Matches, category, role, votes: how much and how Italian referees earn

For Serie A referees it works a bit like it does for students at school. There are friendships and antipathies, but there is one main factor that triggers poisons and arguments: votes. In our referee ruling class the mechanism is more or less the same. The professor is a FIGC observer who, at every match, watches the replays of the key actions and writes a report card. Complete with evaluations and judgments. The grade can range from 8.70, i.e. excellent, to 8.20 (insufficient). To all this, however, there is a consequence. A good performance will probably guarantee the referee to be recalled for the following weekend, while in case of errors or oversights you could face a ban. And here we need to make a clarification: referees earn per game, depending on the category and role performed. Not arbitrating, therefore, means not earning money.

token

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Many of them, in fact, are forced to do another job. For each season, Serie A whistleblowers earn an average of 160 thousand euros gross. But the compensation varies based on the number of games they are involved in and the role they play. And they don’t work continuously, because they can stop due to injury or by choice of the designator. There are therefore those who are firefighters (like Maresca), those who were electricians, like Orsato. And then there are clerks (Doveri and Di Bello), bankers (Massa), lawyers (Irrati) and so on. But one main question remains: how much does a referee earn? It depends on the role and category, but let’s get into the details. In Italy, directing a Serie A match is worth 4,000 euros gross: the net is easily calculated. But now the aspect does not only involve those who direct the match. There are many other figures. The Fourth Man earns 500 euros per match, the Var 1,700 euros, the Avar 800 and the assistants 1,400. There is a substantial difference with Serie B: 2,000 euros for the match director, 800 for those who are at VAR, 400 for those who are Avar, 500 for the fourth official, 600 for those who are assistants.

fixed income

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Another detail: the category counts, but not the degree of pressure or importance of the match. To be clear, Inter-Roma at San Siro is worth as much as Pisa-Verona or a “non-cartel” match. The referees therefore receive the fee for the match plus an annual fixed amount, agreed with the FIGC which varies based on seniority and international qualification. Those who are international receive a base of 90 thousand euros per season; referees with more than 50 matches on their CV reach 60,000 euros; those under 50 collect 30,000. For assistants and VAR the daily allowance goes from a minimum of 8,000 to a maximum of 30,000 euros.

in champions

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For those who are international, there are additional tokens. Directing the Champions League final is worth 10,000 euros. The previous phases, however, are divided into bands: from 6,000 to 7,500. Different, however, for the Europa League, in which 7,500 is the fee for the final. The rest ranges from 5,500 euros to manage the round of 32 up to 6,000 in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Here, compared to the rest of Europe, the earnings are good. In Leaguea match director earns 4,830 euros (always gross), in Germany 5,800 to direct a football match Bundesliga. However, you earn less in France and England: 3,124 euros Ligue 1just over a thousand in Premier.

poisons

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Precisely from these data, poisons and controversies can arise. Yes, because making a mistake means missing a shift and therefore losing money. And from here, we can except one conclusion. According to some people informed about the facts, “Play Jouer” by Rocchi in Sala Var would have been addressed exclusively to his “friends”, to favor them. To get them to get a higher grade and perhaps obtain a designation for the next match. This is where the sporting fraud would be. Even if obviously the Prosecutor’s Office will verify everything. To give an example: La Penna, the referee of Inter-Juve and of the red card in Kalulu after Bastoni’s simulation, has not refereed in Serie A for a month. Two weeks off and two weeks in Serie B. In the series: the errors they pay here, they cost at least 4,000 euros if not more.