Guida can referee Napoli again, Maresca still barred

New Serie A referee chief Daniele Orsato has set out his rules on territorial conflicts for officials ahead of Napoli's upcoming fixtures.

by Gennaro SanninoTuesday 29 September, 18:03 CET· 2 hours ago

Orsato: «Guida potrà arbitrare il Napoli, Maresca resta escluso» — Grafica Arena Napoli

Daniele Orsato, Serie A's new head of referee appointments, has confirmed that Marco Guida, from the Torre Annunziata branch of the referees' association (AIA), will referee Napoli matches again. Guida had previously chosen to avoid Napoli games for personal and family reasons, but Orsato's new approach clears him to take charge of the club's fixtures.

Fabio Maresca remains excluded from Napoli matches, however, because he belongs to the AIA's Naples city branch itself. Speaking to reporters in Lissone, Orsato explained his rule: a genuine conflict only arises when a referee is from the exact same city branch as the club they would be officiating, and he will make no exceptions to that principle for the rest of the season.

The clarification comes as Napoli prepare to resume their league campaign. They host Frosinone at the Maradona on Saturday 10 October, in a game that needs to turn around their worst start to a season in ten years.