Milan-Napoli VAR drama: penalties disputed, Estupiñan sent off | OneFootball

Chiffi made one and a half mistakes on the penalty (clear) given to Napoli: on Politano's cross, McTominay and Anguissa jump (the Scot is kept in play by Pavlovic, the Cameroonian is further behind), the ball is about to reach Di Lorenzo who is held back by Estupiñán. The uncertain Chiffi remains silent, waits (as usual) for the suggestion that comes from Alassio, awards the penalty and shows the yellow, but the hold is not a genuine intervention on Dogso. OFR and red.

Milan-Napoli, the slow-motion replay: contested penalties and Estupiñan's expulsion. Marelli analyzes Chiffi's direction

The match between Milan and Napoli, a Serie A big match played at San Siro, was not only about emotions on the field but also about refereeing controversies. The direction of the match by Daniele Chiffi was scrutinized by experts, with three penalties claimed, one granted, and an expulsion that sparked heated debate. The one to clarify was Luca Marelli, former referee and slow-motion replay analyst for Dazn, who analyzed all the key episodes.

Daniele Chiffi, the referee of Milan-Napoli

Class of 1984, originally from Padua, Chiffi made his Serie A debut in 2014 (Sampdoria-Napoli 2-5) and is today one of the most experienced referees in the Italian panorama. His career, however, has never been free from controversy: Milan had already contested him last year for a straight red to Reijnders in a match against Udinese. With the Rossoneri he counts 13 precedents (9 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss), while with Napoli the balance before this challenge was unbeaten (11 wins and 2 draws).

Milan-Napoli, the slow-motion replay cases

The challenge at San Siro was characterized by episodes that sparked debate:

20′ - Contact Modric-Anguissa: the Napoli midfielder falls in the box after a duel with the Croatian, but for Chiffi there is nothing. The Var does not intervene.

37′ - Tomori on McTominay: another episode in the Rossoneri area, the Scot falls after a contact with the defender. Also in this case, he lets it slide. Tomori clumsily confronts McTominay, who anticipates him: contact on the left thigh/hip of the blue player, especially the Rossoneri never takes the ball. Chiffi - not a novelty - decides not to decide, the VAR (worse) endorses the wrong decision. Here we are not at risk, it was a penalty kick.

54′ - Penalty for Napoli and expulsion of Estupiñan: the defender holds back Di Lorenzo ready to score from a few steps. Penalty granted and initial yellow, then corrected by the Var in straight red. De Bruyne scores from the spot.

73′ - Milan protests: Saelemaekers falls in the box after a contact with McTominay, but the referee does not grant anything.

90′ - Warning for Rabiot: hard foul on Lobotka, inevitable yellow card.

The match ended 2-1 for Milan after 7 minutes of recovery.

Luca Marelli's evaluations

The Dazn slow-motion replay analyst analyzed the most discussed cases as follows:

On the contact Modric-Anguissa: "Correct decision not to award the penalty. Modric removes his leg, but does not commit a foul. Field episode".

On the duel Tomori-McTominay: "The contact is there, but it is minimal. The Scot anticipates the defender, who withdraws his leg late. Not every contact is a foul, right not to intervene with the Var".

On the penalty awarded to Napoli: "The final choice is correct. Chiffi's initial warning was wrong: there is no attempt to play the ball, so the straight red is correct. The Var did well to intervene".

A game direction under the spotlight

Chiffi's performance remains overall sufficient according to the insiders, but the controversies are not lacking. Napoli and Milan protested on several occasions, a sign of a complicated match to manage, with episodes that will inevitably mark the debate in the coming days. Tomori clumsily confronts McTominay, who anticipates him: contact on the left thigh/hip of the blue player, especially the Rossoneri never takes the ball. Chiffi - not a novelty - decides not to decide, the VAR (worse) endorses the wrong decision. Here we are not at risk, it was a penalty kick.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.