Referee chiefs give verdict on incidents that infuriated Inter | OneFootball

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, referee chiefs believe it was legitimate to allow play to continue in the build-up to Atalanta’s equaliser against Inter, but the table leaders should have been awarded a penalty for a foul on Davide Frattesi.

Referee chiefs have given their verdicts on the controversial incidents that infuriated Inter in their 1-1 draw against Atalanta on Saturday.

Referee incidents that upset Inter in 1-1 draw vs. Atalanta

The table leaders protested for La Dea’s equaliser as they felt Kamaldeen Sulemana had pushed Denzel Dumfries in the build-up. Inter were even more upset a few minutes later when Giorgio Scalvini challenged Frattesi inside the box, making contact with the Italian midfielder.

Referee Gianluca Manganiello waved play on on both occasions, infuriating the Nerazzurri, who didn’t even speak to the media after the match.

According to Gazzetta, referee chiefs feel the match official was right to let the play flow in the build-up to Atalanta’s goal scored by Nikola Krstovic. Still, Manganiello should have awarded a penalty to Inter for Scalvini’s foul.

Manganiello should have correctly assessed the penalty incident, so he’s considered more responsible than the VAR official.

MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 14: Referee Gianluca Manganiello disputes with FC Indernazionale players during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Atalanta BC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on March 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

However, the AIA executives were also not pleased that VAR remained silent and did not advise the match referee to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

Manganiello is not expected to referee any Serie A game next week as part of the routine rotation. He’ll return to action after the international break, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll take charge of a Serie A or Serie B match.