Napoli v Pisa: VAR drama as De Bruyne risks penalty, Pisa protest | OneFootball

The match at the Maradona was marked by a refereeing incident that sparked debate: contact between De Bruyne and Leris, VAR taking center stage, and anger from the Tuscan side.

Napoli-Pisa, controversial episode: De Bruyne risks penalty on Leris, Pisa protests

During Napoli-Pisa, with the score still level, an incident occurred that ignited controversy. Kevin De Bruyne clashed with Leris in the penalty area: right foot on right foot. A dynamic that, live, seemed worthy of review.

VAR, with Mazzoleni at the monitor, called referee Crezzini over for a possible penalty foul. However, the review ended with no action taken, fueling the frustration of Pisa’s players and staff.

The VAR intervention and the decision

The reason for not awarding the penalty was explained live on DAZN: “On-field review called by Mazzoleni for De Bruyne’s step-on-foot on Leris, right foot on right foot. The VAR call was correct, but everything was annulled because a handball by Leris was shown. There should be no confusion in the rules: the supporting arm is never punishable, neither for defenders nor attackers. In this case, the ball ricochets onto him, so it was not a handball to be considered.”

According to the analysis, therefore, the on-field review should have focused solely on the contact between De Bruyne and Leris, without considering the previous handball, classified as not punishable.

Pisa’s reaction

The Tuscan players expressed anger and frustration, convinced that the contact between the Belgian midfielder and Leris was enough to award a penalty. The incident inevitably affected the mood of the team, who felt penalized at a key moment in the match.

The penalty awarded to Pisa

A few minutes later, Pisa was nonetheless awarded a penalty for a handball by Beukema. In this case too, the replay clarified the reasons for the decision: “Watching the replay, it’s clear that Beukema’s arm is outstretched from the start. The distance and the ball bouncing off his leg don’t matter. The handball remains punishable.”

The refereeing balance

The match once again confirmed how the management of VAR and the interpretation of handball regulations remain a source of controversy and discussion. The episode between De Bruyne and Leris, in particular, will remain among the most debated cases of this Serie A matchday.

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