French referee Clément Turpin is one of the two French referees selected for the upcoming World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19. It is a source of pride for this native of Saône-et-Loire, who has set himself a goal: to have no regrets.
He is French and will be at the heart of the upcoming World Cup. Clément Turpin is one of the two French referees selected for the most anticipated sporting event of the summer (from June 11 to July 19). It will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. A proud moment for someone who is still a member of FC Montceau Bourgogne in Saône-et-Loire, with the goal of having no regrets.
“I promised myself to take the time to savor every second that will be given to me down there. Because it will be five weeks, six weeks that will be completely incredible and well, we are privileged, we will be actors of a World Cup, that is quite exceptional!”
A competition that requires significant preparation
The competition starts in less than a month, with matches in three countries, but no particular concern for the referee from Saône-et-Loire. “It will be different because it’s in three countries, and the distances will be a bit greater. But in terms of organization, it will be the same. I know a bit and I know where I’m stepping.” But for the native of Burgundy, resting on his laurels is out of the question. Clément Turpin knows that the key to success at the highest level is preparation. “We are in the analysis phase of the teams, a lot of physical fine-tuning work because the idea is to arrive fresh, physically and mentally. It’s not easy because we have a number of competitions coming up, with strong national stakes such as the last two matchdays of the league. So, we will have to meet both domestic demands and then immediately find physical and mental freshness because we know we will experience something completely crazy, in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.”
“The World Cup, a unique event”
Despite his experience, the 40-year-old knows that the pressure will be intense. “It’s an event that goes beyond just football enthusiasts. It’s a global event, along with the Olympics that unite people. So a World Cup is totally unique.” So to escape all that, Clément Turpin has learned to focus and lower the pressure to be as efficient as possible. With a wish for this World Cup: “It would be a World Cup where when I return home afterward, I can say that I have no regrets. That would be the most beautiful World Cup for me, to say we experienced it, had a great time, and have no regrets.”
Supportive of referee sound amplification
This World Cup will be the one where referee sound amplification will be used for every match. The native of Burgundy is supportive of the device being tested since last April in Ligue 1, finding it educational. “It’s a real way to make people understand our decision-making process, the reasons why we made a particular decision, with the belief that the better we are understood, the more we will be accepted.”
Clément Turpin, who with this new selection, equals the record of another French referee, Joël Quiniou, the first Frenchman to have officiated in three World Cup football tournaments. The other French referee selected for this World Cup is François Letexier. At 37 years old, it’s his first World Cup. In total, 150 central referees, assistant referees, or video referees have been selected.
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