French referee Clément Turpin is one of the two French referees selected for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, from June 11 to July 19. It is a pride for this native of Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne, 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 on the most anticipated sports competition of this summer (from June 11 to July 19). It will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It is a pride for him, who is still licensed with the 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 I will have 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, which is quite exceptional!”
A competition that requires thorough preparation
The competition starts in a little less than a month, with matches in three countries, but no particular worries for the referee from Saône-et-Loire. “It will be different because it’s in three countries, and the distances will be a bit longer. After, in terms of organization, it will be somewhat the same. I know a little and I know where I am stepping.” But for the Bourguignon, there is no question of relying on his past achievements. Clément Turpin knows that the key to success at the highest level is preparation.
“We are in the process of analyzing teams, a big job of physical tuning because the idea is to arrive there fresh, physically and mentally. It’s not easy because we have a number of competitions coming up before, with strong national stakes such as the last two days of the championship. So, we will have to meet the domestic requirements and arrive immediately to find physical and mental freshness because we know we are going to experience something completely crazy, both in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.”
“The World Cup, a unique event”
Despite his experience, the forty-year-old knows that the pressure will be strong. “It is an event that goes beyond simple football enthusiasts. It is a global event with the Olympics that unite people. So, a World Cup is totally unique.” So, to escape from all this, Clément Turpin has learned to get into his bubble to reduce the pressure and be as efficient as possible. With a wish for this World Cup: “It would be a World Cup where when I go home after, I can say that I have no regrets. That would be the most beautiful World Cup for me, to say, we lived it, we had a great time and we have no regrets.”
Favorable to the referees’ sound system
This World Cup will be the one where the referees’ sound system will be used for every match. The Bourguignon is in favor of the test device since last April in Ligue 1, for him, it has a pedagogical virtue.
“It’s a real way to make people understand our decision-making process, the reasons why we made this or that decision and with the bet that the more we are understood, the more we will be accepted.”
Clément Turpin, with this new selection, equals the record of another French referee, Joël Quiniou, the first Frenchman to have officiated in three FIFA World Cups. The other French referee selected for this World Cup is François Letexier. At 37 years old, it is his first World Cup. In total, 150 central referees, assistant referees, or video referees have been selected.
