Italian referee Fabio Maresca was pulled from UEFA Champions League duty on Tuesday, amid allegations he told a player "I will kill you" during a fixture in Kuwait.
Maresca was supposed to be the fourth official for the Champions League clash between PSV and Sporting CP on October 1, but he was replaced by fellow Italian Daniele Doveri.
UEFA didn't specify the reason for that switch, but it came amid claims from Italian publication Corriere della Sera about an incident it said took place between the official and Khaled Al Mershed, a player for Al Arabi, in Kuwait's Premier League.
The newspaper alleged that during the recent Kuwaiti league fixture, Maresca made verbal threats to Al Mershed.
Maresca, who is from Naples in Italy, has not commented so far, and the reports of exactly what was allegedly said during the incident remain somewhat confused. However, UEFA has confirmed to The Sporting News that Maresca was due to officiate during the latest round of UCL fixtures before the late change.
Corriere della Sera also claimed that Maresca could be suspended from refereeing in Serie A matches for a month, but there has been no official update from the Italian referees' association (AIA).
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Referee Fabio Maresca removed from Champions League duty amid alleged threats
The controversy is believed to have erupted after a confrontation between Maresca and Al Mershed during the Kuwaiti Premier League match between Al Kuwait and Al Arabi on September 27.
Corriere della Sera reported that a collision between the two on the field sparked a confrontation, although there are differing accounts of what happened next.
One version of events claims that Maresca told the player, in English, "See you next time." An alternate account reported by the newspaper alleges that he instead said: "See you next time. I'll kill you."
The same report claims Maresca considered his comments to be a joke, and that because the matter was settled on the pitch, he is unlikely to face any action from Kuwait's footballing authorities.
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When Fabio Maresca clashed with Antonio Conte
This isn't the first time Maresca has found himself in the headlines. Back in 2021, he famously clashed with then-Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte during a Serie A match against Udinese.
After the official had sent Conte to the stands, the fiery Italian manager reportedly shouted, "It's always you, Maresca!" as tempers flared.
That was apparently a comment in reference to Maresca's performance during Inter's 2-2 draw against Parma earlier that same season, when he was VAR official and failed to give a penalty to Conte's Inter following a challenge on Ivan Perisic.
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