FOOTBALL: Italian Ref sends off wrong identical twin

Mistaken identity, it seems, is not the sole reserve of officials in the English Premier League with an Italian amateur football match ordered to be replayed after a referee sent off the wrong identical twin.

Andre Marriner was left red-faced when he sent off the wrong Arsenal player against Chelsea last month - dismissing Kieran Gibbs despite real culprit Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain owning up to handball.

In Italy, Michele Rossi, who plays for amateur side SSD Castello in the ninth level of Italian football, was sent off for a foul his brother Matteo committed against GS Alviano.

"The referee, purely due to error, in the 27th minute of the second half sent off SSD Castello's number seven Michele Rossi instead of their number nine Matteo Rossi," wrote Marco Brusco, the sporting judge of the Umbria regional league organisation.

Striker Matteo, who had put Castello 2-1 up, committed a foul that led to a row erupting between the two sides.
Amidst the chaos the referee, a Mr Cirillo from Terni, mistakenly sent off Michele instead of Matteo.

"It was an error that had an undoubted impact on the game and as such the match should be replayed," added Brusco.