Unbeliebt und hart geprüft: Auf dem Weg zum Bundesliga-Schiedsrichter | reporter

Football is the national sport in Germany. No wonder football players are celebrated as idols and rake in dizzying salaries. However, most football fans overlook one person: the referee. He only comes into focus when it comes to red cards and game-changing situations. As a rule, he's criticized by the crowd and even the players for everything he calls. For reporter Saadet, this sounds like a job no one would willingly choose. She follows referee Cengiz for a season to find out what he finds appealing about the job and what it actually takes to succeed as a referee. It's not just the football teams that are aiming for promotion, but the referees too. In the long run, Cengiz wants to make his dream come true and one day referee in the top tier, the Bundesliga. But to get there, he has to work his way up step by step and prove himself time and time again. Cengiz's season goal: The Oberliga (fifth tier). Very few make it this far; in his association, only about 20 out of 4,000 referees have reached this level. There are quite a few hurdles to overcome. Specifically, this means that Cengiz and the other referees regularly undergo match observations and are scrutinized and evaluated by experienced referees. They also have to prove themselves off the pitch. Only those who pass the written rules exam and a demanding fitness test have any chance of promotion. And even if all the requirements are met, promotion isn't automatic, because only the very best can secure one of the coveted spots. Did Cengiz make it this season? The funk format "reporter" ended on December 31, 2023. We have therefore deactivated the comment function for further comments. If you have any feedback or suggestions for us, please contact us via our contact form: https://www.funk.net/kontakt Music: Die Fantastischen Vier feat. Clueso - Together Jonas Brothers – Sucker Linkin Park – Shadow Of The Day Mark Forster – Choirs Team: Saadet Czapski, Tobias Budde, Jens Krange, Fabian Teichert, Paul Linke, Matthias Kopatz, Kerstin Richter You can also find us here: Twitter:   / reporter   Facebook:   / reporter.offiziell   YEAH! We're also part of #funk. Check it out: YouTube:    / funkofficial   funk WebApp: https://go.funk.net Facebook:   / funk   https://go.funk.net/impressum