Italian referee Daniele Orsato has revealed Roma icon Daniel De Rossi as the most difficult player he has managed in his career so far. The 47-year-old has established himself as part of the cream of officials of the beautiful game in recent years and gave some insights into his work so far.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Tuttomercatoweb) in an exclusive interview, Orsato spoke of De Rossi before mentioning ex-players he has encountered in his career.
“De Rossi, exactly the most difficult. He knew the rules perfectly. There are exes I see at UEFA rallies: Seedorf, Cambiasso, Zanetti. They are at another level and have never been rude to me.”
Orsato shed light on some former officials he drew inspiration from.
“When I was young, I used to watch Braschi, Morganti, Farina, even Rocchi, a friend with whom we were traveling companions: for me it means getting accepted even when you’re wrong. Farina always told me that.”
Referees are no strangers to mistakes, and Orsato revealed his first.
“My first big mistake was in Sampdoria vs Atalanta, I gave a penalty when the ball had hit the stomach. I realized it later but there I defended my choice. I try to be as humble and decisive as possible, I can’t stand coarse protests.”
Javier Zanetti is someone to take an example of, according to Orsato.
“I try to be accepted with respect, I treat everyone the same. I always take Zanetti as an example. At Inter vs Sampdoria, the Nerazzurri protested, but then he came to me and said: ‘Don’t worry, go ahead.’
The Italian was named the best referee of 2020 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.
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