Penalties and VAR chaos: Napoli-Inter to Juventus, horror weekend 😱 | OneFootball

The eighth matchday of Serie A was a whirlwind of incidents and refereeing controversies. In a weekend full of big matches and ‘delicate’ challenges for the standings and objectives, it was the referees and VAR who sparked the most debate.

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Between penalties, fouls, and cards, certain decisions by the match officials divided public opinion, as in some cases they opted for controversial choices that continue to fuel debate about refereeing standards and the actual use of technology.

💥 Napoli-Inter: Mariani and the Mkhitaryan-Di Lorenzo contact

Mariani came into this match riding high after the prestige of officiating the U20 World Cup final, but at the Maradona his performance was highly debated.

The most talked-about moment came in the 29th minute: a contact between Mkhitaryan and Di Lorenzo, which Mariani initially let go. Eight seconds later, following a signal from assistant Bindoni, the referee changed his mind and awarded a penalty that no one had asked for. The VAR did not intervene.

This incident allowed Napoli to break the deadlock from the penalty spot and steer the match in their favor.

⚡ Lazio-Juve: Colombo between 2nd 🟨 for McKennie and Gila-Conceicao contact

In the first half at the Olimpico, Colombo seemed in full control, but the second half was a complete collapse.

In the 56th minute, McKennie, already booked, crashed into Guendouzi with a clear shoulder charge: it should have been a second yellow, but the referee let play continue.

Four minutes later, the situation was reversed: in the Lazio penalty area, Gila clearly hit Conceicao’s right foot.

Again, no whistle, no VAR intervention.

🌀 Fiorentina-Bologna: La Penna and the “stopgap” VAR

In Florence, La Penna experienced ninety minutes of uncertainty. Always late in reading situations, he ended up relying more on VAR than on his own authority.

In the 18th minute, a clear handball by Dodò in the Viola box was judged as a natural running motion, and the penalty was not given. Shortly after, technology was needed to correct a case of mistaken identity: the handball was by Kean, not Lucumí.

In the second half, the chaos increased. In the 71st minute, Fiorentina were awarded a penalty for Ferguson’s outstretched arm, but doubts remained over a previous touch by Kean.

Ten minutes later, Sabiri tripped Bernardeschi in the box: a light but decisive contact, which La Penna ignored. And as play continued, Holm received a second yellow, leaving Bologna down to ten men and paving the way for Fiorentina’s comeback.

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

📸 ISABELLA BONOTTO - AFP or licensors