published
Fairplay Referee Pascal Martin (21) becomes a role model on the net
Pascal Martin from Dortmund has over half a million followers on Tiktok and is therefore the first young German referee to become a social media star. He mainly uses his internet presence to bring the subject of fair play closer to his community.
The number of spectators at the games doubles when Pascal whistles.
Instagram / Quallexd001
That’s what it’s regarding
-
Pascal Martin is known as «Jellyfish» in his internet community.
-
As a referee in amateur football, he repeatedly experiences violence on and off the football field.
-
The 21-year-old made it his mission to promote respect and fair play on social media.
Pascal Martin (21) has now built up an enormous reach on the Tiktok social media platform. The young referee’s videos are clicked millions of times. His content primarily reaches young players who feel and respect his passion for being a referee. Many not only follow him on social media, but even come to the stadium for the games that he whistles because of him.
Referee influencer regularly receives hate comments
The influencer is known on the Internet as “jellyfish”. The nickname, which he can’t shake off, comes from the French class he took at school. There is otherwise nothing to be seen of marine animals on Pascal Martin’s videos: Here he mainly posts insights into his everyday life as a referee, reacts to game situations or gives tips for a cultivated interaction with one another. At the age of 21, he has had many negative experiences in the past. He has to listen to hate comments like “dirty referee” or “you complete idiot” on the pitch and on social media. That’s part of it, says Pascal Martin on Instagram.
Every medal has two sides
Pascal Martin, on the other hand, is valued by his fans and football teams. In one of his clips on Tiktok, you can see how excited players run to the referee following the final whistle, want to hug him and take a picture with him. His community also expresses himself in the comment columns with statements such as “You’re welcome” or “At some point he will make it big and whistle in the Bundesliga”. The referee and content creator has become a role model, especially for the younger generation, and encourages potential youngsters to become referees themselves.
