyone, the Belgrade daily Kurir said on Tuesday.

17 June 2014, 11:57am
by Staff Reporter

1 min read

Serbian rerferee Milorad Mazic (R) shows the red card to Portugal's Pepe (2-R) during the FIFA World Cup 2014 group G preliminary round match between Germany and Portugal at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador. Photo by EPA/THOMAS EISENHUTH

Serbian referee Milorad Mazic. Photo by EPA/MARCUS BRANDT

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"You don't like to be in the way, to be looked at crossly, to hear a harsh word from anybody. How can you live then?" That is a quote from Yugoslav writer Mesa Selimovic that Mazic claims to keep in mind each time he picks up his whistle, Kurir said.

The Serbian, 41, awarded a penalty for Germany on Monday, and then sent off Portugal's Pepe, sparking anger on the losing side.

Kurir quoted Mazic as saying that he enjoys the challenge of refereeing tough matches, such as the Belgrade derby between Red Star and Partizan, which are often packed full of incident - both on and off the pitch.