According to some hypotheses, the regulation on appointments and seniority criteria should be revised: a regulation has been changed several times, creating doubts and questions. And a new trend opens up in addition to the Milan investigation
Chaos continues for the referees. And it seems to rain in the wet. In parallel with the investigation of the prosecutor Ascione – who investigated the former referee Rocchi and four other referees -, another line was also opened, relating to the dismissals of the referees. In fact, an unclear passage of the regulation would have emerged regarding the counting of the years of seniority of the race directors. As is known, referees who reach a cumulative total of 10 seasons between Serie A and B can only be confirmed on the staff if they finish the season within 25th place in the final merit ranking. This is precisely the basis of the Dionisi case with the related complaint, according to which there would have been suspicious choices regarding the observers and the votes which would have guaranteed the “ten-year-old” Rapuano the 25th place, penalizing Ferrieri Caputi and indirectly condemning Dionisi (who would be the last of those dismissed in the ranking if Rapuano remained in the roles). The other abandoned would be Massimi, last in the ranking.
doubts in the regulation
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Therefore, it is not certain that Rapuano would not have been saved regardless. And it doesn’t mean that Abisso and Pezzuto won’t also be saved at this point, two others who would have reached the fateful threshold of 10 seasons and who apparently would be out of the top 25. Why? Here there would be a gap in the regulation. Let’s go in order. In 2023 it was established that the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons would not be considered for the purposes of seniority and the counting would resume from the 2023-24 season: a sort of “buffer”. Thus, some referees – including Rapuano – would get ten years. And so far everything is clear. However, there is a problem, not a small one. The legislation was further changed last year, giving rise to many doubts and to two different currents. One that does not consider the buffer – and according to which referees who exceed ten years of seniority would be dismissed – and one for which the new regulation coming into force from 1 July 2025, the “frozen” seasons would become four, and counting would start again from the one just concluded. Four years off can make all the difference in the world.
new technical director
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How to get out of it? Clarity is needed and it seems that opinions have been asked from top experts on the subject and one hypothesis that is circulating is to ask the FIGC to freeze dismissals for this year, also given the troubled season to say the least, but this would mean increasing the staff of five referees (those promoted by Can C). Maybe. Meanwhile, we are moving towards the appointment of Domenico Messina as the new Technical Director: he will be the figure chosen to “mediate” between the technical and political sides of the referees. Two parties that have often, especially in recent times, stepped on each other’s toes more than necessary.
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