Marco Serra has been dismissed from the list of referees for Serie A and B after a series of scandals involving Roma, Jose Mourinho and Milan.
The Turin-based official is set to turn 41 in September and was therefore still within the age limits to continue refereeing.
However, the AIA (Italian Referees Association) decided to dismiss him from the list for the 2023-24 campaign.
It comes after numerous problems, the most dramatic of which included the error blowing the whistle for a Milan foul rather than giving the advantage, meaning that the Junior Messias goal against Spezia could not be allowed even with the intervention of VAR.
To make matters worse, moments later Spezia ran up the other end and scored the winning goal.
Serra was in the headlines again last season as a fourth official when he got into a row with Roma coach Mourinho on the touchline during a game with Cremonese.
Mourinho was sent off, but furiously insisted he had been insulted by Serra.
Although the disciplinary commission did find Serra had been ‘unprofessional’ in his behaviour with Mourinho, he avoided punishment due to the late filing of paperwork, while the coach was handed a two-match touchline ban.
Serra will still be an official of sorts, as he will begin a new career in the VAR booth.
“I am much more polite than has been depicted,” assured Serra.