Foto: @montinifoto at Instagram

Interview with Ulrica Löv, referee in damallsvenskan

Ulrica Löv has been breathing football since she was little. Growing up in a football family and with bigger siblings who refereed football, the way to be a referee became quite natural for her. We are happy that Ulrica uses the referee's watch from Spintso and hope that it is a tool that makes it easier for her towards her goal of becoming an international football referee.

– Hello Ulrica. Spring is more or less here, in the southern part of Sweden at least. How is the situation and do you have spring feelings?

–It's good with me and yes, a little spring feelings. Spring is starting to come here and the last few weeks have been absolutely fantastic with lots of sun.

– Can you briefly tell us who you are and how your interest in football and refereeing began?

– I am from Upplands / Väsby where I grew up with my parents and two older siblings. From the beginning we have been a football family where both my siblings played football and refereed football. Of course, I followed in the same footsteps. Our mother club had at the time that all players had to take a refereeing course to referee a cup that they took care of. After that I continued to refereeing and I was quite annoyed as a player on the "center circle referees" who stood in the center circle and thought they saw everything.

–So you started refereeing as an local club referee and when you were ... how old?

– I was born in 1993 and started refereeing in 2008 so I think I was turn 14 or 15 years old when I started as a referee. Then I started refereeing 5- and 7-man football for two seasons, since 2010 I started referee 11-man youth football. And in 2012, I started as a district referee.

– What was it that made you take the step from local club referee to a district referee?

– It became natural for me, because I got the chance and continued. I also got the chance to go Stage 2 very fast and went Stage 2 the same year, 2012 in other words. You got to see so much more there, compared that you go and referee for yourself, for example. A community that suited me and that affiliation in the football family, I also felt like a referee.

– Now you referee the Damallsvenskan, highest womens league, here in Sweden. Do you referee anything else as well?

– I have been in div.3 men, but have not come back there yet from when I was a on parental leave. This season 2022 will be my first proper season after I have been on parental leave for a while. I have not really decided how I want to do, if I only focus on damallsvenskan or if I should do the tests for men as well.

– What does it mean for you, to be a referee?

– Oh. It was a very good and difficult question. I think the most important point for me is that I have been able to continue to be a part of football, to belong to the football family and the community that everything around the refereeing provides.

– Difficult question, you said, we are trying to spin even more on that topic then. What makes you referee football? That you keep going and think it's fun?

– I think it's so incredibly fun to be a referee. Being there all the emotions in matches, those extra important matches when it can get even more emotions is a great feeling. Then I want to be there and help and make sure that it will be good for everyone. To feel the atmosphere around and that it is serious and you almost feel the tension in the air, then it is extra fun to referee.

– Is being a referee a hobby, lifestyle, job ... or something else for you?

– It's in the middle of all those areas. Now I have come up a bit and it is a profession for me, even if it is not my main profession because I normally work 100% as a lawyer. Referee is then next to the other, but I definitely see it as an extra job. It has become more than just a hobby for me.

– How can you combine everything, work, children, referee?

– It's going great! I have a boss who is very understanding and I have a man here at home who does not think it is any strange at all that I want to invest in being a referee. It is very nice for me that I get support from family and work in this, so it works well to combine.

– Did you think of one thing now Ulrica? Everything you talked about above now is probably the answer to the question of what it means to be a referee for you.

– Yes absolutely. I focus a lot on this and the community around and everyone can be a referee and belong to that community. Just like you see the community of belonging to a team, of being a player.

– An important part of being a referee is to have good physique. What do you train most and preferably?

– In damallsvenskan we have a physio coach where I get a lot of help with training and other things. What I feel it gives the most is the interval workouts, I like the feeling when you are a little extra tired after the workout. Now I understand that the medium-intensity workouts are important to me, to have a good basic condition. I have received these very well now during the pre-season and the physio coach and me are having a good dialogue.

– It sounds like you are ready for the season! What are you most looking forward to for the season?

– It is first and foremost to come back to damallsvenskan. Now it was 1.5 years since I was there and it will be nice to come back to matches there. I started refereeing last fall, but then in div.1 to get started and to have matches again.

– Further ahead then. Do you have a goal with the refereeing Ulrica?

– The long-term goal is to get that FIFA badge of course. Getting international matches! A short-term goal for me is to get up in div.2 men again. I was on my way there before the pandemic, but then the pandemic and a child came in between.

– Thank you so much for this Ulrica. We wish you good luck!