Italian government provides legal protection for the referees after they face continuous abuse in Seri-A matches
Referees in Italy will now receive the same legal protection as police officers and other public officials, Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said, to help curb a rise in cases of assault in sports such as football. A change to the penal code will mean much tougher penalties, including potential jail, for acts of violence against match officials, including pushing, hitting, or threatening. The move follows months of discussions between the government and the Italian Football Referees Association. The law, part of a decree approved by the Italian government late on Friday, extends protection to all officials responsible for ensuring sporting fixtures are conducted fairly. Abuse towards match officials at all levels of Italian football has become a growing concern. In December, Serie-A referees highlighted the issue by wearing black smudges on their cheeks during matches as a symbol of protest. In one notorious example last season, 19-year-old referee Diego Alfonzetti was attacked when he took charge of a youth match in Sicily. Alfonzetti was invited onto the pitch alongside the match officials before the Lazio-Rome Serie A derby in April as an act of solidarity. “Sport is loyalty and sharing. Those who do not accept it are warned: from tomorrow violent behaviour and aggression against referees will be punished without delay, even with prison,” said Senator Andrea Ostellari, a junior justice minister.
Italy fear missing the third straight World Cup!
Italy, who have failed to qualify for the last two FIFA World Cups, seem to be in huge anxiety over the uncertainty of missing the finals of the third straight Fifa World Cup after a 3-0 loss to Norway on Friday night. First-half goals from Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa, and Erling Haaland were enough for Norway to inflict another defeat on Italy, who found themselves in a precarious position, in the European World Cup qualifiers. Italy, yet to earn a point, are fourth in Group I, even though they have played two matches fewer than the teams above them because of their involvement in the Nations League. Norway are the table-toppers with nine points followed by Israel with six and Estonia are placed third with three points. Group winners directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup while the runners-up progress to the play-offs. The defeat has created an unprecedented crisis in the Italian football fraternity as the three-time World Cup champions are on the verge of completing the dubious hat-trick of missing the World Cup, having already missed the 2018 and 2022 editions as well. Leading Italian sports daily, Gazzetta Dello Sport called the situation an ‘unprecedented crisis.’ “Let’s prepare for yet another torture in the playoffs, assuming we grab second place. The national team seen yesterday in Oslo was embarrassing and it is legitimate to doubt everything, to expect the worst of the worst. This is who we are, and we are poor, empty,” the newspaper noted. Italy’s under-fire coach Luciano Spalletti took responsibility for Friday’s defeat and told Sky Sport Italia that it was a ‘difficult moment’. “There are always worries, because after a performance like that, you clearly have to ask yourself questions and realize there are problems, but you have to face them because there is no other possibility,” Spalletti said.
