Assistant referee Alessandro Giallatini was overcome with emotion following Aston Villa’s thrilling 3-2 victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The 49-year-old was seen crying at full-time, sharing a poignant moment with Leipzig’s coach Marco Rose, marking his final match as an assistant referee.
With 170 games in Serie A, several championships and Champions League games, Giallatani is stepping down as a referee. Marco Rose ended up comforting the Italian.
“I asked him what was going on. He said he had refereed his last fight today at the age of 49. We gave him a suit. It’s a beautiful and emotional story. I congratulated him and told him that he now has a little more time, which he has to use wisely and that he can take care of his family,” Marco Rose told Bild.
Giallatini’s tears came after Ross Barkley’s deflected goal in the 85th minute, which secured Villa’s fourth win in six Champions League games.
The victory puts Unai Emery’s side in a strong position to advance automatically to the knockout stage. According to The Mirror, the match in Germany was the official’s final game before retiring from his role.
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Over his illustrious career, Giallatini officiated in several high-profile tournaments, including the 2020 UEFA Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. He also took part in the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 UEFA Euros, as noted by Transfermarkt.
The highlight of the official’s career was being part of the team for the 2020 Champions League Final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, working with Daniele Orsato.
Following the match, Portugal’s coach Roberto Martinez, who was a pundit on Amazon Prime Video Sport, praised Giallatini’s passion for the game, highlighting his significant contributions to football officiating.
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With the win, Villa secured 13 points from six matches, placing them third in the Champions League standings. Meanwhile, Leipzig, who suffered a sixth consecutive defeat, remain at the bottom of the table. Despite the defeat, the emotional scenes at full-time will be remembered as Giallatini marked the end of a remarkable career in the officiating world.
