Italian journalist Riccardo Trevisani believes that the penalty that Juventus were awarded in their match with Inter was soft compared to the one not given in Roma’s match against AC Milan yesterday.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster SportMediaset, the journalist gave the view that refereeing in Serie A appears to be inconsistent, giving the two incidents as particular examples of this issue.
Inter felt hard done by to have conceded a late equalizer to the Bianconeri after the referee was advised by VAR to have a second look by a clumsy challenge by Denzel Dumfries on Alex Sandro on the edge of the penalty area.
Official Maurizio Mariani had not initially felt that there was enough in it to point to the spot on first viewing, but changed his mind upon review.
Yesterday evening a very similar challenge occurred between Milan defender Simon Kjaer and Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini as the Giallorossi were pressing for an equalizer, but no penalty was awarded.
Trevisani finds this to be an inconsistency, stating that “This is a league where each week, nothing is known about what will happen on the pitch. A penalty is given one week, and then the same thing happens seven days later and nothing is given.”
He went on that “The referees must speak and tell us how things are. Denzel Dumfries’ foul on Alex Sandro is a penalty and the one on Lorenzo Pellegrini is even moreso because it is a dangerous action in the area. Why doesn’t VAR call it back? Because Fabio Maresca first denied it, so they don’t even know what they are doing.”
“They have to communicate,” he continued, “because when there’s silence everyone talks. Instead someone needs to explain the rules and tell us what game we are playing, because with this we risk ruining one of the most beautiful seasons in recent years.”
“If this is not a penalty, either we have not understood anything, or the referees have not understood. And this is the more worrying thing, regardless of who the episode favours or doesn’t favour.”
