Inter Milan 1-1 Napoli Serie A Clash Referee Punished After Controversial Penalty Call – Demoted To Serie B | OneFootball

Lega Serie A has punished referee Maurizio Mariani for awarding a controversial penalty to Inter Milan in Sunday’s clash against Napoli.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport via FCInterNews, the league officials have sanctioned the 46-year-old referee for his decision to hand the Nerazzurri a controversial penalty.

Mariani’s decision to point to the spot has raised eyebrows.

Indeed, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa barely touched Denzel Dumfries inside Napoli’s penalty area.

However, the Italia referee had no doubt. He immediately handed Inter the spot-kick.

Even though there was no clear contact, VAR refused to intervene after reviewing the incident.

Sceptics would say justice was served when Hakan Calhanoglu squandered the chance to propel Inter to win.

It was his first missed penalty in the Nerazzurri short.

Uninterested in the outcome, Napoli boss Antonio Conte aimed a dig at Mariani and his associates after the game.

Conte’s protest came to fruition today.

Serie A Officials Punish Maurizio Mariani For Controversial Penalty Call in Inter Milan vs Napoli

Lega Calcio officials have relegated Mariani to Serie B.

The referee chief, Gianluca Rocchi, has deemed Mariani’s call ‘soft’ and ‘below the standards.’

As a result, he’ll temporarily move to Serie B.

Mariani joins a sizeable list of top Serie A referees to be demoted to the second tier.

Ermanno Feliciani, Fabio Maresca, Luca Pairetto, and Livio Marinelli had encountered the same fate.

Mariani’s punishment should be a warning to other referees.

Indeed, Serie A will no longer tolerate soft calls, insisting it will need something ‘more serious’ to warrant a spot-kick.

However, this decision raises questions about double standards.

While Mariani’s decision could’ve harmed Napoli, Conte wasn’t vocal when his side earned another ‘soft’ penalty against Empoli.

Referee Rosario Abisso awarded the Partenopei a match-winning penalty in a similar situation in Tuscany.

Yet, Conte naturally refused to question VAR’s implementation at that time.