Serie A refereeing designator Gianluca Rocchi maintains they have ‘eliminated 90 per cent of errors, but people only focus on the 10 per cent’ that seep through in the era of VAR.
The 2021-22 campaign was a controversial one when it came to refereeing decisions, with clubs such as Milan, Inter, Atalanta and Roma particularly furious with the officials.
Nonetheless, Rocchi is confident that the season was “certainly positive and this bodes well for the future, because we are investing in a group of young referees who can really grow into great officials. If I am criticised for giving time on the field to younger officials, I will take that.”
Rocchi was speaking at a seminar on refereeing in the era of Video Assistant Referee technology and he warns we are still in the early stages of this approach in the sport.
“Expectations have really gone up. The fact that we reduced 90 per cent of errors seems to go unnoticed, because people only focus on the 10 per cent remaining.”
As for protests from coaches such as Milan’s Stefano Pioli that Serie A officials blow the whistle far too often compared to the Champions League, Rocchi insists the Italian referees are “officiating in a European style.”
He discussed specialisation in becoming a VAR in future, over the next two or three years creating a core of seven or eight regulars who can also help to train others.