A newly released audio reveals what transpired between match official Michael Fabbri and VAR Luigi Nasca following Inter Milan’s winner against Hellas Verona.
The Nerazzurri earned a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Gialloblu thanks to an injury-time winner courtesy of Davide Frattesi.
However, Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni appeared to have elbowed Verona midfielder Ondrej Duda in the buildup.
Fabbri didn’t whistle a foul on the Italy international, while Nasca gave the thumbs-up following a video review.
Thus, the goal stood, creating a major debacle among fans and pundits alike. Serie A refereeing designator Gianluigi Rocchi even had to address the conspiracy theories during his press conference earlier today.
But now, the audio containing the conversation between the referee and the VAR official has been released. FcInterNews published the transcript.
Why Referee Michael Fabbri Didn’t Rule Out Inter Milan’s Winner Vs Hellas Verona
It appears that Nasca was initially urging Fabbri to call a foul on Bastoni, effectively ruling out the goal.
“Whistle, whistle, but whistle for heaven’s sake,” those were Nasca’s first words after watching Duda falling to the ground.
Nevertheless, Fabbri allowed the action to go on, as he felt that Duda was simulating.
“He got up, looked at me, and then fell to the ground again. That’s simulation,” said the match official while justifying his call to his colleague.
It seems that Fabbri’s explanation was enough to convince Nasca who then checks for a possible offside before confirming the validity of the goal.
“Michael, legal goal, legal goal,” announces the VAR official.
Nasca would later intervene to highlight a foul for Verona inside the box.
Fabbri ended up awarding the spot kick following a review, but Thomas Henry failed to convert a golden chance to snatch a point for the struggling side.
