Atletico Madrid have filed a complaint about Marco Guida with UEFA just days before he’s set to referee the Serie A clash between Inter Milan & Juventus.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews. They report that the complaint is the result of a penalty awarded to Lille in a Champions League match.
Marco Guida will be the referee for this weekend’s Serie A match between Inter and Juventus.
The topic of which referee is assigned to that particular fixture is always one followed with close attention.
It is fair to say that the Derby d’Italia has had its share of controversy over the years.
Therefore, the governing body for refereeing in Italian football always has a decision on its hand as far as the right man to take charge of matches between Inter and Juventus.
It was not too much of a surprise to see Guida get the nod for this Sunday’s match.
The 43-year-old is one of the most highly-regarded referees in Italy.
However, Guida is currently at the centre of significant controversy after a major blunder in Europe.
Atletico Madrid File Guida Complaint With UEFA Ahead Of Inter Vs Juventus Showdown
Guida was in action during this week.
The experienced Serie A referee was in charge of Wednesday’s Champions League match between Atletico Madrid and Lille.
And there was one particular decision in that match that has come under fire.
In the 71st minute of play, Guida pointed to the spot for a Lille penalty.
Considering that the score at the time was 1-1, this was obviously a decisive moment in the match.
The penalty was for an ostensible handball by Atletico captain Koke.
However, replays showed that it was in fact Lille midfielder Benjamin Andre who had handled the ball.
Nevertheless, the penalty stood. VAR Luca Pairetto declined to advise Guida to have another look at the incident, despite the replays appearing to clearly indicate that the penalty should not have stood.
Naturally, Atletico have not been too happy with the incident. They went on to lose the match 3-1, with Jonathan David dispatching the controversial penalty.
And so the La Liga giants have filed a formal complaint with UEFA.
Naturally, this is hardly the kind of situation Guida wants to be in so close to the Derby d’Italia.