March 02, (THEWILL) – The Professional Referee Organisation (PRO) has announced a last-minute change in referees for Saturday’s Florida derby between Inter Miami and Orlando City. Initially, PRO named Guiherme Ceretta as the centre referee, but has since replaced him with Jamie Herrera.
The change came after photos emerged on social media appearing to show Ceretta posing in an Inter Miami kit. MLSRefStats first highlighted the images, sparking conflict of interest concerns given Ceretta was set to officiate a match involving Inter Miami. Within hours, PRO replaced Ceretta with Herrera, who was previously listed as the fourth official.
In a statement, PRO acknowledged removing Ceretta “due to a potential conflict”. The assignments had been publicised on Saturday, but the switch was made ahead of the 10:30 pm local time kickoff.
The referee swap comes amid an ongoing labour dispute between PRO and the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA). With negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement at an impasse, PRO has brought in replacement referees from outside the PSRA for the start of the MLS season.
On Friday, MLS executives had actually praised the replacement officials’ performance in week one. However, the PSRA responded by highlighting issues with VAR usage, pace of play, and a lack of experience compared to its regular referees. The latest controversy seems unlikely to resolve the contract standoff anytime soon.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
