The Italian Association of Referees (AIA) have revealed that they intend to reject the resignation of Pierluigi Collina.

The official quit the AIA on Monday following a conflict of interests row, which erupted after he signed a sponsorship deal with Opel - a company who also support Milan.

"His departure is a surprise," stated AIA chief Tullio Lanese. "We will turn down his resignation and inform Collina of that decision. We＊ll then see what happens.

"I want him to stay within the association even if he doesn＊t referee matches anymore. He can keep his contract but I want him to still be a part of our team.

"I still have great admiration for Collina as a man and a referee. However, I will repeat that there are rules in place and they have to be respected."

Italian Football Federation chief Franco Carraro commented: "We are saddened by Collina＊s resignation.

"Collina is a valuable resource for not only the AIA but also for Italian football. We＊ll see what happens over the next few days."

Inter President Giacinto Facchetti is also disappointed that the world＊s best referee has opted to walk away.

"We are losing a referee who could have been precious in a difficult championship with so many important games," he said. "Collina has always been regarded as the best on the planet.

"I don＊t feel that it is right for me to make a judgement in this case. But it does seem to me that there are a number of conflict of interest issues in the game already."

Italy boss Marcello Lippi has urged his fellow Viareggio resident to reconsider his decision.

"I hope that he changes his mind and that he can continue to do the good work he has always done," he stated. "I never expected this to happen."