Fort Lauderdale (United States) (AFP) – Major League Soccer’s refereeing body replaced the match official for Inter Miami’s home game with Orlando City on Saturday after pictures of him in a Miami jersey appeared online.
Referee Guiherme Ceretta was replaced by Jaime Herrera for the fixture by the Professional Referees Organization (PRO).
A spokesman for PRO confirmed to ESPN that “Referee Guiherme Ceretta was removed from the game due to a potential conflict.”
The Miami jersey has become the biggest selling shirt in MLS after Lionel Messi joined the club in July.
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Messi was in the starting lineup for Saturday’s Florida derby against Orlando.
MLS’s regular referees are currently locked out by PRO after talks broke down over a new collective contract.
The Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) rejected an offer from PRO and the league began last month with replacement referees from outside the PSRA’s ranks.
© 2024 AFP
