Soccer Extreme : Nicola Rizzoli, who is one of top referees in Serie A, has revealed that it is almost impossible task to officiate in Italy. Rizzoli is considered to be one of the best Serie A men in black and gave a revealing interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport on the often-maligned profession."The only way to avoid controversy is to change the sporting culture in this country. In Italy defeat is unacceptable and so the referee always provides an easy excuse.
"Our errors can decide a result, but you have to consider them part of the game and accept them just as you would a missed penalty, not make a national crisis out of it.
"In Scotland it is normal for a referee from Glasgow to officiate the derby, but here it is unthinkable. If you make a mistake, next day you can’t leave your home."Rizzoli also warned the players that they are responsible for what happens on the field every bit as much as the referee.
"Some charismatic figures make their protests so obvious in order to intimidate younger referees and fire up the fans. They don’t set a good example.
"As for positive role models, Roberto Baggio and now Paolo Maldini represent the exact opposite to that behaviour."