It’s been a weekend to forget for referees in Serie A as Giovanni Ayroldi will be the latest official to be handed a suspension after his errors in Inter’s win over Genoa.
Officiating in Serie A became the talking point of the 27th matchday, starting with the disaster class from Marco Di Bello in Milan’s 1-0 win over Lazio on Friday evening, where the referee brandished 11 yellow cards and three red cards as he lost control of the match, derailing proceedings.
Matteo Marchetti became the next referee under the spotlight after his errors in the goalless draw between Torino and Fiorentina. He is expected to miss two Serie A match days, whilst Di Bello is set for a longer spell out of the topflight after already being suspended back in August.
As reported by Sky Sports Italia, referee Gianluca Rocchi has decided to hand Ayroldi a suspension, or a ‘pause for reflection’, after his insufficient work in Inter’s win over Genoa, with two particularly egregious mistakes being the penalty awarded and the booking to Lautaro Martinez.
The FIGC have defended Serie A referees following the outpouring of criticism in recent days and will meet with Rocchi in Rome soon to discuss the ongoing situation.