Supercoppa Italiana: Zufferli for Napoli-Milan, Chiffi for Bologna-Inter | OneFootball

The referee appointments for the semifinals of the Italian Super Cup, scheduled in Riyadh, have been made official. The choices by the referee selector Gianluca Rocchi confirm an evident change in the refereeing hierarchies of Serie A: for the two decisive matches, two referees considered "outsiders" compared to the more established names on the national scene have been chosen.

Italian Super Cup, Zufferli for Napoli-Milan, Chiffi appointed for Bologna-Inter

Thursday evening will feature Napoli-Milan, while Friday will see Bologna-Inter. Two high-profile matches, two appointments that inevitably spark debate.

Napoli-Milan: Zufferli in charge, a divisive choice

The first semifinal of the Italian Super Cup will be played on Thursday at 8:00 PM and will be officiated by Luca Zufferli from the Udine section. He will be assisted by Imperiale and M. Rossi, with Pezzuto as the fourth official. Aureliano will operate the VAR, while Dionisi will be the AVAR.

A decision that confirms Rocchi's trust in the young Friulian referee but brings to mind a recent precedent that was anything but positive for Milan. Zufferli's last officiating of a Rossoneri match is remembered for what many described as "confusing" management.

The Milan-Pisa case and errors under scrutiny

The reference is to the Milan-Pisa match played last October, characterized by several controversial situations. In particular, Leao's goal, which gave the lead, should have been disallowed due to Pavlovic's active offside position, as he moved towards the ball attempting to intervene in the play. Rocchi himself, later speaking on "Open VAR," clarified that the goal was not legitimate.

There were also doubts about the action leading to Nzola's 1-2 goal: the contact between Moreo and Gabbia appeared to be a clear push by the Pisa forward, which ended up overwhelming the Rossoneri defender. An episode that could have changed the course of the match.

No less significant was the lack of a yellow card in the first half against Aebischer, who, already on a warning, should have received a second yellow card, leaving Pisa with a numerical disadvantage.

Zufferli's precedents with Milan and Napoli

Zufferli has officiated Milan on two occasions: the record is one win and one draw for the Rossoneri. There have been three encounters with Napoli, resulting in two wins for the Azzurri and one draw. The last officiating was on November 1st at the Maradona, in the Napoli-Como match that ended 0-0.

Numbers that don't tell the whole story but contribute to the attention on a far from trivial appointment for a Super Cup semifinal.

Bologna-Inter: Chiffi chosen for the second semifinal

The second match, scheduled for Friday at 8:00 PM, will see Bologna and Inter face off. The match will be officiated by Daniele Chiffi from Padua, assisted by C. Rossi and Montemurato. Dionisi will be the fourth official, with Maresca at the VAR and Pezzuto at the AVAR.

With Inter, Chiffi boasts 18 precedents: the record is favorable to the Nerazzurri with 10 wins, 6 draws, and 2 losses. The numbers with Bologna, officiated 9 times, are more balanced: 2 wins for the Rossoblù, 3 draws, and 4 losses.

Signals from the appointments: Rocchi changes course

The choices for the Italian Super Cup represent a clear signal: Rocchi seems to want to broaden the range of referees used in high-profile matches, focusing on less media-exposed profiles but considered technically reliable.

It remains to be seen whether these appointments will quell the controversies or, on the contrary, end up fueling further discussions in an already tension-filled and media-attentive context.

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