Rinaldo Barlassina started refereeing in 1920, and from 1924 officiated in over 200 matches in the Divisione Nazionale, the forerunner to Serie A. In 1937, he won the Giovanni Mauro Award as Best Referee of the Year. Berlassina served as an international referee, and at the 1934 FIFA World Cup, refereed the games between Hungary and Egypt, Germany and Sweden, and the semi-final in Roma, between Czechoslovakia and Germany. He took control of just one match at the 1936 Olympics (Peru - Finland), and two years later, at the World Cup, was again in charge of just one game, Hungary - Switzerland. Between 1932-42, Barlassina worked for the Assicurazioni Generali of Venice insurance company, and for many years, wrote an Italian football diary called Agendina del calcio , for La Gazzetta dello Sport under the pseudonym “La Barlassina” He died at the age of 48 following a motor vehicle accident.
Italy