The president of the Italian Football Federation has admitted that AC Milan should have been awarded a penalty against Bologna.
Even though Milan eventually got the points thanks to Luka Modric’s winner on the hour mark, there continues to be a lot of fall-out about a farcical incident that took place inside the final few minutes of the match.
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The referee Matteo Marcenaro awarded a penalty when Christopher Nkunku went down inside the box. He got back up after being barged over by Lucumi, but then when Freuler stuck a foot in his went over, and that was what drew the spot kick.
However, Marcenaro was called over by the VAR team to review the challenge he actually gave a penalty for. It was deemed that there was minimal contact and overturned, though the incident prior – in which Lucumi committed what looked like a certain foul – was not looked at.
Admission of a mistake
Gabriele Gravina – the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) – spoke to Radio Anch’io Sport about the penalty denied. MilanNews relayed his comments.
“It was a clear error, but when we talk about technology, we’re moving forward, we’re not going back to the past. Technology has significantly reduced the percentage of errors; just look at those cases where referees, without technology, are in doubt and are clearly looking for confirmation.”
The question is: Does Pulisic keep taking the pens?
The error committed by the VAR was in not reviewing the entire attack sequence from the beginning, which included Nkunku being hit from behind and not being given the chance to play Pulisic’s wonderful looping pass. The VAR team simply spooled up the 2nd infraction.
You’re right. In fact, that is the original foul that the penalty should’ve been given for.
The second foul is in a bit of a grey area, coz as Nkunku was falling he hit the goalkeeper inside the 6-yard line.
So the right point from which the sequence should’ve been reviewed was the foul committed on Nkunku that caused him to fall on the goalkeeper in the first place. That was a clear foul.
You admit a clear error and refuse to change it because…?
Good question – had Milan lost or tied, I don’t think there’s any recourse to protest in order change the outcome post hoc.
What would you like them to do? Invalidate the result, restart the game at the point of the penalty, let Milan take the penalty and then finish the game?
There’s no consistency in refereeing across the league. In one instance a call is made, but in another, the same exact call isn’t made. It’s been a problem in Italy for YEARS!
What we expect is consistency and changes. Maybe even a centralized refereeing hub that reviews games live and confirms/denies calls. One centralized VAR think tank.
This is the exact problem. There is no consistency from referee crew to referee crew. Because of that inconsistency, the teams can’t get a true feel for what is going to be called a foul from game to game. And God forbid you complain, you’re carded because the refs have thin skin.
Bingo. Consistent application of the rules and perhaps a retraining and set of guidelines for referees. Simple consistency is all we want. No matter who is playing.
Fix the implementation of VAR and the guidelines so it doesn’t happen again? Obviously you can’t change a pass result unless you replay the game.
Milan won its ok but hope this won’t repeat itself again? And moreover what about the red card given to Allegri for protesting a wrong judgement by the referee which turned out to be an error on the part of the referee? Hope the red card is going to be cancelled too because with that we will believe the officials have accepted their mistake
total boomer lying idiot. Gravina should be fired immediately for that ridiculously brainless statement. hey old stupid loser – when YOU make a mistake you fix it not lie about it. not looking in the past – what a clown
before goal there is offside, VAR will be reviewing 2 events, goal and offside.
last night there were 2 fouls, 2 events, but VAR was reviewing the last one. it’s not fair. supposedly VAR reviewing whole process.
Funny thing is.. the referee was having an excellent game. But that call was the type of error that is so bad, it basically erased everything good he did.
GRavina you Inter tool.
It’s not about the technology, it’s about the incompetent and biased refs who abuse the technology. WHY did VAR have to call the referee to the station and ONLY show them the 2nd foul (which was ALSO a legit foul, but could be contended), when the first foul’s footage was less than 5 seconds before that second foul?
I sense malicious intent by those in power to keep Milan down. This is NOT the first or only incident. That foul on Rabiot in the first 3 minutes of the game should have been a red card to Bologna and a man advantage for Milan. It’s RIDICULOUS that ANYONE is DEFENDING THIS. These calls were not MISTAKES, they were MALICIOUS ATTEMPTS AT SABOTAGE.
The Italian referee Federation has figured out how to cheat with the VAR. This is not the first time something like this occurred in the past there have been points taken away from teams because there was a referee’s
being paid off and throwing the games. now we have VAR DOING THE SAME THING THROWING GAMES!!
This is a scam. This beautiful game is not the same.
Can we do away with VAR?
At least before there was an excuse for mistakes.
And I hate to say it but Sepp Blattern was right, football does not work when moments are stopped.
It’s impossible to celebrate a goal anymore or even a penalty because you have to wait.
Modern football sucks.