Rome resident and Serie A referee Daniele Doveri has been selected to officiate Roma’s upcoming league clash against away at Hellas Verona on Saturday evening.
A rule that states that referees can not take charge of matches involving teams from the same region as the one they live in has been dropped by the Italian referees’ association, the AIA. Doveri is the first official to be impacted by the slight change in rules.
Doveri himself was born and grew up in Volterra, Tuscany and has recently claimed that the location of a referee’s current residence should have no impact on the decision making process on the field.
Quoted by Il Corriere dello Sport, Doveri said: “I would be very happy [to referee Roma] and above all, it would be a step forwards for the whole football movement.
“[The change in rules] recognises the merit and professionalism of the referees, which is very high, and in 2023 cannot be measured by residence.”
Roma’s visit to Verona kicks off at 19.45 BST on Saturday evening.
Agreed. But refereeing decisions generally needs deeper scrutiny as a whole.