By Andrew Warshaw
December 12 – Just over a year after declaring that the level of officiating in Russia needed a radical overhaul, Roberto Rosetti has resigned as head of refereeing at the Russian federation.
The former Italian official, who took charge of the Euro 2008 final between Spain and Germany and retired after the 2010 World Cup, was hired by the RFU the following year in a bid to improve standards, with the 2018 World Cup in mind.
But he has now stepped down citing family reasons. “We received a request from Roberto Rosetti to release him from his post due to family reasons,” RFU’s president Nikolai Tolstykh told reporters.
In October last year, Rosetti said Russian football had too few decent referees and that he would need more time to implement his programme. “It’s absolutely impossible that a child would dream to become a referee here in Russia,” he said at the time.
But in a statement published on the RFU’s website. Rosetti said: “I chose Russia because I wanted to do something completely new, I was looking for a new challenge after officiating for 27 years in Italy. My mission is accomplished and my family also needs me at this moment. The refereeing has improved during my stay. The Russian officials are on the right track and I’m sure they’ll have a great future.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1749943879labto1749943879ofdlr1749943879owedi1749943879sni@w1749943879ahsra1749943879w.wer1749943879dna1749943879