DAZN: Marelli says fair challenge, Massa right not to whistle | OneFootball

The most discussed episode of the Roma-Napoli match came after the game, when DAZN analyzed the dynamics of the Azzurri's goal in detail. Luca Marelli, a former referee and the platform's go-to voice for regulatory issues, stepped in to clarify the referee's assessment of the goal, which ultimately proved decisive.

Roma-Napoli, Marelli clarifies the goal action: “Neres' goal is valid”

According to Marelli, the action starts with a challenge at the edge of the Neapolitan area between Rrahmani and Koné, an incident that immediately drew attention for a possible foul. However, the technical analysis is clear: the Napoli defender reaches the ball decisively and ahead of time, hitting it "fully" before the subsequent contact with the opponent. The change in direction of the ball, evident in the footage, is the element that, for the former referee, makes the intervention legitimate.

Marelli emphasizes how the distinction is crucial: if there had only been a slight, almost imperceptible touch, the referee should have awarded a free kick to Roma. But that was not the case. The deflection produced is "clear," sufficient to justify Massa's decision to let the play continue, which then culminated in Neres' goal. The referee commentator also added an important element: the position of the referee. According to Marelli, Massa was perfectly aligned to judge the contact, and for this reason, his decision falls entirely within an on-field assessment, not a VAR one.

Andrea Alati

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