Italian referee Daniele Orsato is set to become the first official to appear on television to explain his decisions when he gets interviewed on Sunday.
One of the things that annoys football fans more than anything are controversial refereeing decisions, and it's never helped by the fact that the decisions are never explained.
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Refs and other officials don't go on television to be interviewed, whilst managers and players often have to stand up to scrutiny from pundits and interviewers.
Former referees will often tie themselves in knots in tv studios trying to explain why their former colleagues were right, but that's the best we tend to get.
According to Football Italia that is set to change, with the first referee in Italy going on tv for an interview. Orsato, fresh off refereeing Spezia 2-2 Parma in Serie A on Saturday will appear on television on Sunday.
Until recently officials of the Italian Referees' Association were banned from going on television to do interviews, so obviously none of them did.
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New president Alfredo Trentalange revealed that he would open up the doors and that is now the case, with Orsato appearing on RAI television show Novantesimo Minuto on Sunday.
The game that the 45-year-old was in charge of on Sunday saw seven yellow cards but no red cards or penalties for the official to talk about.
Yann Karamoh gave Parma the lead in the 17th minute, before Hernani doubled the visitors lead eight minutes later. Emmanuel Gyasi's 52nd minute goal brought the hosts back into it and he equalised in the 72nd minute.
Referees speaking to the press was back in the headlines in the Premier League on Saturday as well, after West Brom's controversial win over Brighton.
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Graham Potter's side missed two penalties but he'll be most annoyed by Lee Mason's decision to rule out what would have been an equaliser before half-time.
Lewis Dunk seemed to have scored from a quickly taken free kick but Mason ruled it out, VAR overturned his decision but another review showed the ref had blown his whistle a second time just before the goal went in.
After the match Dunk questioned why the referee wasn't being made to explain the decision saying "Why doesn't he come and speak to the press like me? Why doesn't he come and say his point? Never. They hide behind their bubble."
Should refs be made to come out and explain decisions in England?
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Parma, Football, Serie A, VAR
