A historic turning point is set to revolutionize Italian football: starting this Saturday, referees will directly announce their decisions made with the assistance of VAR to the entire stadium. This new practice, trialed during summer training camps, marks a significant shift in referee communication.
The referee designator, much like an artist breathing life into their creation, has finally given a voice to the referees. This Saturday, with the start of the Serie A championship, match officiating will emerge from its silent era, almost a century after the advent of sound cinema. VAR decisions will be communicated directly to the entire stadium. Implementing this new feature is far from simple, as evidenced by simulations during the training camp in Cascia: referees showed awkwardness and trembling voices, akin to a school play. Imagine the pressure of announcing a crucial decision before 80,000 spectators in a derby, comparable to a debut at La Scala. The primary concern is making mistakes or verbal stumbles, potentially triggering an embarrassing wave of snickers.
One can imagine a summer dedicated to intense drills, perhaps using a karaoke microphone, mimicking announcements in front of relatives, or obsessively repeating the VAR intervention, much like Colin Firth in `The King`s Speech`. Success will also depend on individual character; a charismatic referee like Collina, for example, would have delivered announcements with the power of Vittorio Gassman. To assist the officials, designator Rocchi has developed a series of standardized formulas to be used, similar to a GPS navigator. However, with time and experience, referees will gain more confidence and perhaps even allow themselves more elaborate interpretations, perhaps Shakespearean (`Congruous or incongruous movement? That is the dilemma. Incongruous: penalty!`) or inspired by Cicero: `How long, O simulators, will you abuse our patience? He dived, no penalty!`. The curtain rises: let the show begin! A good championship to all our referees.
