President of Italy Sergio Mattarella advised Juventus and Milan ahead of the Coppa Italia Final and said “our referees are the best in the world.”
The Final kicks off in Rome on Wednesday at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT), so both teams visited the Quirinale palace today.
References to the tense political situation in Italy were inevitable after the various parties failed to reach an agreement on a coalition government, meaning there could be new elections.
President of Italy Sergio Mattarella advised Juventus and Milan ahead of the Coppa Italia Final and said “our referees are the best in the world.”
The Final kicks off in Rome on Wednesday at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT), so both teams visited the Quirinale palace today.
References to the tense political situation in Italy were inevitable after the various parties failed to reach an agreement on a coalition government, meaning there could be new elections.
“You seem like teams who are competing, but respect each other with heart and fairness,” said Mattarella.
“This reminds me of referees, who I consider to be my colleagues. In my inaugural address, I compared myself to a referee, assuring my impartiality. I then said the players must help the referee by playing fair.
“A referee can officiate a game well if he is aided by fair play from all concerned. When you don’t notice a referee, that means the protagonists are doing their job. A good referee hopes he is never noticed and I believe our referees are the best in the world.”