Carlo Sassi, a historic figure in Italian sports television and the face of the replays on Domenica Sportiva, has passed away at the age of 95.
Born in Milan, Sassi was one of the pioneers of video analysis in football, decisively contributing to the popularity of a tool now considered a precursor to VAR.
Passionate about football from a young age, Sassi attempted a career as a player: after failing a trial with Inter, he played for several years in Serie C and amateur leagues. The turning point came in 1960, when he was hired by RAI. He immediately began working for La Domenica Sportiva, one of the most popular sports programs.
It was thanks to his contribution that the slow motion replay, initially introduced by Enzo Tortora , became a central element of the broadcast.
Sassi made his television debut as a referee commentator on October 22, 1967, on the occasion of Gianni Rivera's famous "ghost goal" in the derby between Inter and Milan.
In the following years, he worked alongside Bruno Pizzul in image analysis , and then became the owner of the Pronto Moviola column, in which he personally commented on the most discussed actions, often involving the footballers involved.
Sassi remained at the helm of the slow motion replay until 1991. He subsequently continued his television career with other sports programs, such as Quasi Gol, hosted with Sandro Ciotti, and Quelli che il calcio, where he worked alongside Fabio Fazio and Marino Bartoletti from 1993 to 2001.
(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)