Referee Storm Overshadows Roma-Juve Showdown
ROME, Feb 4 (AFP) - A row over who will referee the crunch Italian first division match between AS Roma and Juventus next Sunday evening rumbled on on Monday with Juve striker David Trezeguet pleading for an end to the arguments.
The bitter rivals are locked in a close contest for the title with the only other club in contention Inter Milan, and Roma president Franco Sensi had sparked off the controversy on Sunday when he demanded a foreign referee be appointed.
Frenchman Trezeguet told TG5 channel: "I want a week when we speak less of referees. In Italy people talk about referees too much. Whoever, is in charge at the Olympic Stadium will be someone well capable of doing his job."
Sensi's demand, seen by some as a psychological ploy, raises the often-aired although unproved conspiracy theory in Italy that the country's officials have a sympathy for Juventus.
Turin magistrate Raffaele Guariniello, in charge of the inquiry that has left senior figures at Juventus charged with doping-related fraud, has also been probing alleged links between Juve and officialdom.
Roma themselves were embarrassed some time ago when it was revealed that the club had sent every Serie A referee a silver Rolex watch with gold Rolex watches to the two 'designators' who decide which referee will officiate in any given match.
Referees in Italy are under intense scrutiny in a media that can be unforgiving.
Most notorious of all is a popular Monday night programme 'Biscardi's trial' in which the show's outspoken host Aldo Biscardi and his guests analyse even the most trifling error of judgement in detail and heap what amounts to two-and-a-half hours of vitriol on errant officials.
