He is 15 years old, attends the Beccaria Classical High School in Milan and referees football matches from his electric wheelchair. Michele Croce has theosteogenesis imperfectathe crystal bone disease: a rare pathology that affects one in twenty thousand people, which has always prevented him from walking but not from chasing what he wanted. As of December 2025 it has
obtained the AIA license after passing the referee course. In March 2026 he refereed his first friendly match. Last April 19th he directed his first official championship match, under 9 CSI, in the oratory of Santi Silvestro e Martino in Milan, thanks to the exemption granted by the CSI and the opening of Vittoria Junior, the volunteer society that first opened the doors of the field to him. We met him soon after.
Michele, how did Sunday go?
It was certainly an emotional day, both before and during the match. It was the first official match, so in addition to the refereeing there was the whole previous part, the control
of the bills, the “call”, the post-race report. I had a blast and I hope the kids had fun too. It was a really nice Sunday.
The night before?
I struggled to sleep. The emotion was great. But once on the pitch it passed.
Your people were in the stands.
Yes, everyone was there: my mom, my dad, my sister. In my opinion they were more afraid of what could happen on the pitch. I was excited, they were scared for me. But it’s normal, right?
How did you find yourself in the field with the wheelchair?
Very good. The wheelchair runs, sometimes even faster than the under 9s I refereed. I had the cards, the whistle, the stopwatch, everything. It wasn’t a problem and it won’t be in the future
future.
Was there a difficult moment to manage?
At one point a boy scored from an indirect free kick. Goal cancelled. His companions timidly protested. I explained the dynamics of the action and they
understood immediately. The match remained clean, no cards drawn.
What kind of referee do you want to be?
A referee’s job is to enforce the rules. On the pitch I am intransigent, as I should be. But I manage in the English way: I let it run, I favor the game, even the tackles when they are correct. So everyone has fun: the players, the public and me too.
Where does this passion come from?
In elementary school, during physical education lessons, while my classmates played football and volleyball, I refereed. Without a whistle, without knowing the rules well. But me
he liked it a lot. That thing I felt watching them play didn’t stay still, it became a direction. Over the years I began to follow football more and more closely,
to watch the matches also with an eye on the referee. In November I took the AIA course, in December I got my license.
How did your family react when you said you wanted to be a referee?
They helped me right away. They informed themselves, they sought the path with me. They didn’t stop me. They stand next to me, without wanting to be in front of me.
Yet there was a concrete obstacle: the AIA regulation.
Yes. There is a physical test that I cannot take, so without the certificate of competitive fitness I cannot referee in official FIGC matches. For this I am very grateful to the CSI, which waived its regulations to allow me to take the field. And to Vittoria Junior, who was the first to believe it could be done.
How did you meet Marco Vichi and Vittoria Junior?
Through mutual friends, thanks to the 2025 Winners Cup, a day in which Vittoria Junior had twinned one of its teams with the children of the pediatric oncology
Milanese hospitals. I met Marco, I told him my dream. He listened. On March 1st he organized a friendly match especially for me, a women’s 7-a-side match. It was my first whistle on the pitch.
Vittoria Junior is a particular club.
It is a place where those who arrive find space before even finding a role. It’s not something to be taken for granted. For a reality like mine, knowing that places like this exist makes a difference
huge.
Do you watch matches differently than when you took the course?
Completely. They always recommended us to watch the matches by looking not only at the game but also at the positions and movements of the referees. Now I do it
Always. When Juventus plays, I admit, sometimes I forget them. But with the other teams I also look at that.
You support Juventus.
My dad is from Turin, born and raised there. I got my passion for football from him. So
Even though I’m Milanese, I’m a Juventus player.
What are your next goals?
The main one is being able to referee an official FIGC match one day – even just in the youth team, not necessarily Serie A. I know that for now it’s not possible, and I know that it is difficult to change a regulation. But I believe it. And once that is achieved, we’ll see: maybe Serie B, tour Italy, get as high as possible.
One thing at a time.
Exact. One thing at a time.
