Pierluigi Collina steps down as UEFA chief refereeing officer
Wednesday 1 August 2018 17:34, UK
Pierluigi Collina has relinquished his post as UEFA chief refereeing officer due to personal reasons.
Europe's governing body revealed on Thursday that Roberto Rosetti would replace the 58-year-old Italian.
Collina was appointed UEFA's first ever Chief Refereeing Officer in 2010, following his retirement as a referee in 2005.
He has overseen many advances in the professional handling of referees, including development programmes to improve technical, fitness and nutrition standards and ensuring that tactical elements and knowledge of teams became part of a referee's match preparation.
Collina said: "It has been a privilege to work as UEFA's Chief Refereeing Officer during the last eight years.
"I am very proud of the results achieved together with my fellow Refereeing Officers and the UEFA Referees' Committee.
"I wish to thank UEFA for the strong support given to refereeing in these years and also all the match officials for their full commitment."
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin added: "Pierluigi brought the same vision, understanding and flair to his role at UEFA that he demonstrated in the matches he refereed.
"I wish to thank him for his commitment during these years and for what he has brought to European football as Chief Refereeing Officer."
Rosetti, 50, was an international referee from 2002 up to his retirement in 2010.
A major highlight of his career was at the 2008 European Championships where he refereed the opener between Switzerland and the Czech Republic, as well as the final when Spain beat Germany.
