There are few referees, the FIGC and the Hague (the association of what were once called black jackets) run for cover. By dividing the regional championships between Saturday and Sunday, enhancing the initiatives to bring young people closer to the direction of the match and, if needed, calling the referees back on duty but who can still whistle a free-kick or a penalty, see a offside, waving a red card under the nose of a player guilty of a serious offence.
The task of putting the Sardinian referee class back on track will fall to Roberto Branciforte, 44, from Nuoro, who has been at the helm of The Hague on the island since July in place of the outgoing president Marcello Angiuoni. In the past Branciforte was, for five years, a member of the regional executive and, for two, vice president. Even earlier, for years he was a technical assistant in the interregional referee commission and mentor for the UEFA project. “I refereed up to Serie C and was also the fourth official in Serie A and B – Branciforte begins - . Off the field, I'm in charge of running an appliance repair company”.
Turning immediately to the state of health of the Sardinian arbitration world, how many members are there in Sardinia?
“Sardinia has 940 members, 624 active, of which 105 are women. The island has nine territorial sections, namely Alghero, Cagliari, Carbonia, Nuoro, Olbia, Oristano, Ozieri, Sassari and Tortolì”.
How many judges have been drafted in the last year?
“The latest courses have 161 students enrolled with the end of the course and exam expected at the end of the month. A new course will start immediately in all sections in December”.
And how many “retreats” have there been on the island in the last year?
“Every year the loss of workforce fluctuates around 20 percent”.
What are the main causes of abandonment?
“They are mainly linked to the acclimatization of the new entrant in the first races he goes to direct. The sometimes hostile environment generated by members and the public who resent a decision against their own interests leads the boys to abandon the discipline. The other main cause can be attributed to travel outside the island for study or work needs".
