In order to ask for protection for Brazilian referee Raphael Claus before each match, his wife, Carolina Claus, organizes a small domestic altar. She places two cards, one red and one yellow, next to a 2022 World Cup coin, next to an image of Our Lady of Aparecida in the living room, lighting a candle.
This ritual symbolizes Carolina’s desires for security, draw results in games and even the celebration of cards applied in matches under the command of the referee from Santa Bárbara d’Oeste (SP). Raphael Claus will make his World Cup debut this Sunday (21), at 1pm, in the clash between Spain and Saudi Arabia.
The dedication of the family, including the couple’s three children, is manifested in religious traditions and attachment to items that mark the referee’s career. Being devotees of Our Lady of Aparecida, everyone visited the sanctuary in Aparecida (SP) to express gratitude for Raphael’s call-ups for the 2022 and current World Cups.
“We leave the objects and say a prayer”, explained Carolina Claus. “We watch the game and keep them in the room, where we have Our Lady. We are very devout. When he was called up for the two World Cups, we went to Aparecida to thank him. We lit our candle and remained in the crowd.”
She added about the climate of expectation: “We have a lot of expectations. We are always looking forward to his debut, because we know how much he dedicated himself to getting to the World Cup, how challenging it was. The anxiety is high.”
Raphael Claus’ family celebrates cards and cheers for games with equal scores
Supporting a referee during a match is quite different from supporting a player or a team. Carolina expresses her support with prayers, whistles and horns, preferring to watch each move attentively at home, to check her husband’s performance and “if he’s blowing the whistle correctly”.
“Our fans are so that there is no controversy, so I hope the ball stays in the middle of the field and the game ends in a draw”, explained Carolina. “It’s because if no one wins, everyone is happy, right? When one team wins and the other loses, there are always people who complain.”
Lucca Claus, aged eight, shows great pride in her father and remembers important details of Raphael’s career in refereeing, such as the beginning of his career in 2002 and his debut in the 2022 World Cup, in a match between England and Iran that ended 6-2.
“In games, I root for my father to do his best. When he shows a red card and I believe it is the right decision, I celebrate”, revealed Lucca. The boy also shares his aspirations: “Just like my father, I will be a football player and I also want to be a referee. When I retire, I will become a judge.”
Other Brazilian referees called up for the tournament
The current edition of the World Cup, which will feature 104 games, included 52 referees, 87 assistants and 30 video referees. In addition to Raphael Claus, Brazil will be represented by Ramon Abatti Abel and Wilton Pereira Sampaio as main referees.
Wilton Pereira Sampaio led the opening match of this World Cup, which involved Mexico and South Africa. He issued three red cards, setting a new record for World Cup opening matches.
The Brazilian arbitration delegation also includes five assistants: Bruno Boschillia, Bruno Pires, Danilo Manis, Rodrigo Figueiredo and Rafael Alves. Rodolpho Toski Marques will act as video referee (VAR) in the competition.
If the Brazilian team advances to the final stages of the tournament, the participation of the country’s referees will be terminated, preventing the trio of judges from refereeing the decisive matches. Carolina admitted that she supports the Brazilian team, but emphasized that her support leans a little more towards her husband’s career.
“I support Rapha more. Of course we support Brazil, but we know that, if Brazil is eliminated, they have the chance to referee a semi-final, depending on their performance. So, we are a little divided and with a heavy heart”, declared Carolina.
FIFA criteria for choosing international referees
The International Federation of Association Football (Fifa), responsible for organizing the World Cup, reported that the referee selection process lasted approximately three years.
The designations were based on the “quality first” criteria. To define the selected referees, factors such as consistency of performance in various tournaments, both international and national, in the years leading up to the World Cup were evaluated.
During this period, Raphael’s routine was more disciplined than that of many athletes. According to Carolina, the family faced several hardships and even gave up end-of-year celebrations so that Raphael could win the much-desired call-up.
“It wasn’t easy to get there. I followed this entire journey of great dedication. It was very moving to see him whistle, because I believe it’s the pinnacle that everyone wants to reach, whether in their career as a player or as a referee. The World Cup is where everyone aspires to be”, concluded Carolina.