The head of the Referees Association has warned there was “a grave error” in the treatment of Francesco Totti’s dissent.
The Roma captain was only booked and handed a small fine after swearing three times at referee Rizzoli and the Disciplinary Commission could not increase the punishment because the official’s report gave a lenient view of the incident.
“There was an exception to the rule with Totti and we have to see what consequences it could provoke,” said President of the AIA Cesare Gussoni.
“In any case, it represented a black mark that, as an ex-referee, ex-designator and as a man left me deeply disappointed and bitter.
“Rizzoli made a mistake in not sending Totti off.”
Roma had just gone 1-0 down at Udinese and Rizzoli got in Totti’s way as he was lining up a potential equaliser from close range.
Infuriated, the captain hurled abuse at the official three times before he was booked. Some have praised Rizzoli’s “common sense” in understanding the tension of the moment, while others insist had it been another player he would have been sent off and received a five-match ban.
The Referees Association has made clear its position on the matter by suspending Rizzoli.
“The rules state that for a serious refereeing error he must answer to the designator Pierluigi Collina. Of course, for a situation like this there could well be a ban.”
However, Gussoni also hit back at Inter boss Roberto Mancini, who said this week that there was favouritism among referees and that if Antonio Cassano had done the same thing he would’ve received a five-match ban.
“I can absolutely rule that out because whoever, in voluntary terms and therefore in bad faith, would leave the AIA very quickly. This is not the case with Rizzoli.”
