Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta: “Like The Hare We Must Dodge Bullets”

Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta has brushed off the controversy surrounding a recent refereeing and VAR decision in a Serie A win over Hellas Verona.

Speaking at the Assembly of the Lega Serie A, via FCInterNews, the Nerazzurri executive responded to the controversy that has emerged in the past couple days.

This Saturday’s Serie A match between Inter and Verona saw significant late drama. And controversy.

The Nerazzurri won the match courtesy of a stoppage time goal from Davide Frattesi.

Frattesi’s effort certainly wasn’t a problem. But the controversy concerned an incident in the buildup to the goal.

Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni evidently gave Verona midfielder Ondrej Duda a raised arm shove.

Neither referee Michael Fabbri nor VAR official Luigi Nasca deemed the shove to be sufficient reason to disallow Inter’s goal.

But the general consensus in the aftermath was that it was a blatant foul by the Nerazzurri player.

Naturally, this has led to plenty of innuendo and conspiracy theories.

But in the perspective of Marotta it’s all absurd. The Inter CEO believes that controversy and mistakes are part of the game.

And Inter must do well to avoid getting drawn into pointless scandals and verbal attacks.

Marotta: “Like The Hare, Inter Must Dodge Bullets”

“I’ve said it before,” Marotta said. “I’ve been in football for more than forty years, and every year we talk about favours being done by the referees for this or that club.”

“Before, there was no VAR,” the CEO continued.

“There was only the referee’s eye.”

“Now there is, and there continues to be controversy,” he noted.’

“It’s part of the game, and I mean the word ‘game’ purposefully,” Marotta said pointedly.

“I say that today, we are like the hare. And we have to dodge the bullets from the hunters.”

VAR Not Perfect, Errors Happen

Marotta declared that “I’m here to take stock.”

“Because at the end of the first half of the season, after six months, it’s only right to take stock of the situation and recognize Inter’s merits being top of the Serie A table.”

The CEO stated that it’s “The result of hard and intense work.”

“The players and the coach have a strong feeling of belonging here. The club is solid behind them. And our fans represent a connection to our heritage.”

“For this we should receive wide credit,” Marotta said

“Sometimes statistics can paint a clear picture,” he continued. “And the statistics say that we’re top of the table with 48 points.”

“Fifteen wins and just one loss. The best attack and the best defense in the league.”

Moving on to the brewing controversy surrounding the refereeing decisions against Verona, Marotta said that “Controversies, the criticisms in Italian football, are a part of life.”

“We have to know how to manage and accept them,” he continued.

The Inter CEO noted that “Everyone has invoked VAR. And I think we have to understand how VAR was introduced as a tool to reduce refereeing errors, not to completely eliminate them.”

“And I believe that the first objective has been achieved,” Marotta said.

“Then at the end of the season each club will take stock of all the times that it’s gone for or against them. But as long as subjectivity exists, errors exist.”

“So the referee has made a human error,” the executive said.

“But I’m sure that regardless of this, at the end of the season the best team will win the title,” he emphasized.

No Time For Accusations & Conspiracy Theories

Marotta quickly dismissed some of the stronger accusations that have come up in the wake of Saturday’s match.

“I don’t want to get into politics and these sorts of specious considerations,” he was clear.

“I’ll say that on my part I have experience, including managing certain situations.”

“It’s a big stretch to suggest that a club like Inter can benefit from influence and favouritism,” he continued.

“We send these notions back to the sender,” he said.

“I don’t need to defend the team on the matter of refereeing,” Marotta continued.

“But rather I’m here to highlight Inter’s merits on the pitch.”

“Then it seems to me that the controversy, even yesterday, should also extend to other matches, not just ours.”

The Inter CEO said that “It happens.”

“I repeat. I’m not here to analyze any errors committed to our detriment,” he continued.

“That’s not mine, nor Inter’s, way of doing things,” the executive stressed.

“But I repeat: in the end the best team in all respects will win.”

“It just so happens that the end of the first half of the season coincides with this Monday,” Marotta said.

“We’re fortunate to end this part of the season as winter champions. But that’s only a symbolic victory. What matters is where we are at the finish line.”