Former Serie A referee Massimo Chiesa feels that the opening goal that Sassuolo scored against Inter on Sunday should not have stood due to a foul in the buildup.
Speaking to Italian news outlet Calciomercato.com, the former official gave the view that Neroverdi winger Domenico Berardi had committed a foul on Hakan Calhanoglu to win the ball back and that the goal should have been ruled out.
Inter players immediately appealed to have the opening goal by Neroverdi striker Giacomo Raspadori looked at by VAR, because of what they felt was an unfair challenge by Berardi to win the ball in midfield and set his team on the attack.
Match official Francesco Fourneau and the VAR officials declined to look at the incident and so the goal stood.
However, in the view of former referee Chiesa, this was an incorrect decision and the Nerazzurri were hard done by to have conceded in that fashion.
“On Raspadori’s goal, Berardi commits a foul on Calhanoglu,” he said, “the referee sees the ball move and is fooled by the change of direction, but the Sassuolo attacker first takes the Turk’s leg and then the ball.”
“The fact that it doesn’t affect the result doesn’t mean it’s not a mistake,” he added.
And on Inter’s late disallowed goal he said that “De Vrij’s goal was beautiful, but it was right to disallow it due to a handball by Dimarco.”