Italian referee Fabio Maresca has been suspended from officiating UEFA Champions League (UCL) matches following allegations that he threatened to kill a player during a game.
Maresca could also face an additional one-month suspension from refereeing duties in the Italian Serie A.
According to a report by Corriere della Sera, the incident occurred during a match between Kuwait SC and Al-Arabi, when Maresca collided with Khaled Al Murshed, a player from Al-Arabi. While the situation initially seemed minor, Adnan Abdul, a board member of Al-Arabi, claimed that Maresca responded to the altercation by saying he would “kill the player.”
Maresca, who had been appointed as the fourth official for the UEFA clash between PSV and Sporting CP, was promptly replaced by fellow Italian referee Daniele Doveri. The match ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night.
Marco Guida, another Italian referee, took charge of the game, assisted by linesmen Ciro Carbone and Giorgio Peretti.