Among us who watched the recent match between Italy and Croatia was a heartbroken fan who could not understand how Danny Makkelie, a referee with personal ties to Italy, could have been assigned the game. His question echoes in our minds: "There are so many referees that have nothing to do with either country. How does he get this game?"

Our sentiment is shared by numerous fans who questioned the impartiality of Makkelie who reportedly has an Italian husband. This kinship might taint his ability to enforce the rules of the game without any bias, thus potentially skewing the end results. We believe that fairness ought to be a cornerstone of any and every match, irrespective of who the teams or referees are.

We are not against a referee having ties to a particular country, but we believe that such individuals should not officiate games where their home or related countries are involved to prevent any possible bias. This practice is common sense and should be common practice.

In light of these concerns, we call on the relevant football authority to order a rematch between Italy and Croatia under the supervision of a neutral referee. We need to restore faith in the fairness and integrity of football. Let's join hands and demand a fair rematch. Please sign this petition to fight against referee bias in football.