Nicola Rizzoli will become the new Serie A referee designator, replacing Domenico Messina. According to Sky Sport Italia, the Italian Referees’ Association (AIA) will announce tomorrow that Messina is stepping down and Rizzoli will take his place. This is the end of Rizzoli’s long career on the field that reached the pinnacle in Brazil with the 2014 FIFA World Cup final Germany - Argentina. Rizzoli also refereed two major club finals, 2013 Champions League (Bayer Munich - Borussia Dortmund) and 2010 Europa League (Atletico - Fulham), as well as the Euro 2016 semi-final France - Germany. He has won six consecutive Serie A Referee of the Year Awards (2010-2016) and was chosen the IFFHS World’s Best Referee in 2014 and 2015. Rizzoli’s last match was Bosnia - Greece, on 9 June 2017. In recent months he had announced that he would not represent Italy at the 2018 World Cup. In Serie A since 2002 (Venice - Perugia), Rizzoli became a FIFA referee in 2007. Now, he decided not to continue as an active referee, changing roles and working again with his former assistants, Stefani and Faverani. (Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport)
Associazione Italiana Arbitri (AIA) 2017-2018
Deputy Chairman: Narciso Pisacreta (Salerno)
Technical Coordinator: Alfredo Trentalange (Torino)
C.A.N. A
Responsible: Nicola Rizzoli (Bologna)
Members: Gabriele Gava (Conegliano), Andrea Stefani (Milano)
C.A.N. B
Responsible: Emidio Morganti (Ascoli)
Members: Christian Brighi (Cesena), Cristiano Copelli (Mantova)
C.A.N. PRO
Responsible: Danilo Giannoccaro (Lecce)
Members: Paolo Calcagno (Nichelino), Maurizio Ciampi (Roma), Renato Faverani (Lodi), Carmine Russo (Nola)
C.A.N. D
Responsible: Matteo Trefoloni (Siena)
C.A.I.
Responsible: Andrea Gervasoni (Mantova)
C.A.N. 5
Responsible: Angelo Montesardi (Brindisi)