Official: Orsato appointed as Serie A's new referee designator replacing Rocchi
Quick summary
Daniele Orsato has been officially appointed as Serie A's new referee designator, replacing Gianluca Rocchi in the role.
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Attributed to original sourceDaniele Orsato has officially been appointed as the new referee designator for Serie A and Serie B for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons, the AIA have confirmed.
Official: Orsato is Serie A’s new referee designator Orsato is the replacement for Gianluca Rocchi, who suspended himself back in April after he was placed under investigation for his alleged involvement in sporting fraud and amidst allegations that he had influenced certain VAR decisions. Dino Tommasi has been serving as the interim refereeing chief in the three months since then.
Orsato, 50, is a retired referee who took charge of 290 Serie A matches across his officiating career. His most high-profile match came in the 2020 Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
He also took charge of the 2024 Champions League semi-final second leg between PSG and Borussia Dortmund, and the 2022 World Cup semi-final between Argentina and Croatia. Orsato took charge of his final Serie A match, between Atalanta and Fiorentina, on June 2, 2024.
He served as the AIA (Italian refereeing association) commissioner for the development of refereeing talent from January 2025 and as the referee designator of Serie C for the 2025-26 season.
Nicola Rizzoli and Daniele Doveri were among the alternative options to Orsato for the role of Serie A and Serie B referee designator. Doveri, 48, will instead continue to referee for another season.
Nicola Ayroldi will serve as the referee designator for Serie C.
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What happened
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has officially confirmed that experienced referee Daniele Orsato will take over as Serie A's new referee designator. Orsato, one of the most decorated Italian officials of his generation who officiated the 2023 Champions League final, succeeds Gianluca Rocchi in the role. The appointment marks a significant shift in Italian refereeing leadership, with Orsato bringing extensive on-field experience to the administrative position. Rocchi held the designator role after retiring from active refereeing and oversaw the introduction of VAR protocols in Serie A.
Chance analysis
This is a structural change within Italian refereeing governance rather than a competitive event. The shift from Rocchi to Orsato may influence how refereeing standards and disciplinary trends evolve in Serie A, as each designator brings different philosophies. For prediction systems, the impact is marginal unless there are measurable style differences in officiating under the new designator. Orsato was known as a strict disciplinarian during his active career, which could signal a potential shift toward tighter game management.
Likely neutral-to-slight impact on Serie A match dynamics; potential for stricter disciplinary enforcement under Orsato's leadership.
Monitor early-season Serie A card counts and penalty rates as potential indicators of Orsato's officiating philosophy taking effect.