Hellas Verona 1-2 Inter Milan – Former Serie A Referee Explains Why Bisseck’s Foul Wasn’t Red: ‘Ball Not Headed Towards Goal’ | OneFootball

Refereeing analyst Luca Marelli gave his verdict on the main incidents from Inter Milan’s 2-1 win over Hellas Verona, explaining why the Yann Bisseck foul on Giovane was correctly judged without a red card.

Speaking live on DAZN, via FCInter1908, Marelli stressed that freeze-frame analysis can often distort the real nature of an incident.

Therefore, he insisted that the action must be viewed at full speed.

“You have to see it in motion,” he said.

“A freeze-frame can be misleading. At the moment of contact, the ball is very close, but it’s important to look at where it ends up in real time.”

Marelli broke down the play according to the DOGSO (denial of a goalscoring opportunity) criteria.

He argued that both the direction of play and the position of defenders ruled out a sending-off.

“One of the parameters for DOGSO is the general direction of the action,” he explained.

“The ball moves quickly to the right, not towards goal. It rolls into an area where Sucic was recovering. For a red card, you need both direction and the absence of covering defenders and here, both elements were missing.”

Verona 1-2 Inter: Marelli Defends Decision To Not Award Bisseck A Red Card

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 23: Yann Aurel Bisseck of FC Internazionale looks on, during the warm up prior to the coppa Italia Semi Final match between FC Internazionale and AC Milan at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 23, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The former Serie A referee added that if Giovane’s touch had been cleaner, driving the ball straight toward the goal, then a red card could have been justified but not in this case.

“If the ball had gone directly toward goal, it would’ve been a clear red,” Marelli noted.

“But as it stands, the dynamics simply don’t support that decision.”

He also weighed in on another debated moment: the possible penalty for Francesco Pio Esposito after contact with Bella-Kotchap.

However, Marelli sided with referee Daniele Doveri, calling his positioning and judgement “spot on.”

“Doveri was excellent there,” he said.

“His position was perfect. The contact was right on the edge of the box and very light, there was no holding, far too little to award a penalty.”

Marelli’s analysis reinforced that both key moments in Verona were correctly managed on the field.