Pavel Kamantsev, the head of the RFU referee committee, stated that there was no official explanation for the decision to refrain from collaborating with Italian official Daniele Orsato. His comments, reported by Sports Express, signal a moment of ambiguity around how top referees are assigned and how potential offers intersect with existing duties within Russian football governance.
Kamantsev noted that he had received no formal statements from Orsato. He suggested that the referee might have alternative proposals for permanent roles, but as of the conversation there were no applications presented to the RFU. He added that if a newspaper’s report about a potential post were accurate, it would be difficult or impossible to balance multiple positions at once, underscoring the practical realities of high-level refereeing assignments and the workload involved in holding several roles simultaneously.
On August 14, reports circulated that Orsato, who UEFA recognized as the best referee in 2020, had shown willingness to work in Russia due to his friendly ties with football director Milorad Mazic. The RFU refereeing department subsequently recalled the official. However, later reporting from journalist Ivan Karpov suggested that the initial claim about withdrawal of consent was not correct, highlighting how quickly information can evolve in professional sports administration and the care required in interpreting leaked or preliminary information.
The 48-year-old Italian referee had retired in June 2024 following the European Championship staged in Germany. In that tournament, the Spanish national team defeated England in the final, with the match finishing 2–1 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. This context emphasizes how the careers of top referees intertwine with major continental competitions, the prestige attached to officiating at the highest level, and the ongoing dialogue about international officiating careers in a evolving European football landscape.
Earlier in the season, Spartacus faced Wings of the Soviets in a domestic cup clash, an encounter that underscored the ongoing importance of refereeing standards and the coordination between the RFU and national clubs. The dynamics surrounding these fixtures illustrate the broader framework in which referees operate, including readiness to adapt to evolving competition formats, scheduling pressures, and the strategic decisions made by federations to ensure consistency and integrity across tournaments.