'You have to be a masochist to be a referee', says Michel Platini

The former France international was in Glasgow at the weekend to witness an Old Firm match live for the first time, and was aware of the intense scrutiny of match referee Willie Collum before, during and after the fixture at Celtic Park, which Rangers won 3-1 to continue their 100 per cent start to the season.

"This is the story of a referee: he is always under pressure because he is one man," Platini said on the Scottish Football Association website. "In tennis, there is one umpire, but 12 people who have a say around a much smaller playing area. In a beautiful world you respect the decisions of a referee even when he has made a mistake. We have Fair Play and Respect campaigns, but it seems we are still a long way off from achieving a good understanding."

Although Platini is not an advocate of goalline technology - "then we will have PlayStation football" - he was instrumental in the introduction of two new assistant referees on the goal-line - an innovation which was first used in last season's Europa League and has now been extended to the Champions League. "One referee is not enough, not in the modern era where you have 20 cameras," he continued. "It is unfair. The cameras can see everything, but the referee only has one pair of eyes. Every time he makes a mistake, those cameras are there to focus on it.

"It is why for the past ten years I have asked to change the job of the referee, to help improve the situation and to give the referees better support.

"These people are going to make mistakes, and to be a referee I think you have to be a masochist. The system is bad and I have known this for 40 years.

"The referee has to be helped by the clubs, the fans, by players, by the media and also by the authorities - everyone has a responsibility. It is why we have added two assistants for Champions League games this season. It is a logical step with so many cameras that can pick up incidents. The more eyes there to assist the referee, the better the chance of spotting those incidents."

But, as well as introducing more assistant referees and calling for everyone involved with the sport to show more respect towards referees, Platini went on to explain that he believed the officials also had to help themselves by keeping a firm grip on a match and stamping down on indiscipline.

"We have to help, that's my philosophy, but referees can also help themselves. They have the power to earn respect. When I was a player, if I went face to face with a referee and received a yellow card, I would not go near him again. If the referee did not show me a yellow card, I would see a weakness in him and do it again. That is reality.

"The referee has to be allowed to do his job. We understand there is a big pressure on him, but, as I said, it is up to all of us to help."

Platini was a guest of honour at Celtic Park, with pitchside billboards proclaiming "Celtic Football Club welcomes Michel Platini to Paradise". There were 13 arrests at the game and the Scottish Premier League is awaiting its match delegate's report before deciding whether to take action after sections of both supports were heard singing sectarian songs. The Uefa president, however, preferred to emphasise the positive side of the occasion, declaring that "the fervour and anticipation of the supporters is special".

He added that the passionate support for the national team could be a major asset at Euro 2012 in Ukraine and Poland if Scotland qualify.

"I love the passion of football fans in Scotland. They come to support their team with colour, with happiness and without violence. Yes, I think the spectacle of a European Championships would be helped by the Scotland supporters, because they bring so much to the game."

Meanwhile, Celtic midfielder Ki Sung-yeung says he and his team-mates must forget the pain of the 3-1 Old Firm derby defeat and look ahead to tomorrow's Co-operative Insurance Cup quarter-final at St Johnstone.

With a cup semi-final place up for grabs, Ki is putting events at Parkhead behind him and looking ahead to McDiarmid Park in Perth. Ki told the club's official website: "I feel very disappointed because we scored the first goal, but gave them three goals in 20 minutes in the second half.

"We suffered because of a lack of concentration and we made mistakes. But the game has gone now and we have to concentrate on our next game against St Johnstone."

South Korea midfielder Ki is determined to learn from and improve upon his performance in his first Old Firm derby.

The 21-year-old said: "The new players who have not played in the derby can learn from this experience. Then, when we play in the next game, we will be more helpful to the older and more experienced players who played (on Sunday]."