Referee axed from Champions League tie after allegedly telling star 'I will kill you'

Referee Fabio Maresca was removed from his duties (Image: GETTY)

Italian referee Fabio Maresca was removed from his Champions League duties after allegedly making a death threat to a player.

Maresca was initially scheduled to serve as the fourth official for the match between PSV Eindhoven and Sporting CP but was replaced by Daniele Doveri. He is also facing a potential one-month ban from officiating Serie A matches.

The Italian Football Federation's refereeing chief, Gianluca Rocchi, is expected to make a decision on Maresca's fate soon. The controversy stems from Maresca's behavior during a Kuwait Premier League match between Al Kuwait and Al Arabi where he reportedly clashed with player Khaled Al Murshed after a collision.

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According to to Corriere della Sera, Maresca took offence to the collision, which he believed was intentional. Al Arabi board member Adnan Abdul claimed that Maresca threatened to 'kill the player' after the incident, citing video evidence and witness testimony.

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Abdul posted on social media: "Heading to the Adailiya police station to file a case against the Italian referee of today’s match who managed a match for threatening player Khaled Al-Marshed with the phrase “I will kill you” and this is proven by video and evidence, and for each party to bear responsibility for bringing this type of referee to our stadiums and for everyone to understand the phrase 'sports are ethics'.

Maresca has previously been the target of high-profile criticism, with ex-Chelsea and Tottenham manager Antonio Conte having had a notable run-in with the referee.

Antonio Conte has hit out at Maresca previously (Image: GETTY) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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Back in 2021, while at the helm of Inter Milan, Conte was given his marching orders by Maresca during a clash with Udinese.

The fiery Italian was subsequently hit with a two-match suspension and a hefty £16,700 fine following a heated exchange in the tunnel post-match. Conte reportedly accosted Maresca 'in a threatening manner, shouting a seriously offensive expression at him'.

In the heat of the moment, after being sent off in the dying minutes of the match, Conte is alleged to have sarcastically exclaimed: "It's always you, Maresca. It's always you. Even in the VAR, it's always you, Maresca. Well done, Maresca." The incident was fuelled by Conte's belief that Udinese's Tolgay Arslan deserved a red card and that Maresca's officiating led to an excessive number of fouls, which broke up the flow of the game.

Referee axed from Champions League tie after allegedly telling star 'I will kill you'

Referee axed from Champions League tie after allegedly telling star 'I will kill you'

Referee axed from Champions League tie after allegedly telling star 'I will kill you'

Referee axed from Champions League tie after allegedly telling star 'I will kill you'

Referee axed from Champions League tie after allegedly telling star 'I will kill you'