Referee Livio Marinelli Criticized For Litany Of Errors In Inter Milan’s Serie A Clash With Napoli

Referee Livio Marinelli has come in for criticism for making several errors in yesterday’s Serie A clash between Napoli and Inter Milan.

Today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, identify three incorrect decisions in particular.

The first major decision that Marinelli made yesterday was to send off Inter midfielder Roberto Gagliardini.

Virtually no one would disagree that it was the correct decision from the official.

However, the Gazzetta do take issue with the timing of Marinelli’s decision to send off the Nerazzurri midfielder. For the newspaper, the referee should’ve sent the 29-year-old almost twenty minutes earlier.

Gagliardini saw red in the 41st minute of the match. The midfielder received a second yellow card for flying into a challenge on Napoli opposite number Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, coming nowhere near winning the ball.

However, this was Gagliardini’s fifth foul of the match, and at least his third bookable offense.

In the view of the Gazzetta, there’s no question the 29-year-old should’ve been booked for an earlier foul on Kkvicha Kvarataskhelia.

In the 22nd minute, shortly after receiving a first yellow card, Gagliardini cleared out the Georgian Napoli star.

Evidently Marinelli decided to show leniency as it was only a foul, and the official did not brandish another yellow.

For the Gazzetta, however, this was a mystifying decision. Given that Gagliardini got nowhere near the ball, they argue that the official clearly should have booked him.

Two Second Half Errors By Marinelli In Napoli Vs Inter Milan Second Half

Somewhat ironically, the Gazzetta feel that Marinelli both disallowed a Napoli goal that should have stood, and awarded a goal to the Partenopei that should’ve been ruled out.

First, the official disallowed a goal from Giovanni Simeone for what was deemed to be a foul by Piotr Zielinski on Danilo D’Ambrosio in the buildup.

The Gazzetta argues that there was no foul whatsoever by the Napoli midfielder. The goal should have stood to make the scoreline 2-0.

However, in contrast, the newspaper feel that the Partenopei’s goal should not have stood.

Midfielder Gianluca Gaetano scored very late on to kill Inter off. However, in the view of the Gazzetta, Juan Jesus had fouled Francesco Acerbi in the buildup.