Referees, professional whistles: FIGC unveils plan for an independent CAN | OneFootball

The FIGC aims to professionalize the Italian refereeing class, with a new independent organization of the CAN and innovative initiatives for youth and amateur football.

Referees, professionalized whistles: FIGC outlines the project for an independent CAN

At the FIGC headquarters in Rome, the table of federal components convened to discuss strategic and urgent issues for the Italian football movement. The meeting, called by President Gabriele Gravina, saw the participation of representatives from all levels of national football:

Ezio Maria Simonelli – Serie A League

Paolo Bedin – Serie B League

Matteo Marani – Pro League

Giancarlo Abete – National Amateur League

Umberto Calcagno – AIC

Renzo Ulivieri – AIAC

Antonio Zappi – AIA

The discussion focused on crucial topics such as economic-financial sustainability, managerial training, attracting new investments, and revisiting refereeing services.

Towards an independent CAN: professionalization and accountability

The most significant project illustrated by Gravina concerns the establishment of an independent National Referees Commission (CAN), which will involve FIGC, Serie A League, and Serie B League.

The main objective is twofold:

To professionalize and hold top referees accountable, enhancing their work through an autonomous structure.

To optimize resources through a technical, organizational, and marketing operational structure, which will support referees, assistants, and VMO and free up new resources for the development of the category.

According to the Federation, the new organization aims to ensure fairness in competition, improve the quality of championships, and meet the needs of the entire football system.

Complementary initiatives: dual registration and referee-manager figure

The independent CAN project will be accompanied by two innovative initiatives aimed at youth and amateur football:

Dual player-referee registration: promote the training of referees starting from those already practicing football.

Referee-manager figure: integrate managerial and technical skills to strengthen the organization of the refereeing sector.

These measures aim to create a comprehensive growth path for young referees and for those intending to take on managerial roles in the sports system.

Next steps

The independent CAN project will be further detailed in the coming weeks, with the goal of structuring a modern, autonomous, and sustainable reality capable of ensuring professionalism, transparency, and continuous development of the Italian refereeing class.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.