The Professional Referee Organization (PRO) replaced the referee for Saturday's match between Inter Miami and Orlando City after photos surfaced of him wearing an Inter Miami shirt, according to The Athletic's Tom Bogert.
PRO confirmed to Bogert it removed Guiherme Ceretta from the fixture, citing "a potential conflict."
This comes amid the PRO's continued lockout of the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA), which is the union for referees in North America. Due to the lockout, replacement officials are working MLS games to open the 2024 season.
Per Bogert, PRO is leaning on refs who have worked at the college and youth levels along with those experienced in lower divisions professionally.