Former Serie A referee Mauro Bergonzi believes that the penalty awarded to Inter by VAR in their Serie A clash with Napoli on Sunday was a good example of the successful application of the technology.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster 1 Station Radio, the former official explained why he felt that it was a correct decision and that its intervention improved the game by rectifying a decision that had not been spotted on the pitch.
The use of VAR in Serie A has been an ongoing controversy this season, with Inter and a number of other teams having had grievances over what they perceive to be the inconsistent implementation of the technology and an unclear standard of rules.
By contrast, there could be few complaints about the handabll penalty given against Partenopei defender Kalidou Koulibaly in the first half of Sunday’s match, and the decision was not a talking point after the match as the focus was instead given to the action on the pitch.
“In the match between Inter and Napoli, Valeri could not have seen Koulibaly’s hand make contact with the ball from where he was positioned,” Bergonzi explained, “so Aureliano’s intervention from the VAR room was perfect. There were thirty fouls in total, but the referee handled it very well.”
