Italian media have argued that VAR were correct to award a penalty to Inter Milan in the first half of yesterday’s win over Udinese.
Today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, characterize the drag-back by defender Nehuen Perez on Inter captain Lautaro Martinez as a clear foul inside the penalty area.
Nerazzurri captain Martinez was absolutely adamant that he had been fouled just after the half-hour mark of yesterday evening’s match.
The 26-year-old had gotten the wrong side of Udinese defender Perez with his run.
And then Perez put an arm on Martinez’s shoulder.
It was not necessarily the most forceful of pulls on the Inter striker. But the contact was certainly there.
Martinez went to ground and was certain that Perez had pulled him back illegally.
Italian Media Argue VAR Correct To Award Inter A Penalty Vs Udinese
Referee Marco Di Bello did not initially point to the spot.
Martinez’s appeals did not convince the official, who appeared to see it as just a minor incidental contact and not sufficient to award a foul.
But then the VAR advised Di Bello to have a second look at the incident.
The referee went over to his monitor and changed his decision.
Di Bello gave the penalty, which Hakan Calhanoglu subsequently scored to give Inter the lead.
There have been some suggestions that the penalty was overly “soft.” It was not necessarily a strong contact between Perez and Martinez.
But in the view of the Gazzetta, none of that changes that it was a clear foul and penalty.
The Udinese defender did put a hand firmly on Martinez’s shoulder. And this was enough to stop the Inter captain dead in his tracks.
Regardless of whether it was a relatively unfortunate penalty for Udinese to give away, the fact remains in the newspaper’s view that Di Bello and the VAR got it right in the end.
