During his pre-match press conference against Cagliari, Gian Piero Gasperini, the coach of AS Roma, shocked the Italian soccer world by making a surprising accusation. He claims that certain teams are employing specialists to teach players how to simulate contact on the pitch and "stay on the ground" in order to gain refereeing advantages. Gasperini, who is well known for his openness, refrained from giving names, but he did reference the recent controversy initiated by Genoa coach Daniele De Rossi. He also detailed a practice that he believes is widespread and unsportsmanlike in Serie A, Italy's premier division: "Teams have started hiring particular people from the refereeing community who teach players on how to remain on the ground, how to stay down if they are tackled and wait for the play to finish, and how to remain on the ground when the ball is headed". According to Gasperini, this behavior is no longer left to individual players' choice, but is actively taught by specialists within clubs. Some Italian teams have apparently engaged former referees as consultants, often known as referee managers, whose official purpose is to help players comprehend the rules and avoid warnings or expulsions. Inter, Juventus, Lazio, and Parma are the clubs that have recently hired former referees. Giorgio Schenone, a referee at Inter from 1990 to 2020, was commended by president Beppe Marotta for his contributions to the reduction of yellow cards on account of his extensive experience. Luca Maggiani, a former linesman, joined Juventus in 2022 after completing a FIGC course to become a referee manager. Lazio has signed Riccardo Pinzani, a former Serie A referee from 2007 to 2010, and Parma has hired Lorenzo Manganelli, a referee with over 200 Serie A appearances and over 100 internationals. Interestingly, Roma previously employed a former referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese, who made 157 Serie A games, was hired in 2022 as a referee consultant before becoming an Amazon Prime consultant.