Gianpaolo Calvarese has resigned from his role as a Serie A and B referee for the 2021-22 season, reportedly due to a conflict of interest. The 45-year-old was in the final year of his tenure anyway, as he was reaching the age limit for officials in the Italian league. According to Sky Sport Italia, Calvarese tended his resignation, citing work commitments that would make it very difficult to continue his refereeing career. That’s because his family launched a company selling natural vitamin integrators, and among their clients are also Serie A and B clubs. This creates a conflict of interest that cannot be resolved.
Calvarese officiated the 2019-20 Italian Supercup clash between Lazio and Juventus, won 3-1 by the Biancocelesti. He had been bitterly criticised in the media after overseeing Juve’s 3-2 win over Torino in May 2021, which will now go down as his final match. The first of 157 Serie A matches that Calvarese officiated was in 2012. This is another blow for Italian referees, as Federico La Penna and Fabrizio Pasqua were suspended last week for falsifying their expense forms. Their bans are for 13 and 16 months respectively, pending an appeal.
Source: Football Italia
