Former Serie A referee Gianluca Rocchi saw ‘many correct decisions’ of referee Fabio Maresca in Roma–Sassuolo and says Paulo Fonseca: ‘Must keep calm.’
Roma’s boss was sent off in the first half of the Giallorossi’s 0-0 stalemate at the Olimpico on Sunday.
Former Serie A referee Gianluca Rocchi saw ‘many correct decisions’ of referee Fabio Maresca in Roma-Sassuolo and says Paulo Fonseca: ‘Must keep calm.’
Roma’s boss was sent off in the first half of the Giallorossi’s 0-0 stalemate at the Olimpico on Sunday.
Maresca has been criticised by Italian sports papers for a red card shown to Pedro while Sassuolo's Pedro Obiang wasn’t sent off for a reckless tackle.
Roma did also protest for a potential penalty kick and had a goal disallowed after a VAR check.
Rocchi, a former Serie A referee now serving as interlocutor between referees and clubs, believes Maresca’s refereeing wasn’t as bad.
“When there is a wrong decision everyone only focuses on that. Overall, I saw may correct decisions taken by Maresca,” he told Radio Anch’Io lo sport.
“One doesn’t become a bad referee if he takes a wrong decision on a penalty. Understanding the error has two purposes: the first do not make mistakes anymore, the second is to understand why he made a mistake.
“We’ve already had a meeting with Roma, Fonseca is an extremely available person," he continued.
“In the first half he protested for decisions that were less wrong than what he thought. Dealing with the referee in that way can lead to consequences.
“One must keep calm. It can happen to find a person under stress on the other side. Maresca’s decision to send him off was legitimate.”