Atalanta 2-1 Napoli overshadowed by referee calls as Marelli questions disallowed goal | OneFootball

Napoli’s 2-1 defeat at Atalanta was overshadowed by a string of contentious refereeing calls in Bergamo.

Napoli went 1-0 up through a Sam Beukema header. Daniele Chiffi awarded a penalty then cancelled it after a VAR review, with Rasmus Hojlund going over Isak Hien’s leg after contact judged not a foul. Speaking to IlNapolista, former Serie A referee Luca Marelli assessed both incidents.

“There was contact between the knees, but Hien made no movement toward Hojlund. From my point of view, there was no penalty, so the decision to revoke it is correct.”

Within seconds of the restart, Miguel Gutierrez found the net, only for Chiffi to rule it out for a very soft tug on Hien. VAR did not prompt a review.

“I don’t understand why the goal was disallowed. Even though Hojlund made a very light hold on Hien’s side, I frankly don’t see any fouls. The VAR check was very quick.”

Napoli sent director of sport Giovanni Manna to address the media straight after full time as they prepare a protest over the referee and VAR. The row extends a week of debate over VAR and its protocol, with renewed calls for AIA officials to step down.

Source: Football Italia