Milan-Lazio: how AIA viewed the Pavlovic-Marusic incident | OneFootball

The last Serie A round reignited the refereeing debate with the highly contested contact between Pavlovic and Marusic at the end of the Milan-Lazio match. While awaiting the full publication of the technical analysis and the complete audio between VAR and the referee, a preview released by Dazn's X profile clearly outlined the position of the AIA and the referee designator Gianluca Rocchi.

Milan-Lazio, Pavlovic-Marusic case: how the AIA actually interpreted the incident according to Rocchi

According to reports, Rocchi summarized his point of view as follows: “It’s not a penalty, but it’s never a foul for the defense. The correct choice was the corner kick.” A statement that encapsulates the entire interpretative philosophy adopted for the incident and helps define the official framework of the refereeing evaluation.

The position of the AIA: why the incident was neither a penalty nor a defensive foul

Rocchi's intervention clarifies how the Pavlovic-Marusic incident could not be translated into either a penalty for Lazio or an offensive foul justifying a free kick for Milan. The dynamics, according to the AIA, fall into a gray area of the game that requires immediate and straightforward analysis: the contact is not punishable, but it is not irregular in favor of the defense either. The correct resumption of play, therefore, should have been the corner kick.

Rocchi also emphasized that a quick check, estimated at about 15 seconds, would have been sufficient to confirm the decision most consistent with the regulations.

The referees' evaluation: positive for Collu, failed for VAR Di Paolo

While the general direction of referee Collu was considered overall adequate, the position taken towards VAR, Di Paolo, is quite different. According to the refereeing authorities, the VAR should not have invited the referee to the On Field Review, as the incident did not present elements that would necessitate a corrective intervention.

This call to the screen is thus interpreted as a procedural error that could have influenced Collu's perception and altered the decision-making balance.

The technical aspect: why Collu's interpretation was considered partially incorrect

There is an additional technical element highlighted by the AIA. In communicating his reasons to the players, Collu had stated: “The arm is out of shape, but the defender suffers a foul.” According to the technical bodies' analysis, this reading does not correspond to what actually happened. There was no foul on the Milan defender, and, at the same time, there were no grounds to award a penalty to Lazio. The only solution truly compliant with the regulations would have been the simplest and, at the same time, the most solid: restarting with a corner kick.

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