Once again, the application of VAR and refereeing decisions is sparking intense discussions in Serie A. This time, the spotlight is on the penalty awarded to Torino during their match against Milan, which has been a major point of contention.
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The controversy erupted in the 83rd minute when a penalty was awarded to Torino, allowing Vlasic to convert it for a final score of 2-3, following a contentious interaction between Pavlovic and Simeone.
While the defender did make contact with his hand to the face, referee Fourneau initially missed it, only deciding to award a penalty after being alerted by VAR. Nonetheless, questions linger regarding the severity of the contact and whether the decision adhered to intervention protocols.
Massimiliano Allegri’s frustrated comments on the sideline were noteworthy, although he moderated his tone in the post-match conference, stating: “I try to stay calm… but this makes me lose my will. I’ll stop coaching…”
Marelli: “We will never escape this, subjective intensity”
Luca Marelli shared his thoughts on DAZN:
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“It seems Fourneau may not have even seen the incident. He was called for a slap to the face deemed reckless, leading to Pavlovic being booked. The contact was judged significant enough to impede Simeone’s involvement in the play. This is reminiscent of the Parisi-Gimenez incident in Milan-Fiorentina.
During the VAR review, we were informed that the referee on the field had reasonably assessed the contact and that the VAR should not have intervened. Today, VAR Nasca and AVAR Maresca likely perceived a different level of intensity in the incident. Yet, we are left with the same ongoing issue: intensity is subjective, and we will never fully overcome it. Football is inherently a contact sport, and the intensity can never be entirely removed.”
Calvarese: “Now VAR is pure randomness”
Gian Paolo Calvarese offered an even more critical perspective:
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“A few months ago, the on-field decision would have stood as is, but now everything feels unclear. Remember, VAR should only intervene in cases of grave and obvious error with clear and indisputable footage. We have 5-6 cameras available, yet we only have angles showing Simeone from behind and no views capturing the face contact. The contact is inferred, but its intensity is not assessable. At this point, the threshold for VAR intervention feels arbitrary, dependent on the subjective interpretation of the VAR official.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport echoed this sentiment, rating Fourneau with a score of 5.5, emphasizing that while the referee correctly assessed two accidental hits by Ismajili, he failed to recognize Pavlovic’s penalty-inducing slap.
This article has been translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.