Sergio Gonella
Sergio Gonella (* May 23, 1933 in Asti ) is a former Italian football referee. He led the final of the football World Cup in 1978.
Career
Gonella initiated already in the 1960s games in Serie A; In 1974, he refereed the Italian Cup final between FC Bologna and Palermo. When in 1978 the career ended, he had 175 appearances in the Serie A in its statistics.
Gonellas international career began in 1972. This year he refereed the final of the U-23 European Championship, won the Czechoslovakia. In 1975, he headed the Supercup match between Dynamo Kiev and Bayern Munich. In the European Football Championship in 1976 Gonella was referee of the final match in Belgrade between the DFB and Czechoslovakia, which the CSSR decided on penalties for itself.
Two years later he was at the World Cup in Argentina in use. In the preliminary round, he headed the 0-0 between Brazil and Spain. One of his linesman in this encounter was Abraham Klein, who 's 1-0 victory against the host nation Italy led in the first round, while the hosts refused to correct a Penalty complaint. Due to its good performance in the second round, small should then referee the final between Argentina and the Netherlands. Argentina was ruled at the time by right-wing military, and the Association of hosts reported for Klein's Jewish origin in concerns. Klein had lived as a 13 -year-old a year in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn.
The FIFA referee in charge Artemio Franchi finally nominated for the final his Italian compatriot Gonella, meanwhile, Abraham Klein received the third place the lead of the game. Gonella was out of the second round as referee way to use (1978, there were as well at the 1974 World Cup no quarter or semi-finals, but a second round, sometimes called final round, with two groups of four teams - the two group winners then contest the final ). Gonellas line of the Finals was later criticized because he treated the Argentine team apparently preferred: "The Italian referee was, frankly, terrible; his linesman were incredibly bad. "
From 1998 to 2000 Gonella was president of the Italian Referee Association Associazione Italiana arbitri.