Referee Daniele Chiffi made some key errors in Inter’s 2-1 Serie A win over Udinese yesterday but was bailed out by the help from the VAR.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who give Chiffi a 4/10 score for his handling of the match and suggest that he owes VAR Luca Banti a dinner for his assistance.
The first major decision that Chiffi had to make was for the penalty given to Inter for a challenge by Udinese defender Pablo Mari on Edin Dzeko.
The official initially waved play on, but then after consulting with the VAR he had another look at the incident on the monitor and pointed to the spot.
Lautaro Martinez stepped up to take the penalty, and the Argentine’s effort was initially tipped onto the bar by Bianconeri keeper Marco Silvestri, before the striker followed up to put away the rebound for Inter’s second goal.
Chiffi initially ruled out the goal on the grounds that he thought that Martinez had touched the ball without another player also touching it following his penalty, but the VAR alerted Chiffi to the fact that Silvestri had gotten a hand to it.
The Gazzetta was not impressed with Chiffi’s judgment during this sequence and felt that he has a real debt of gratitude to the video assistant for helping him get it right.
