Imagine playing a game of soccer and all of the sudden thinking to yourself, “I think the referee is having more fun than me.” Would this be a question that challenged your perception of life? Would you all of the sudden wonder, maybe I should have taken that dance class is high school? Would you declare that yes, you can wear that pink blazer that you’ve always been to afraid to wear? It is certainly a thought that has never passed through my mind, but then again, I have never played in a game officiated by Clésio Moreira dos Santos, a.k.a. Margarida.
True to his nickname, Clesio brings a certain flavor to the task of officiating that other referees lack.
We know very little about Clesio as a man outside of the fact that he is a referee in Brazilian football. Here is an interview with him for a Portuguese language production that is probably informative, but as I don’t speak Portuguese, any information it has is lost on me. None the less, it gives you a full look at the most flamboyant ref in the world.
Honestly I see Clesio as an inspiration. How many people can take something as bland as refereeing and put their own original spin on it as convincingly, and effectively, as he does? It’s comparable to your local librarian all of the sudden showing up to work in an orange stripped onesie after a lifetime of wearing khakis and a button down and charming the socks off some pre-teens.
I salute you, Margarida.
