AIA President Marcello Nicchi has claimed the referees are ready to resume play and confirmed measures are taken to keep VAR in place.
The chief of the Referees’ Association said football ‘can’t wait until the country reaches zero infections’ and has insisted Serie A can restart if they are ‘followed up and controlled’.
AIA President Marcello Nicchi has claimed the referees are ready to resume play and confirmed measures are taken to keep VAR in place.
The chief of the Referees’ Association said football ‘can’t wait until the country reaches zero infections’ and has insisted Serie A can restart if they are ‘followed up and controlled’.
“If we wait for the infections to reach zero across the country, we could never start again,” Nicchi told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “There will be a small calculated risk margin, but we will have to be good at minimising it through decisions of common sense.
“For the refereeing sector it should involve short trips and I hope they will not be immediately challenged by those who want to make controversy.
“There are many categories that are still in business today, from doctors, true symbols of this pandemic, to those who work in supermarkets, offices or newspapers.
“Athletes and referees can work again if they are properly followed up and controlled. There’s a need to resume, but we leave the heroism to those who save lives, not to those who chase a ball.”
Nicchi revealed he has been reassured that VAR will take the necessary measures and will be ready for the resumption.
“The company that deals with all the technology has assured us that the rooms with the equipment in the stadiums will be sanitised and the safety distances will be maintained,” he added. “Perhaps the number of people will decrease.
“Today, there are six. It could be less, but VAR will be there.”
With the proposal of shorter trips for the referees, the discussion about match officials overseeing games in the city or the region they belong to has caused some concern.
“It’s our intention to choose the referees we see fit for the most important matches and without the geographical constraints,” he said. “But we start from two assumptions; all our referees offer guarantees and the referees and assistants don’t travel by coach or charter as teams.
“They do it on their own time with car, train or plane. If we can allow a referee to reach the game without crossing half of Italy, it’s better.
“We hope there’s no need for attention, but if there was any, it’s correct to protect the health. Do we want to say that a professional referee, if the pandemic makes it necessary, could not referee the team from his city? I refuse this.”