Referee Fabio Maresca could decide to suspend this evening’s Serie A clash between Inter Milan and Roma if whistles for Romelu Lukaku become a distraction.
This according to today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews.
The return of striker Lukaku to the San Siro will be the dominant subplot for this evening’s match.
The Belgian’s split with Inter during the summer was certainly a source of great controversy.
And there is no doubt that the reaction to Lukaku’s return from the San Siro crowd will be a hostile one.
However, the question is just how intense the crowd reaction will get.
Inter ultras group the Curva Nord has promised to distribute whistles ahead of the match.
It is true that the authorities are planning to try and put a stop to the usage of the whistles. But the question could be how successful they will be.
It will not be easy to prevent all the whistles from entering the stadium.
And then even with the threat of fines for those fans caught using the whistles, there is no guarantee that all fans will comply.
And then there’s always the possibility that, even without whistles, the fan response will become overwhelming.
Fabio Maresca Could Stop Inter Vs Roma Clash Over Whistles For Romelu Lukaku
According to the Corriere, there is some possibility that the match official could decide to put a stop to proceedings.
This could be to temporarily pause or even suspend the match.
According to the Corriere, the question for referee Fabio Maresca will be whether the noise from the crowd threatens to disrupt the match.
It will be at the official’s discretion.
The big question is whether or not whistling or raucous crowd response starts to affect the action on the pitch.
And according to the Corriere, a suspension of the match by Maresca wouldn’t be out of the question.