Hostile fans, player complaint, screams from technicians. Not even being Father Gabriel Balan Leme, 31, he escapes provocations when he exchanges the cassock to the referee uniform. “Ends soon, Father, it’s time for the mass,” he has heard from fans who wanted to destabilize him in a game.
The priest does not shake, but admits uncomfortable. “As a referee, I’m there to whistle the game. Religious signs are very expensive and valuable and sometimes hear things like these, in a way, upset us,” he told us Sheet.
Arbitration has entered your life precisely to calm people’s spirits. During his days off at church, usually on Mondays, he used to play soccer with his friends. As his team had four goalkeepers, he took turns in the matches.
“When I was replaced, I just watched. Even among friends, I always had discussions and fights. When you put rivalry already has a conflict opportunity. That’s when I decided to whistle the matches. At first, I said that in a unpretentious way, but as soon as I started, it was passion at first sight,” he recalled.
It was also the way he found to maintain his connection with the church without neglecting his taste for football. “As a player I know I couldn’t reconcile with the church, which is my greatest vocation. So, with arbitration, I found a way to associate one thing with another.”
Like his journey to become a priest, with eight years of study, when he graduated in philosophy and theology, the trajectory in football was also gradually established. He started begging games at a football school in Ribeirão Preto, then in amateur championships until he seeks a more professional training.
“In 2023, I started taking the course of the Paulista Football Federation. Last year, I graduated. And this year is my first acting in the grassroots championships promoted by the Federation,” said the referee, who has played in games from the under-11 categories to the U-20.
Although he has the ambition to whistle matches of professionals, the leader of the Missionary Ecclesial Community of Our Lady Damaged Nodes, where she was ordered in 2018, defined that her priority will be the religious mission. “In the Federation board, they know that. So much so that sometimes I had to ask for dismissal due to church activities. As long as one thing does not disturb the other, I have this freedom.”
Both provocations and curses are part of the more passionate side of the fans. But each one has his conscience and knows what they will do of their lives
Even if one day cannot keep both functions, the priest does not intend to distance himself from sports. If the church has changed its spiritually, football has transformed its physical health. During his seminary period, which he says he lived in a “very intense” way, the priest developed an obesity picture. “When you are in prison, it ends up eating and ingesting a lot of liquid. Of course, it ends up gaining weight too.”
In the period, he even gained 20 kg, but managed to reverse the scale signal by devoting himself to sports. “In acting as a referee, it is essential to maintain this balance in health. This was decisive for me to get out of this picture to reach a minimally acceptable level to be on the field.”
Within the four lines, your motivation to stay in shape is constantly renewed. “I like this adrenaline, the responsibility of being a referee,” he said.
It also makes it pleased to be able to create a connection between religion and football. “Bringing to the soccer field my religious practice is nothing more, nothing less than bringing my own experience of faith. There, I find young people who may have different religions, but just like in church, there is also a concern to educate these young people. The grassroots category is also an educational barn.”
