The Lega Serie A could soon change the rules around when penalties are retaken in league matches to be more lenient regarding defensive encroachment in the penalty area.
This according to today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews, who report that the league is seriously considering changing the guidelines so that fewer penalties are forced to be retaken for relatively marginal encroachment.
During Saturday evening’s match between Udinese and AC Milan, the Rossoneri were awarded a penalty which Zalatan Ibrahimovic stepped up to take.
The 41-year-old Swede had his first effort saved by Friulani keeper Marco Silvestri, but then after a few moments the VAR stepped in to order that the spot kick be retaken.
The reason for this was that moments before Ibrahimovic’s effort, Udinese striker Beto had jumped the gun and rushed into the box, and was deemed to have been involved in clearing the ball defensively.
However, according to Tuttosport, the league are thinking about changing the way that these situations are handled, in order to give a little more leniency to defenders in these kinds of situations.
Inter were involved in a high-profile incident of this nature as Hakan Calhanoglu had a penalty saved in the Derby d’Italia against Juventus last April, but was given the chance to spare his blushes as the VAR spotted encroachment by Bianconeri players before he had kicked the ball.
Meanwhile, Inter striker Romelu Lukaku was given the chance to retake a penalty in a win against Udinese last month, although in that instance the reason was that Friulani keeper Silvestri was deemed to have come off his line too early rather than encroachment.
