Collina returns to football

2006-12-28 17:52

Rome - Pierluigi Collina has been appointed as a consultant for the Italian football referees' association, interim Italian football federation (FIGC) president Luca Pancalli said on Thursday.

Collina, who retired as a referee in August 2005, will assist newly appointed referees' chief Cesare Gussoni.

Since his retirement, Collina, now 46, has been working as a financial advisor.

Famed for his bald head and intimidating stare, Collina was regarded as one of the world's best referees. His proudest moment came when he took charge of the 2002 World Cup final between Brazil and Germany.

Pancalli was hired by the FIGC to clean up the image of Italian football after this year's Serie A match-fixing scandal. The scam involved Serie A clubs, FIGC officials and referees.

- AFP