No territorial veto or impositions from above: the decision not to referee Napoli's matches was a personal choice.
To clarify it is Marco Guide, international referee, spoke to the microphones of Radio Crc, official partner broadcaster of the Neapolitan club.
"I want to be transparent – he declared –. There is no ulterior motive for eliminating territorial limits. The referee designator Gianluca Rocchi has the freedom to choose the best referee for the best match, and we are good people. Fabio Maresca and I we can referee Napoli, and it probably will. But it was a choice dictated by personal reasons".
Guida explained how, despite having received proposals in this direction, he and his colleague Maresca preferred to give up for reasons related to their own serenity and safety: “We live in Naples or nearby, and football here has a different emotional weight than in other cities, like Milan. I have three children, my wife has a business and in the morning I have to take my children. I want to do it peacefully”.
The referee told how mistakes made on the pitch in the past have also had consequences in everyday life: “It happens that you make a mistake, perhaps awarding a penalty, and then you can’t even afford to go out for a run or go shopping for two days. It’s not an easy situation to manage.”
Guida concluded by reiterating that theAIA (Italian Referees Association) guarantees maximum freedom and trust to its referees, leaving everyone the possibility to evaluate where it is most appropriate to direct: "There are no prohibitions. Only choices made with common sense and responsibility".
Article published on 8 April 2025 - 19:22
I read the article and it seems that the referee Guida has made a choice that is very personal. However, I wonder if it is right not to referee Napoli for personal reasons, given that football is a job and there are responsibilities.
Referee Guida explained his reasons well, but I do not agree with his choice. I think referees should always referee without preferences, to ensure fairness in the game. Serenity is important, but so is professionalism.