ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 02: Mateo Retegui of Atalanta (obscured) appeals to Match Referee, Marco Guida during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Atalanta at Stadio Olimpico on December 02, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
There is controversy swirling on social media after Marco Guida was assigned to the VAR team for Inter’s game against Lazio, despite warning he would not be involved in Napoli fixtures.
Almost all of the Serie A Week 37 matches will be played simultaneously on Sunday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT, 20.45 CET).
This is to ensure fairness for the Scudetto race, as Napoli and Inter are separated by just one point at the top of the table with two rounds left to be played.
Guida has links with Napoli
The referees were assigned for these games and one name raised eyebrows, because Marco Guida is appointed the assistant VAR for Inter vs. Lazio.
This caused controversy because Guida is from the Naples area, specifically Pompei, and told Radio CRC only a month ago that he had asked not to be assigned to Napoli games.
He believed that he and fellow Neapolitan referee Fabio Maresca would prefer not to be assigned to their matches, not through fear they would be biased, but because they were concerned at the safety of their families living in Naples.
Guida will be only an assistant VAR, but still in the booth checking footage and deciding whether or not to recommend an On-Field Review in the Inter-Lazio match, with an inevitable knock-on effect for the Scudetto race against Napoli.
Serie A Week 37 referees
Genoa-Atalanta (Ghersini, VAR Dionisi)
Cagliari-Venezia (Pairetto, VAR Meraviglia)
Fiorentina-Bologna (Zufferli, VAR Gariglio)
Verona-Como (Abisso, VAR La Penna)
Inter-Lazio (Chiffi, VAR Di Paolo)
Juventus-Udinese (Ayroldi, VAR Pezzuto)
Lecce-Torino (Rapuano, VAR Paterna)
Monza-Empoli (Marinelli, VAR Fabbri)
Parma-Napoli (Doveri, VAR Marini)
Roma-Milan (Piccinini, VAR Mazzoleni)
