Marcenaro to referee Roma v Fiorentina in Serie A opener

Matteo Marcenaro has been appointed to referee Roma's first Serie A match of the season against Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on 24 August at 20:45. The fixture comes five days after the announcement of the Serie A refereeing assignments for opening weekend. Marcenaro last took charge of a Roma match on 18 April, when Roma faced Atalanta. He will be supported by assistants Lo Cicero and Rossi, with Fabbri as fourth official. Abisso will serve as VAR and Giua as assistant VAR for the match.

Marcenaro will take charge of Roma's Serie A opener against Fiorentina on Monday at the Olimpico, kicking off at 20:45. The referee has an encouraging record with the Giallorossi, showing four victories, two draws, and one defeat across their previous meetings. His last encounter with Roma came in a 1–1 draw against Atalanta, while his sole loss came in a controversial 2024 match against Verona, where a disputed goal from the Hellas side involved a foul by Magnani on N'Dicka. The opening weekend fixture marks the start of Roma's Serie A campaign under Gasperini's leadership. Marcenaro's overall positive history against the club suggests a fair hand, though the Verona precedent underscores how contentious refereeing decisions have figured in Roma's recent encounters. The appointment reflects confidence in the official's experience and consistency at this level. Lo Cicero and Rossi will serve as assistant referees, with Fabbri in the fourth official role. Abisso and Giua have been assigned as VAR and AVAR respectively.

Roma host Fiorentina in their Serie A opener on 24 August at 20.45, with historical data and current form painting two different pictures of what to expect. The Giallorossi have drawn 29 opening matches in their Serie A history, a figure that may concern supporters. However, recent form offers encouragement: Roma have opened five consecutive seasons without defeat, including a 3–1 win over Fiorentina in 2021–22, a 1–0 victory against Bologna last season, and draws against Salernitana (0–1 away in 2022–23, 2–2 at home in 2023–24) and Cagliari (0–0 in 2024–25). Bookmakers favour Roma as the stronger side in this opening fixture of the 2026–27 campaign, a reflection of current expectations rather than historical precedent. Gasperini's squad arrives at the Olimpico with positive indicators: the unbeaten run across five opening matches, a favourable head-to-head record against Fiorentina, and market confidence. The field will ultimately determine whether these encouraging statistics hold true when the season begins.