Napoli 3-1 Inter Milan – Ex Serie A Referee Delivers Verdict On Controversial Penalty: “Not Even Sought But Created By Di Lorenzo” | OneFootball

Former Serie A referee Luca Marelli delivered his verdict on Maurizio Mariani after a controversial Serie A match between Napoli and Inter Milan.

Speaking to DAZN via FCInter1908, Marelli slammed the 43-year-old’s decision to award a ‘non-existing’ penalty to the Partenopei.

Despite back-to-back losses in the build-up to Saturday’s clash, Napoli stunned Inter at the Maradona.

Indeed, Antonio Conte’s side picked up a relatively comfortable 3-1 home win to overtake AC Milan at the top of the table.

However, Maurizio Mariani contributed significantly to Napoli’s triumph.

Indeed, his decision to punish Henrikh Mkhitaryan over a minimal contact with Giovanni Di Lorenzo set the tone for Napoli’s win.

Though he initially refused to point to the spot, the experienced referee reversed his decision after consulting with the VAR booth.

Mariani’s decision remains a subject of intense debate, with many questioning whether the contact truly warranted a penalty.

Furthermore, assistant referee Daniele Bindoni has come under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

He forced Mariani to change his mind, despite being out of position.

Luca Marelli Slams Maurizio Mariani over Napoli 3-1 Inter Milan Controversy

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“The Napoli-Inter penalty wasn’t initiated by Di Lorenzo,” Marelli stated. “He created it.

“Mkhitaryan doesn’t alter the ball’s direction at all, and there’s no movement toward Di Lorenzo.

“It’s Di Lorenzo who creates the contact, and I repeat, this isn’t a penalty that was sought – it was created.

“And it’s a penalty awarded by assistant Bindoni, that we know.

“The play continues, and when Mariani blows the whistle, he’s actually looking toward Bindoni.

“The assistant is at least 20–22 meters away, which makes it problematic if he intervenes when the referee is less than 10 meters away.

“And in any case, there’s VAR. It’s certainly a penalty that shouldn’t have been awarded.”