Referees and VAR, Beppe Marotta raises voice and reignites controversy

Intervening in front of reporters on the sidelines of the Lega Serie A assembly, Beppe Marotta wanted to have his say on the penalty awarded to Como, despite the protests of Inter players and staff, in the match played with the Nerazzurri on Sunday night. The Beneamata’s CEO did not shy away from criticism of the refereeing team and VAR, thus also reigniting the controversy among fans.

“As for the penalty episode, it seems to me now clear that the decision was wrong,” he said, bluntly. It is clear that today the issue weighs less, because the result has rewarded us, but let’s try to imagine what would have happened if that error had affected the outcome of the match: we would be discussing it in a completely different way.”

“These are situations that, over the course of a season, can happen, although in this period they are becoming a little too frequent – added Marotta -. I hope that episodes like this will lead to a serious reflection on how to improve the coordination between VAR and the referee on the field. A more effective harmony is needed, so that such delicate decisions no longer condition matches.”

The penalty in question had been awarded in the match’s final, at the score of 4-2 for Inter, for a contact in the Nerazzurri area between Bonny and Nico Paz that referee Massa, after consultation with the VAR Room in Lissone, deemed foul. A controversial decision, capable of reigniting, once again, the controversy about the effectiveness of moviola on the field.