There were multiple moments of refereeing controversy in yesterday’s Serie A clash between Inter Milan and Venezia.
Today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, argue that referee Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi and the VAR just about got all the big decisions right.
Referee Ferrieri Caputi had a tougher assignment that she perhaps would have expected from the fixture yesterday at the San Siro.
The first big decision came around fifteen minutes into the match.
This was after Inter appealed for a penalty after Venezia wingback Ridgeciano Haps had handled the ball inside the penalty area.
The handball was extremely blatant from the Dutchman. However, referee Ferrireri Caputi spotted a foul – she felt that Inter’s Denzel Dumfries had shoved Haps.
And in the view of the Gazzetta, this was the right decision.
Then, in the 51st minute of play, Inter thought that they’d gone 1-0 after Henrikh Mkhitaryan finished off a flowing team move.
But the VAR determined that Federico Dimarco had been narrowly offside when he received a pass to then cross to Mkhitaryan.
And in the eightieth minute, Inter substitute furiously appealed for a penalty. The Iranian had his shot blocked by Venezia wingback Marin Sverko.
Once again, there was no doubt about the handball. But after a bit of a VAR check, the decision was no penalty – because there had been a narrow offside from Marcus Thuram in the situation.
Late Handball Drama In Inter Vs Venezia Serie A Clash
The most contentious decision came right at the end of stoppage time, though.
Venezia thought that they’d equalized right at the death.
It was once again Sverko who was at the centre of the incident. The Croat bundled in a cross from Haps to seemingly make the scoreline 1-1 in the 97th minute of play.
But after a bit of a VAR check, Ferrieri Caputi disallowed yet another goal.
The reason was that the ball had come off of Sverko’s wrist. Oddly enough, the second time that the Venezia substitute was involved in a handball decision.
And yet again, the Gazzetta argue, Ferrieri Caputi and her VAR got it right.
It was a long check and it left some confusion. But by the rules, there was no way a goal with a blatant attacking handball should have stood.