Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 21, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleItaly enacts laws to protect soccer referees from violence, equating their legal protection to police, with tougher penalties for offenders.
ROME (Reuters) -Referees in Italy will now receive the same legal protection as police officers and other public officials, Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said, to help curb a rise in cases of assault in sports such as soccer.
A change to the penal code will mean much tougher penalties, include potentially jail, for acts of violence against match officials, including pushing, hitting, or threatening. The move follows months of discussions between the government and the Italian Soccer Referees Association.
The law, part of a decree approved by the Italian government late on Friday, extends protection to all officials responsible for ensuring sporting fixtures are conducted fairly.
Abuse towards match officials at all levels of Italian soccer has become a growing concern. In December, Serie A referees highlighted the issue by wearing black smudges on their cheeks during matches as a symbol of protest.
In one notorious example last season, 19-year-old referee Diego Alfonzetti was attacked when he took charge of a youth match in Sicily.
Alfonzetti was invited on to the pitch alongside the match officials before the Lazio-Rome Serie A derby in April as an act of solidarity.
"Sport is loyalty and sharing. Those who do not accept it are warned: from tomorrow violent behaviour and aggression against referees will be punished without delay, even with prison," said Senator Andrea Ostellari, a junior justice minister.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk and Keith Weir in London; editing by Clare Fallon)
Referees in Italy will now receive the same legal protection as police officers and other public officials, which includes tougher penalties for violence against them.
The new law imposes potentially jail time for acts of violence such as pushing, hitting, or threatening match officials.
Abuse towards match officials has become a growing concern, highlighted by Serie A referees wearing black smudges on their cheeks during matches to raise awareness.
A notorious incident involved 19-year-old referee Diego Alfonzetti, who was attacked while officiating a youth match in Sicily.
Senator Andrea Abodi warned that violent behavior and aggression against referees will be punished without delay, potentially leading to prison sentences.
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