Referee expert: ‘AC Milan penalty outside of VAR protocol’ | OneFootball

Refereeing expert Luca Marelli agrees with Fiorentina protests that the AC Milan penalty incident was ‘outside the protocol’ of VAR, because it was not a ‘clear and obvious error.’

The moment proved decisive not just for the match, but also the entire Serie A table, as the 2-1 victory sent the Rossoneri into top spot.

It was 1-1 at San Siro when Santiago Gimenez went down clutching his face after Fabiano Parisi put a hand on his shoulder, and while initially referee Livio Marinelli had waved play on, he was called back to the VAR monitor.

When viewing it again, he opted to award the penalty, which was converted by Rafael Leao.

You can view video of the incident here.

AC Milan winner causes controversy

MILAN, ITALY – OCTOBER 19: Rafael Leao of AC Milan scores his team’s second goal from a penalty kick during the Serie A match between AC Milan and ACF Fiorentina at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on October 19, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Fiorentina were furious, pointing out this was stretching the concept of ‘clear and obvious error’ beyond its limits, and DAZN Italia refereeing expert Marelli agreed.

“There isn’t even really a shirt tug, it is simply Parisi’s hand on Gimenez’s neck. In my view, if the penalty is awarded on the field, then you can feel hard done by, but ultimately have to accept it.

“However, if the referee sees it and does not give a penalty, then there simply is not sufficient reason for an On-Field Review. In my view, this VAR call was outside the protocol.”

Marelli also compared the incident to a similar one when Juventus beat Inter 4-3 earlier this season, as here too a hand on a shoulder in the build-up was not considered sufficient for a VAR review, as it was evaluated on the field by the referee at the time.