The full transcript of the conversation that took place between the referee and the VAR room during AC Milan’s win over Bologna has been made available.
The first episode of the season of ‘Open VAR’ was broadcast on DAZN, and as MilanNews report it immediately provided some transparency regarding what happened one of the most controversial incidents in recent memory.
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The full transcript has been relayed between the referee Marcenaro, VAR assistants Fabbri and Paterna and the fourth official Rapuano. It of course concerns the decision to award and then revoke a spot kick when Christopher Nkunku went down inside the box minutes from the end.
What emerges from the broadcast is, first of all, a total and unjustified disregard for Lucumi’s first tackle on Nkunku, which not only deserved a penalty but also possibly a red card.
Secondly, it is clear that VAR Fabbri pushed for the penalty to be revoked for the contact between Freuler and Nkunku. This is another questionable choice given that Freuler didn’t kick Nkunku directly but instead stepped on him, effectively tripping him up, as all the footage demonstrates.
🤔 Penalty or no penalty?pic.twitter.com/SkryNGtyLi
— SempreMilan (@SempreMilanCom) September 14, 2025
The full transcript
Marcenaro (on first contact Lucumi-Nkunku): “For me nothing.”
[Check from the VAR Room on Nkunku’s onside position and control, both clearly fine.]
Fabbri (on the first contact between Lucumi and Nkunku): “He lets it go here… the next one whistled.”
Fabbri (on the Freuler-Nkunku contact): “Where does he get it? (Referring to Freuler) No, he has a steady foot though. He has a steady foot and even touches the ball with his leg: it’s the attacker who gets it. (Then turning to Paterna) If I show you Lucumi’s one first on Nkunku, what do you think?”
Paterna: “Then he spreads his leg, Nkunku… But it’s nothing: because here it’s the attacker who’s looking for it.”
Fabbri: “Yes, he’s widening it, I agree with you too. Let’s go to the next one [the footage returns to the Freuler-Nkunku contact] and look for some good cameras, because in my opinion it’s not a penalty, what do you think? Because he has his foot on the ground and never takes it.”
Paterna: “I agree.”
Fabbri: “I want another camera, this one. [On Freuler] He already has his foot on the ground and it’s him [Nkunku] who kicks it. What do you think?”
Paterna: “Yes, I agree, it’s more the attacker who goes towards… You see…”
Fabbri, addressing Marcenaro: “I would show you Matteo again because the defender has his foot on the ground and it is Nkunku who, by putting his foot on the ground, kicks it.”
[Marcenaro arrives at the monitor]
Fabbri to Marcenaro: “Look, he [Freuler] has his foot on the ground and it’s Nkunku who then kicks it.”
Marcenaro: “Excuse me, Michael [Fabbri], isn’t that also the number 8 [Freuler] going towards him?”
Fabbri: “But he has his foot on the ground, he has his foot on the ground: Freuler does nothing. He has his foot planted on the ground.”
[Marcenaro steps away from the monitor and announces the penalty has been revoked.]
Rapuano to Marcenaro: “Marce, Matteo [Marcenaro]: red for Allegri, red for Allegri, red for Allegri.”
Stop beating a dead horse. Refereeing is incompetent in Serie A. Period.
Well I don’t mind them reporting the full story, but the lie that the second one was a penalty is just delusional. Don’t get it why people keep repeating in when you can clearly see it isn’t.
The PK should have been on Lucumi with. Red card all along.
100%, interesting as well that VAR repeatedly called for the RED on Allegri
Rapuano is the 4th official. He was the one who called for the red, as Allegri was berating him. Fabbri was the VAR, and Paterna was the assistant VAR.
What happened with the red card for coach Masimilliano Allegri?
“instead stepped on him” Where? Freuler’s foot is on the floor while Nkunku is still moving it. You can’t step on someone from below. You have to be blind not to see it. Completely false.
The first one is a penalty, and that is a huge mistake from VAR, not to show the situation before. But if you have eyes the second one is not a penalty. It was visible on TV, without VAR.
They probably grabbed someone from the comment section here since most seem to hate Milan more than anything thats why they ‘overlooked’ it
now you can complain about Redbird, hurray
🤣🤣🤣
Spot on, bro.
😀 😀 😀 😀
Guys what we can learn from this is it’s never a could if the defender puts his foot on the ground💀💀💀💀 how did they got this job lol
Foul*
So they completely avoided talking about what should have been a penalty (the 1st incident) and all discussed why the 2nd incident was not a penalty, all to come to the conclusion that there was no penalty. This is why there should be a independent body away from the AIA in the VAR room, their responsibility should only be to provide requested video of an incident to the referee on the pitch to view, they should have no say on any decisions as that is solely up to the ref. clubs should have the right to request 1 maybe 2 review calls during a match which the ref then views or the ref can request a review at his own discretion.
Need to start a petition in Italy to completely kick these incompetent refs out of the game.
There’s a reason why Italy are not anywhere near winning any high level tournaments or trophies, because they have to play the game by conforming to ridiculous refereeing like this.
That’s why when Italian teams (both club or country) get called for perfectly legit fouls, they all do the Jackie Chan meme face, because “IT WOULDN’T BE CALLED IN ITALY”. Well Italy’s officiating is 10 levels behind every other country. THAT’S WHY ITALY HAVE MISSED WORLD CUPS RECENTLY, BECAUSE ITALIAN REFEREES ARE DOG$HIT.