Olatz Rivera is the referee who will whistle the final of the Queen’s Cup that faces this Saturday (9:00 p.m. peninsular time) to Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid in it Gran Canaria stadium. A special duel for the Basque braid, not only because it is its first cup final but also for having his son (Lucio), barely a month old, in the stands of the Canarian Coliseum. “He is my greatest motivation right now and I go out to the field thinking: ‘I have to do it for him‘”, he assures the official media. “I always thought, during pregnancy, what would be the moment, which I would love, when my son came to see me at a game. I think this Cup final is the finishing touch to end the season. One day, when he is older, I will tell him that when he was one month old his mother refereed that game and, even if he doesn’t remember, I hope he feels proud,” he adds.
Olatz, elite international referee, found out about the designation in a hidden camera what the CTA did to him with the presence of Fran Soto, Yolanda Parga and Marta Frías. “I was a little blocked, speechless. They set up a kind of hidden camera for me and my attitude at first was like: ‘Ugh, I’ve done something bad‘. Then they gave me the news and it was a complete surprise. “I didn’t expect it at all,” he confesses. “Now, perhaps with my new personal stage, I realize that it’s not just you. Behind you is your family, your friends and I feel that I have to give back to them for all the effort they are making so that I can fulfill my dream,” he highlights.
Among these supports, Olatz highlights the name of Elena, his partner. “I thank her for the world and even more for supporting me. As any parent can imagine, having a child is the most beautiful act that anyone has done for me, even though it is much more of a sacrifice for her than for me. Giving my best in my work, in every game, is the way I have to compensate for everything she does for me,” he resolves.
Nine years of constant learning
Olatz Rivera during a game this season
The Basque braid talks about its amulets and essentials. “I have a tape of Pilar; a figurine of the Virgin of Pilar; a notebook where I write down things, especially what they have recommended to me in the last games; and photos of family, friends and teammates to remind me that I am not alone,” she explains.
Olatz tried her luck as a soccer player before becoming a refereemilitating in the Itugarpe, Bizkerre and Arratia until hang up his boots at 20 years old. “I have played soccer all my life, I took it very seriously and had very clear objectives, but for whatever reason my path to being a soccer player was cut short,” he warns. “I remember one time I was with a teammate, Arantxa, and a friend of hers showed up who was on her way to the Committee because she was going to sign up for a futsal refereeing course and we accompanied her. Along the way we decided to sign up too and the day the course started four people from the same team showed up. Three of them are still in this world. If that day I hadn’t met Arantxa for a coffee or that friend of hers hadn’t stopped by, what would have happened to me?” reflect. “With motherhood I have reconsidered a lot about this. I have gone from being a girl who has just come out of the oven to facing this new challenge of motherhood. I feel that during these nine years I have grown immensely both professionally and in life and refereeing has given me a lot in that aspect because it gives you values and strength that you do not find in any other job,” she says.