Rosario Abisso reinstated as referee after successful appeal

Rosario Abisso has been officially reinstated as a referee by the National Federal Tribunal (TFN) following a successful appeal against the Italian Referees Association (AIA). The TFN ruled that the AIA's July 1st decision to remove Abisso from the National Referees Commission (CAN) was illegitimate.

The original decision by the AIA was based on “limits of permanence in the role,” a measure intended to facilitate turnover and rejuvenate the officiating ranks. However, the tribunal found the application of these regulations to be flawed or disproportionate.

Abisso, a 40-year-old referee from Palermo who has been with the AIA since 2002 and debuted in Serie A in 2015, will return to active duty immediately. The ruling follows a period where Abisso had already secured a precautionary suspension of the dismissal, allowing him to participate in pre-season training and physical tests.