Legendary referee revealed the smartest footballer he ever officiated: "A genius"

Former international football referee Alon Yefet was a guest on the podcast "Machzit BaShchuna" with Ron Amikam from Sport1, where he recalled moments from his career and told who was the smartest Israeli player he ever officiated.

Yefet, considered one of the top referees in the modern era of Israeli football and the first Israeli to officiate a Champions League match, also addressed during the interview the great players he met throughout his career.

When asked who was the smartest player he officiated, Yefet distinguished between ability and game intelligence:

"I can tell you who the smartest player is. I officiated Cristiano Ronaldo, also Ronaldo Nazario, also Ronaldinho and Rivaldo, choose between them. The smartest in Israel is Yossi Abukasis. He was the smartest."

Yefet spoke about Abukasis's ability to understand what was happening on the pitch and read the game: "When Yossi was on the pitch, nothing happened by chance. He was a genius. He knew when he was standing on the ball, when he was sending one of the players to stand on the ball, when they were restarting the game, why you were blowing the whistle, how you were blowing the whistle, and what you did."

According to him, Abukasis managed to understand even the referee's thoughts during the game: "He would broadcast the game to you and what you were thinking. He never cursed."

Yefet added that he himself was used to reading moves during games, but Abukasis was the only one who managed to understand a large part of how he thought: "I would think a lot during the game and read moves in advance, and he is the only person who knew how to read a great deal of what I was thinking. We respected each other, but if I had to send him off..."

Later, Yefet told about an incident where he sent off Abukasis, who was then an assistant coach at Hapoel Tel Aviv: "Once he came as an assistant coach with Hapoel Tel Aviv to Teddy, so he came specifically to make the game, to play a little, and to do this and that, so even though I like him very much, he was angry at me, but I sent him off. In terms of football, he understood the game."

Yefet was also asked about another player whom he had to send off no less than four times during his career. The answer was Barak Itzhaki, whom Yefet defined as one of his best friends:

"Four times Barak Itzhaki, and he is my best friend. The best person, a great guy, it just happened. I think once for a second yellow card in Ramat Gan. Once in a match in 2010, after the goal, he hit someone. Another time in Netanya. It happened to me, I also get upset about it, what can you do?"

During the extensive interview, Yefet recalled his long career and meetings with prominent players from Israel and the world, while sharing stories behind the decisions he made on the pitch.