Referee Daniele Orsato has responded to criticism regarding officiating in Serie A this season, acknowledging that while mistakes have occurred, the approach taken does not reflect his personal philosophy. Speaking at a press conference in Lissone, he insisted there is no specific "Orsato protocol," stating, "We try to align with the requests of players and teams too, who I see are fairly satisfied, including after the last meeting." He emphasized that the aim is to ensure clear fouls are recognized and VAR is utilized for evident mistakes.
Read More
Orsato admitted the officiating has fallen short this season, saying, "We are behind because of the errors committed; we could have done better." He noted that these mistakes resulted from "superficiality, wrong positioning, and wrong ideas," and expressed hope that they would not be repeated in the future.
He also addressed the need for consistency in refereeing decisions, affirming that efforts are continually made to align officiating standards. "Teams and players want referees who whistle the same things at both ends. That’s the objective," he stated.
Orsato made it clear he plans to avoid assigning referees from the same region as the clubs involved in a match, believing this would eliminate external biases. He asserted the continued necessity of VAR, maintaining that abandoning the technology "is madness" and that it remains crucial for correcting officiating errors.
These statements come in the wake of notable controversies in recent matches, including Torino's frustration over a missed penalty in their 1-1 draw against Bologna and a contentious incident involving Lautaro Martinez during Inter's game against Roma.