Liverpool beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the San Siro on Tuesday evening thanks to a late penalty converted by Dominik Szoboszlai
The decision to award Liverpool a penalty against Inter Milan in the 1-0 win at the San Siro has been derided by sections of the Italian press. Arne Slot’s side were awarded the spot kick with just two minutes remaining after Alessandro Bastoni was penalised for pulling at Florian Wirtz’s shirt.
Several Italian outlets have since slammed the call made by referee Felix Zwayer, who consulted the VAR monitor before making his decision. Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up to coolly seal the slim victory, sending the Reds up to eighth in the league phase standings.
Contact appeared minimal between Bastoni and Wirtz. Reds defender Andy Robertson told Amazon Prime after the game that while the “penalty did look soft,” it’s a foul “that’s given anywhere else on the pitch.”
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VAR had also previously intervened in the first half after Liverpool were denied a goal. Ibrahima Konate’s header was ruled out after the ball had deflected off Hugo Ekitike’s arm.
Nevertheless, the crucial decision to award the penalty to Liverpool late in the game has been slammed in Italy. Former AC Milan and England head coach Fabio Capello blasted the call to award the Reds a penalty, calling it ‘”scandalous.”
When speaking on Sky Sport after the match, Capello said: “It is a scandalous penalty – I don’t understand why the VAR had to intervene when the referee saw it all, the obvious simulation of throwing himself to the ground,”
Referring to the lengthy VAR check that disallowed Konate’s first half goal, Capello added: “I don’t understand VAR tonight at all, it took three minutes to disallow a clear handball goal.”
On Liverpool’s winning penalty, he said: “They called the referee for a shirt tug that means we’d have a million penalties per game. They set a precedent and it is shameful.”
Ex-Milan centre-back Alessandro Costacurta was on punditry duties and also echoed Capello’s sentiments. He claimed the penalty “has no logic” and creates a dangerous precedent.
The ex-defender also maintained that if this was a penalty, there would be “17-18” such penalties in every half, especially during every corner kick.
Corriere dello Sport branded referee Zwayer and VAR “incompetent”. They wrote: “Bastoni’s naivety is perhaps matched only by the referee’s and VAR’s incompetence.
“The shirt-snatching on Wirtz is laughable, and it wears off before the German player’s tantrum, as he falls to the ground as soon as he feels his shirt is being dropped. Zwayer lets play continue, and VAR steps in where it shouldn’t.”
The outlet also maintained that Konate’s disallowed goal in the first half was correctly ruled out. They added: “Van Dijk’s header, the ball hit Ekitike’s left arm, was: a) very wide (almost shoulder height); b) interfering and decisive (without that touch the ball would never have reached Konaté) and therefore should be considered punishable.”
Italian outlet Journalmeanwhile, claimed the game was marred by a “VAR error”. In their match report, they wrote: “The key moment came with five minutes to go. Bastoni held onto Wirtz’s shirt, a gesture that wasn’t repeated or overwhelming. The call was excessive, and so was the penalty awarded.”
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