Massimo Busacca


Massimo Busacca is a Swiss former football referee, who is FIFA Director of Refereeing, overseeing the protection of football’s core values and the continuous improvement of the game through the development of match officials and referee coaches. He lives in Monte Carasso, Ticino, Switzerland, near Bellinzona.

Early life

Busacca was born in Bellinzona, Switzerland, to Italian parents from Sicily. Busacca used to play football in a lower division in Ticino. After a successful career as a top referee he became Head of FIFA Refereeing in July 2011.

Career

Busacca was a Swiss Super League Referee from 1996 to 2011 and a FIFA referee from 1999 to 2011.
In 2006, Busacca refereed the Swiss championship-deciding match at St. Jakob-Park, between FC Basel and FC Zurich that resulted in the 2006 Basel Hooligan Incident.
Busacca took charge of the 2007 UEFA Cup Final at Hampden Park on 16 May, one of the biggest appointments for a UEFA referee. Busacca sent off RCD Espanyol midfielder Moisés Hurtado for a second bookable offence during the match.
Busacca was selected to referee at the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament in Austria and Switzerland.
At the tournament, Busacca was the referee for the Group C game between Netherlands and Romania, the Group D game between Greece and Sweden and the semi Final match between Germany and Turkey.
Busacca was selected to referee the 2009 UEFA [Champions League Final|UEFA Champions League Final] in Rome on 27 May 2009 between FC Barcelona and Manchester United.
He was chosen as a referee for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, refereeing the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final game between South Africa and Brazil match on 25 June 2009 in Johannesburg and Brazil went on to win 1–0.
On 19 September 2009, Busacca was the referee in a Swiss Cup match between FC Baden and BSC Young Boys. After crowd trouble disrupted the game after home side Baden took an unlikely lead, Busacca raised his middle finger to the crowd. Busacca had initially denied making the obscene gesture but was handed a three-match ban by the Swiss Football Association and was forced to issue an apology.

2006 FIFA World Cup

Busacca was chosen to be a referee at the 2006 [FIFA World Cup] in Germany.
He refereed three games:
  • 14 June 2006 : Spain vs. Ukraine 4–0
  • 20 June 2006 : Sweden vs. England 2–2
  • 24 June 2006 : Argentina vs. Mexico 2–1. ET.

2010 FIFA World Cup

He was selected as a referee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and refereed the South Africa vs. Uruguay game.
He awarded a penalty and showed the red card to the South African goalkeeper, Itumeleng Khune, in the 77th minute, for tripping the Uruguay striker, Luis Suárez. Hosts South Africa went on to lose the game 3–0, and Khune became just the second goalkeeper to be sent off in World Cup history.

2011 Champions League

On 8 March 2011, Busacca was the referee in a UEFA Champions League 2010–11 Round of 16 match between Arsenal F.C. and FC Barcelona controversially sending Robin Van Persie off for kicking the ball after the whistle, with some commentators suggesting that he had cemented his place in the hall of fame of worst refereeing decisions of all time.

Notable achievements

Retirement and subsequent ventures

It was announced on 14 July 2011 that Busacca had taken up the position of Head of Refereeing Development with FIFA, retiring from active refereeing duties in the process. Busacca has overseen refereeing matters at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions of the FIFA World Cup, as well as at the 2015, 2019 and 2023 versions of the Women’s World Cup. He currently serves as FIFA Director Refereeing and as such, he has promoted the development of refereeing on a worldwide basis, including the use of technology and the promotion of female referees who now officiate at the highest level of the game.

Personal life

Busacca is a devout Catholic and was crowned Switzerland's non-smoker of the year in 2006.