Referee Maresca suspended in Serie A and UCL after alleged ...

Referee Maresca suspended in Serie A and UCL after alleged Kuwait threats

Italian referee Fabio Maresca has been suspended from officiating in Serie A for a month, and has also been removed from Champions League duties for Tuesday’s fixture between PSV and Sporting CP, following alleged threats he made during a game in the Kuwait Premier League.

Maresca took charge of the Kuwait Premier League fixture between Kuwait SC and Al-Arabi on Friday evening, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the home side, but Tuesday’s reports confirm that one of the players lodged a serious complaint against the official.

According to Corriere della Sera, the incident occurred during a brief conversation in English with Al-Arabi midfielder Khaled Al Mershed.

There are conflicting versions of events, though. According to Corriere della Sera, some believe Maresca said something along the lines of “see you next time,” while others believe he went considerably further, allegedly saying: “See you next time, I’ll kill you,” hence the gravity of the consequences.

As per Tuesday’s report, Maresca is unlikely to face further punishment in Kuwait, but he has been taken off Serie A duties for the next month, and will no longer be on the officiating team for Tuesday’s Champions League match between PSV and Sporting CP.

The 43-year-old had originally been due to be the fourth official tonight, but will now be replaced by Daniele Doveri.

Maresca has taken charge of one Serie A match so far in 2024-25: The 2-2 draw between Milan and Torino on the opening weekend of the season.