Daniele Orsato has been officially appointed as the new referee designator for Serie A and Serie B for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons, as confirmed by the AIA.
Official Announcement: Orsato Takes Over as Serie A Referee Designator
Orsato succeeds Gianluca Rocchi, who stepped down in April after being investigated for alleged involvement in sporting fraud and accusations of influencing VAR decisions. Dino Tommasi has been serving as the interim refereeing chief during the past three months.
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At 50 years old, Orsato is a retired referee who oversaw 290 Serie A matches throughout his career. His most notable match was the 2020 Champions League final featuring Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
He also officiated important matches such as the 2024 Champions League semi-final second leg between PSG and Borussia Dortmund, as well as the 2022 World Cup semi-final that saw Argentina face Croatia. Orsato’s last Serie A match was on June 2, 2024, between Atalanta and Fiorentina.
Since January 2025, Orsato has been working as the commissioner for the development of refereeing talent within the AIA and served as the referee designator for Serie C in the 2025-26 season.
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Other candidates for the Serie A and B referee designator role included Nicola Rizzoli and Daniele Doveri, with Doveri, 48, opting to continue refereeing for another season.
Nicola Ayroldi will take on the role of referee designator for Serie C.