A local second division league match in the Italian town of Polferrara witnessed an incident that sparked widespread controversy, after an action by the match referee was deemed discriminatory.
During the pre-match proceedings between San Fidenzio and Polisportiva San Precario, the referee reviewed the players' cards, before stopping at two players of African descent, unexpectedly demanding to see their residence permits, justifying this by the possibility that their documents were "forged".
In contrast, the referee did not make the same request to another white player on the team, who holds dual nationality (English and Slovak), which sparked widespread discontent within the club and opened the door to accusations of discrimination based on skin color.
Despite the surprise of the Polisportiva San Precario management at the situation, they complied with the referee's request and submitted the required documents, noting that the club is known for its approach to supporting integration and welcoming refugees and asylum seekers into its ranks.
Experts point out that the referee does not legally have the authority to request residence permits, as his task is limited to verifying the identity of the players through registration cards and official documents, while eligibility to participate is approved in advance by the competent authorities.
The Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper called on the Italian Football Federation to intervene urgently to correct what it called the "color bias" of some referees who link skin color to security concerns.
