BENCHED

Soccer Ref Replaced After He’s Seen Wearing Inter Miami Jersey in Photos

The Professional Referee Organization said they removed him because of a conflict of interest.

The Professional Referee Organization (PRO) replaced a Major League Soccer official who was set to work Saturday’s match between Inter Miami and Orlando City after he was seen wearing an Inter Miami jersey in multiple photos. Guiherme Ceretta was initially scheduled to be the center referee for the game at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. But after photos of Ceretta wearing an Inter Miami kit surfaced on X Saturday morning, just hours before the game, the PRO swiftly booted him from the lineup. Ceretta was replaced by referee Jamie Herrera within 2 hours of the revelatory post going up and a little under 5 hours before kickoff. “Referee Guiherme Ceretta was removed from the game due to a potential conflict,” the PRO told The Athletic in a statement. The game starts at 4:30 p.m. and is the third match of the season for Inter Miami, the club home to famed player Lionel Messi and co-owned by David Beckham.