Juventus vs. Atalanta: Controversy Over Rowe and Kalulu—Marelli Said It Was a Penalty

A controversial play at Allianz Stadium. During the Juventus-Atalanta match, Jonathan Rowe went down in the Juventus penalty area after contact with Pierre Kalulu, but referee Luca Zufferli let play continue without awarding a penalty kick. It was a decision that sparked debate, and former referee Luca Marelli weighed in on it during the live broadcast on DAZN.

““There was holding, and it was prolonged,” explained the former referee, emphasizing that the contact was anything but negligible. According to Marelli’s interpretation, the VAR’s failure to intervene can be attributed to the referee’s direct assessment of the incident. “If VAR didn’t intervene, it’s because they must have determined that it was a decision to be made on the field,” he added

However, the nature of the contact remains a key point. Marelli pointed out that the holding was particularly visible: “The jersey stretched quite a bit, and there was intensity.”

The incident therefore had no consequences from a refereeing standpoint, with Zufferli not awarding a penalty kick and VAR not prompting the referee to review the play.