Euro 2008 – Italy in the Final… Thank you Rosetti

Meager consolation for Azzurri fans, but the Euro 2008 final will indeed be represented by Italy… somehow. Serie A referee Roberto Rosetti (who so far impeccably officiated Switzerland vs. Czech Republic, Greece vs. Russia, and the Croatia vs. Turkey quarter-finals) has been picked by UEFA as “the man in black” for the final game of the tournament (actually they tend to wear yellow & other bright colours these days, but I digress). Since Pierluigi Collina‘s retirement in 2005, Rosetti will thus become the first Italian referee to officiate a major tournament final.

Rosetti will be assisted by linesmen Alessandro Griselli e Paolo Calcagno, while the 4^th official will be Swedish referee Peter Fröjdfelt. The semi-finals have also been assigned: Germany vs. Turkey (Wednesday) will be officiated by Swiss referee Massimo Busacca (another one with Italian origins), while Russia vs. Spain (Thursday) will be left to Belgian official Frank De Bleeckere.

$The referees for the semifinals and final of Euro 2008 pose for photographs during a referee\'s media session for the Euro 2008 European Soccer Championships in Austria and Switzerland in Regensdorf, Switzerland, Monday, June 23, 2008. From left, referee for the Vienna semifinal between Russia and Spain Belgium\'s Frank De Bleeckere, referee for the final in Vienna Italy\'s Roberto Rosetti and referee for the Basel semifinal between Germany and Turkey Switzerland\'s Massimo Busacca. (AP Photo by Matt Dunham)$

From uefa.com:

‘Delighted’
Rosetti told euro2008.com: “This is a great satisfaction for me, I’m delighted. I would like to share this moment with all Italian referees as well as with those who are close to me. However, this is not only my appointment – it’s the appointment of a team together with my assistants Alessandro and Paolo. We’re all looking forward to the final with all of its emotion and atmosphere.”

Rapid rise
Rosetti received his FIFA international badge in 2002, and first tasted continental competition at the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Spring of the same year (where he refereed the final between Switzerland and France). Since then, the Italian official has enjoyed a rapid rise to the very highest levels of football. That was underlined when he was one of the European referees chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup where he took charge of four matches, including the second-round meeting between Spain and France, and at 1.90m was the tallest official at the finals. Rosetti had earlier refereed at the 2003 FIFA U-20 World Cup – where he was again given responsibility for the final involving Brazil and Spain – and then, in summer 2005, had three games at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany.

Highly regarded
The Turin-based hospital manager, who speaks English and French and enjoys playing tennis in his spare time, has been a highly regarded match official in Italy for several years. Now a regular in the UEFA Champions League, he was the referee for last season’s semi-final second leg between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge.

Tags: Euro 2008, Frank De Bleeckere, Italy, Massimo Busacca, Peter Fröjdfelt, Roberto Rosetti

Posted in Euro 2008 |

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