Changes in Referee Numbers: CAN (Serie A and B) Referees Reduced, Assistants Down, VMOs Up.
Antonio Zappi, head of the Italian Referees` Association (AIA), outlined his vision for the future: fewer referees overall, with a greater focus on developing young talent for international careers. “We want to produce top-tier referees,” Zappi stated. “For me, not having an Italian at the Club World Cup is a defeat, and just like the national team, we are working to be at the World Cup.” Speaking at the presentation of the national bodies at the FIGC, Zappi emphasized the need for renewal. He described it as a “constant need to seek the new and the best,” aiming for a future “increasingly based on valuing our technical excellences, avoiding political influences on their purity and quality.”
The Changes
Specifically, the number of referees in the CAN (covering Serie A and B) will decrease from 47 to 42, assistant referees from 84 to 76, while Video Match Officials (VMOs), a category Zappi calls one “we must invest in,” will slightly increase from 23 to 24. Zappi elaborated, “The national committee sets the staff numbers in March, but those figures were rarely adhered to in the past. This time, we succeeded in implementing the proposed reduction, accepting Rocchi`s suggestion. This is part of a technical, economic, and political project aimed at fostering a new level of autonomy, considering the budget and viewing referees as an investment, not just a cost.” He added, “The CAN had become too large, preventing referees from being assigned matches frequently due to extensive rotation. This significantly hindered the development of a new generation of officials, severely disadvantaging young talents.” Zappi also stressed the goal of lowering the average age: “We also want to focus on reducing the average age to provide these young referees with genuine international opportunities. The average age has decreased this year, but it is still not low enough.”
The Names
Referees promoted to the CAN include Claudio Giuseppe Allegretta (Molfetta), Andrea Calzavara (Varese), Giuseppe Mucera (Palermo), Nicolò Turrini (Florence), and Andrea Zanotti (Rimini). Those dismissed due to age limits are Aureliano and Ghersini. Referees removed based on technical evaluations are Cosso, Giua, Monaldi, Prontera, Rutella, and Scatena. Daniele Orsato and Santoro have resigned.
Orsato`s Future
Daniele Orsato`s future role will be determined on Friday when the technical committees are finalized. Commenting on speculation that Orsato might head the CAN C (Serie C referees), Zappi said, “Orsato has indicated his availability. We are considering it; he is certainly an excellent name, and I will discuss it with the national committee.” He added sincerely, “My personal relationship with Orsato is no secret. I wish him the same successful journey as Stefano Farina, who started in Serie D and then demonstrated the leadership qualities that we all miss.”
