Theodore Learns About a Famous Soccer Referee

Theodore the turtle was relaxing by the pond one sunny afternoon when his friend Franny the frog hopped over excitedly.

"Theodore, did you hear about the soccer game last night? The referee made such an interesting call!" Franny exclaimed.

Theodore was curious. "Tell me more about referees, Franny. What do they do?"

Franny explained that referees make sure players follow the rules in soccer games. She told Theodore about a famous French referee named Joël Quiniou.

"Joël Quiniou was born in 1950 in Paris," Franny said. "He refereed many important soccer matches, including eight games in the World Cup!"

Theodore's eyes widened. "Wow, he must have been very good at his job."

Franny nodded. "He was known for making quick decisions. In one World Cup game in 1986, he gave a red card to a player after only 1 minute! That's still the fastest red card ever given in a World Cup match."

Theodore learned that Quiniou refereed World Cup games in 1986, 1990, and 1994. He made some controversial calls, but was respected for his experience.

"After he retired from refereeing, Quiniou was given a special award by the French government," Franny added.

Theodore smiled. "It sounds like being a referee is an important job that requires good judgment. Thanks for teaching me about Joël Quiniou, Franny!"

The turtle and frog friends spent the rest of the afternoon imagining what it would be like to referee an exciting World Cup match.