Daniele Orsato will officiate the 2022 World Cup semi-final between Argentina and Croatia, quite an achievement for ‘the oldest referee in the world’ and he’ll need to be ‘tough.’
It kicks off in Qatar at 19.00 GMT and features several Serie A players, including Marcelo Brozovic, Leandro Paredes and Mario Pasalic in the starting XI.
Perhaps that knowledge and rapport is why he was chosen, especially with former Calcio stars like Ivan Perisic, Rodrigo De Paul, Mateo Kovacic and Cuti Romero also playing.
A trained electrician who turned 47 in November, Orsato spoke about his characteristics and approach to the sport.
“I’m the oldest referee in the world, even if I have no problems with technical and athletic tests,” he told the Corriere del Veneto newspaper.
“On the pitch I am serious and even gruff, in everyday life I am different, much calmer and more cheerful. It’s the role I play for 90 minutes that makes me strict and sometimes even tough.”
He will need to be tough, considering the chaotic scenes and ugly clashes seen when Argentina beat the Netherlands on penalties in the quarter-finals.
Orsato also officiated the opening game of the tournament between Qatar and Ecuador, while in 2020 he was named referee of the year by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, having been given the Champions League Final between PSG and Bayern Munich.