Article by George Nistor – Published on Friday, June 6, 2025, 01:05 / Updated Friday, June 6, 2025 01:08
Maurizio Mariani (43) will be at the center in Austria – Romaniamatch from the 3rd stage of the World Cup preliminaries of 2026. The Italian referee is in the top of the series A and had an interesting trajectory including internationally. The ascension of his career is closely related to the introduction of the lime system, whose utility has become exponential in the meantime.
Born in Rome and raised in Aprilia, Mariani dreamed to work in the military. At 16, while studying at the “Francesco Morosini” Military Naval School in Venice, he discovered the arbitration. During his free time, he is a IT consultant, which he did becomes one of the first voices of Italy who supported the VAR in football. In the field, it has a rigorous, calm style, open to dialogue and, often, it has been reproached for appealing to the video system, which it justifies by the desire to do justice.
In Saturday night duel, he will be assisted at the two touches by Daniele Bindoni and Alberto Tegoni, while in the Var room will be Gianluca Aureliano and Rosario Abisso.
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Austria – Romania It is played on Saturday, from 21:45. The match will be LiveText on GSP.ro and live on TV on Antena 1. The four reporters of the Sports Gazette will transmit all the important information from Vienna.
Maurizio Mariani and arbitration as escape from the barracks
FIFA referee in 2019, Mariani practiced football in adolescence as a goalkeeper. Later, he would play him to receive more freedom outside the barracks, a consideration that made an arbitration course.
He debuted in 2000 in the category “Esordienti” (no – beginners) and gradually climbed the arbitration hierarchy, from Serie D to 2007, LEG PRO in 2009, series B – 2011 and, finally, series A in 2013, in the Chievo – Atalanta match.
From 2021, it is on the list of lime officials of FIFA, so that this year it will be promoted by UEFA in the Elite category. He was at the center in the final of Coppa Italy 2024-2025, Milan – Bologna, and was the fourth official of the Europa League final, in the precious edition.
4.2is the average of the yellow cards per game shown in the matches between national teams
In the lectures sustained in front of young arbitrators, he often emphasizes the importance of passion, technical training, physical and especially the ability to learn from mistakes. He believes that arbitration is an “act of love”, first of all.
I am a very critical guy with myself. I must always improve, ask myself questions and analyze constantly.
– Maurizio Mariani, referee
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11 matches checked in the Champions League, in which it debuted in the 2022-2023 edition, in the Real Madrid-Leipzig 2-0 game;
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Outside the country, he was at the center in the first league of Greece and in the Cup of the King of Saudi Arabia;
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He has never arbitrated a team from Romania or “tricolors”;
Betrayed by lime, saved by Calhanoglu
In November 2024, in an Inter-Naples match, he gave too easy a penalty to contact between Anguissa and Dumfries, in the guest box. It happened in the 74th minute, at the score of 1-1, the one who was final.
The decision was angry with Antonio Conte, the coach of the Napoletans contesting the arbitration at the end of the game, in public. Fortunately for the delegated brigade, Hakan Calhanoglu missed from 11 meters.
Di Lorenzo tries to convince Maurizio Mariani that he was not a foul. Photo: Imago
“He hits him in the foot. It's ok, the penalty is confirmed,” Aleandro di Paolo, from the Var room, told him.
It was rumored, according to several sources, including at Gazzetta Dello Sport, that the Italian Football Federation temporarily relegated Mariani in the second step, but the forum preferred to support the official, so that in the next stage as a video referee at the DOO – Fiorentina and Parma – Atalanta duels.
“We have to be more reflexive, because without respect we risk to light this whole climate of football in Serie A,” he was limited to say Gianluca Rocchi, the president of the Italian Association of Arbitrators.
The lime is an exceptional tool for us. It helps us to make the right decisions, but we are people and we can also make mistakes in interpretation. We know the potential of this tool and we must try to use it as best as possible.
-Maurizio Mariani, referee
Appeal to the president
Before the final of the Italian Cup, at the meeting of the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, with the components of the two bands, Mariani spoke and spoke about the issue of violence against arbitrators.
It works on the proposal of a draft law that aims to strengthen the protection against any form of violence: “an initiative that not only protects us, but promotes essential values such as respect and fair play, the foundation of sport and daily life.”
