Serie A referee designator acknowledges mistakes against Juventus: “Tudor is right” | OneFootball

The AIA referee designator Gianluca Rocchi admits Juventus were hard done by the officiating in their Serie A contest against Hellas Verona.

The Bianconeri didn’t perform at their best at the Bentegodi, as several players looked exhausted following the back-to-back epic battles against Inter and Borussia Dortmund. Hence, the two sides ended up sharing the spoils following a 1-1 draw.

Nevertheless, Juve’s chances of securing a victory were also hampered by match official, Antonio Rapuano, as well as the VAR, who committed two crucial mistakes.

Juventus livid with match officials following Verona draw

(Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce/Getty Images)

Although the ball clearly hit Joao Mario’s arm, the majority of experts and pundits agreed that this handball should not constitute a penalty kick for Verona.

Moreover, Gift Orban deliberately elbowed Federico Gatti in the face, but his action only resulted in a yellow card, which contradicts with three previous episodes that earned red cards for Juventus players (Yildiz, Kalulu and Cambiaso) following on-field reviews.

Therefore, Igor Tudor was furious with Rapuano’s officiating, and expressed his thoughts in his post-match interviews.

Gianluca Rocchi confirms Rapuano’s mistakes against Juventus

For his part, Rocchi agreed with the Juventus boss, admitting that the referee he entrusted with the task (as well as the VAR) made two big blunders.

“The decision is incorrect; it’s not a penalty. It’s a matter of contact, arm and not shoulder. We believe this decision is incorrect,” said the AIA referee designator via JuventusNews24.

“Orban’s elbow? The correct decision would have been a red card. The player looks at the opponent. It was a decision that should have been made on the pitch and then, if necessary, at the monitor.

“The officials at the monitor were too quick to dismiss the matter. The correct decision would have been a red card. Tudor rightly protested, and he was right about it.”

Unfortunately for Juventus, Rocchi’s words can do little to remedy the damage done by Rapuano and CO., especially with Napoli taking advantage of the debacle to seize the top spot in the table.