A long-serving Champions League referee has reportedly been suspended from European action for allegedly threatening to kill a player.
However, he looks set to avoid punishment in the country where he was accused after insisting it was just a joke.
Italian referee Fabio Maresca was accused of making the threat by Kuwait Premier League star Khaled Al Murshed during a match on Friday.
Al Murshed claimed that Maresca said ‘see you next time, I’ll kill you,’ though another player believes the official simply said ‘see you next time’ with no further remark, as per Corriere della Sera.
Maresca was subsequently removed from being the fourth official in Tuesday’s Champions League match between PSV and Sporting Lisbon, which ended 1-1.
Fabio Maresca has been removed from Champions League duty and suspended from Serie A
A player from the Kuwait Premier League alleges that Maresca threatened to kill him – though another player offers a different account
Maresca sent off Massimiliano Allegri in the Coppa Italia final and the manager’s behaviour led to him being sacked by Juventus
He will also reportedly be banned from officiating in Italy for a month.
However, Maresca is apparently set to go unreprimanded in Kuwait becausethe flare-up was resolved with ‘on-field diplomacy’.
The 43-year-old started officiating in Italy’s professional leagues in 2011 and has been involved in European competition since 2018.
In May he sent off then-Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri in the Coppa Italia final after he furiously confronted the fourth official, a flashpoint which led to the Italian boss being sacked by the Serie A giants.
There is often tension between officials and players right down to grassroots level, but typically threatening and abusive remarks are made in the other direction.
Last season a campaign by Mail Sport reported how young referees had had knives pulled on them and death threats made.
Around 10,000 referees had quit the role in the five years leading up to November last year.