Referee Arthur Soares Dias is very proud to represent Portugal.

Referee Arthur Soares Dias feels “immense pride” at representing Portugal again at the European Football Championship, saying his goal is to “stay under the radar” and improve the sport.

“I have a great desire to represent Portugal. This is always a huge source of pride. After so many World Cups, after the Olympic Games, which were an epic moment, to do a double at the European Championships is without a doubt not only a source of pride for me, but a source of pride for Portuguese refereeing and Portuguese football. We are full of talent and competence, we just need to know how to value it, develop it, create value, add, combine and that’s it. we love doing this,” he said in a statement to Lusa.

Arthur Soares Dias is one of 18 referees appointed for Euro 2024, which starts on Friday and runs until July 14 in Germany. This will be his 10th participation in the final stages of major competitions and his sixth participation as the main “judge”.

Porto association referee, 44, international since 2010, was present at Euro 2020, which was held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and officiated two matches: between Wales and Turkey (2–0) , as well as between the Czech Republic and England (0-1).

Regarding expectations for a second appearance in the continental competition, Soares Dias explains that, like the players, results and performances are also important when judging.

“We had the opportunity to get into a limited group, for example, at the European Championships with 18 judges, at the Olympics in a limited group of four, at the World Championships and so on. This is the result of the performances we achieved throughout the tournament. As for whether we will go far in the competition or not, that is a recurring question. It’s true that we like to stay under the radar, if Portugal makes it to the final it will be a huge pride and joy,” he stressed.

Soares Dias will be assisted in the competition by Paulo Soares and Pedro Ribeiro. Thiago Martins from the Lisbon Association has been appointed by UEFA as a video referee for Euro 2024.

Soares Dias explains that participating in the competition is not just an achievement for him, noting that there are “great teams” who are working to reach this level.

“Of course there are my assistant referees, but also the fourth officials, VAR, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and the Arbitration Council. Referees need many qualities to reach the highest level. Honesty, strong personality, leadership and communication skills are key. it is important to manage the game, and to be able to listen to criticism as a referee is a huge honor,” he emphasized.

While he refereed the first European final of his career, taking part in the European Conference League title match between Olympiacos and Fiorentina (1-0), Soares Dias now wants to represent Portugal as well as possible at the European Championships. .

“The European Final was a great moment and I hope I can continue to be fit to represent Portugal in the best possible way. That’s what I always remember – the appreciation of Portuguese football. The goal at the European Championships is to go unnoticed, to appreciate football. That’s our goal, not only mine, of everyone who contributed to me being here. I am just the visible face of many people,” he concluded.