TMW Radio
Guest of the Florentine studios of TMW Radio the president of the Lega Pro, Matteo Marani also addressed the issue linked to the permanent establishment of VAR in Serie C as well:
“Yes, the topic of referees is very important. I greet and thank Gianluca Rocchi because he allowed us to introduce VAR in the playoffs and playouts last season: we also had to prepare the varsity players with night and day courses to comply with the requests. Always having 30 games per weekend, we would need 30 more VAR and 30 more AVAR, therefore 60 more people to manage at referee level. Which is not simple. I would like to have VAR for the entire season, even if I see that the controversies are not easing, on the contrary, absurdly, they are increasing and it becomes a sort of analysis of individual episodes.
There is a very clear issue of costs, VAR has enormous costs, already using it in the playoffs was a significant cost, fortunately we quadrupled revenues in the season and therefore the resources were there. An investment would be needed in 1200 matches, a figure that would be even higher than the purchasing campaigns of some companies. We will try to make an important effort again: last year we managed to make the playoffs with seven cameras and even the final in Carrara with 14. The final had two million viewers. This is to make people understand the attention around this wonderful category that is the C Series.
There are often complaints against the referee, but I believe they should be helped and supported. The real danger is that in a few years we will have fewer and fewer referees, as long as we expose them to attacks and accusations. Which kid could think of training as a referee and then take insults or even worse from their parents? All this and then get almost no refund. A situation for which I voted in favor of increasing it. In the section of Bologna that I frequented for years I saw a young Nicola Rizzoli grow up and I saw Pierluigi Collina become great. Speaking with him, FIFA was studying a model for the light VAR and I gave him the availability as well as the Federal President to be a test championship for this project”.