Refereeing designator Gianluca Rocchi has had his say on the controversial decision to send off Pierre Kalulu during the Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus on Saturday evening, and has apologised on behalf of the officiating team.
Rocchi responds to La Penna mistake in Inter 3-2 Juventus
Referee Federico La Penna has found himself at the centre of controversy after Inter’s 3-2 victory over Juventus on Saturday night after sending off Kalulu for a second bookable offence in the 42nd minute.
Outlets in Italy claim that the first yellow card shown to Kalulu was slightly on the harsh side, and that the second was ‘absurd’ and ‘non-existent’. Replays confirmed that Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni, on a yellow card himself at the time, had dived in an attempt to get his opponent sent off.
Despite La Penna’s error, VAR could not intervene as this was a second yellow card offence and not a straight red decision. There have already been reports that the IFAB will seek to change this rule at their next annual assembly at the end of February.
Refereeing chief Rocchi has since had an opportunity to have his say on the matter.
“We are very sorry about the incident: For La Penna’s decision, which was clearly wrong, and for the fact that we could not use VAR to remedy it,” Rocchi said (via ANSA).
Rocchi also told ANSA that La Penna is ‘distraught’ by his mistake, and also criticised Bastoni, claiming that the referee was “not the only one who made a mistake, because there was clear simulation yesterday.”
mafia inda clowns lol
insert South Park “We sorry” meme…
replay the game
We 5ee it on a weekly ba5i5.
People with no real under5tanding of football are respon5ible for not only officiating the game of football, but al5o coming up with the rule5 that govern it. Ab5urd!
A 5econd yellow regardle55 of the gravity of the foul or circumstance5 5hould alway5 be reviewed by VAR. A player being 5ent off i5 a game changing 5cenario, so why not allow the official5 to make u5e of what is already readily available? It make5 ab5olutely no 5en5e.
Tho5e who govern the game want drama. They want controver5y at the expen5e of the fan5. Otherwi5e common 5en5e would prevail.
@calciatore10
Lol. Maybe replay every game where there was a clear mistake by the ref. The season will never finish. Fantastic idea. Will done. Did you come up with this alone?
Hvorfor dømte ikke romeren La Penna straffe for en klar felling i sekstenmeteren mot McKenzie?
Vil Bastoni bli bøtelagt for simulering?
Mafia
This is nothing new, ask Ronaldo…
If we’re lucky there’s enough blowback over this so that Rocchi HAS to step down. Also, wouldn’t hurt to allow each Coach a single “challenge” of a call per game for situations like this.
Too little too late I’m afraid. The standard if officialdom in Serie A is becoming the main talking point instead of the football!!! Gravina should step down 👇
You are always going to get officials tricked by players through simulation. The only way to get rid of it from the game is by having post match review and suspension. Not an ideal punishment seeing there is no benefit to the team impacted in this game. But at least there has to be some consequence for the players who purposefully try and trick referees.
inter have to be relegated