The lapses in judgment by Gianluca Rocchi, the referee designator, and the bias of pseudo-commentators are also behind the controversy artfully fueled by the Northern Italian press and social media over the so-called "little penalty" awarded to Napoli against Inter in yesterday's 3-1 victory at the Maradona stadium.
The football season now seems to be marked by decisions dismissively referred to as "penalties": penalties awarded for minor or dubious contact, often with the intervention of VAR. This trend had already raised concerns from the refereeing designator, Gianluca Rocchi, who had urged referees to exercise extreme caution, especially after the recent introduction of live commentary on VAR decisions.
Yet, just days after the controversial penalty awarded to AC Milan against Fiorentina, the Maradona incident risks receiving equally harsh criticism. Initially, referee Mariani—recently returned from the Under-20 World Cup final and highly regarded by the AIA (Italian Football Association) executives—let it slide.
The one who changed the outcome was assistant referee Bindoni, who, against all odds and relying on a much better view than his own, convinced the referee to point to the spot. And from the attached images, the foul on Di Lorenzo isn't obvious: it's crystal clear.
Everything else is just the barroom chatter of losers and those who can't accept a clear-cut result with Napoli overpowering in the second half and the Nerazzurri more busy arguing than playing.
According to the referee's initial assessments, the Napoli-Inter incident even went beyond the limits of a 'penalty', qualifying as a clear error.
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Marotta and the selective memory of the "Losers"
While the AIA appears to be moving toward a forced rest period for the refereeing trio (an unspecified but predictable "technical suspension"), the controversy is fueled by the heated statements of Inter president Giuseppe Marotta.
Marotta pointed to the penalty, which he believed to be decisive in the final outcome, and made a direct appeal to Rocchi: "Rocchi said no more penalties, so let's seek clarity in understanding what a penalty means and what tools the referee has at his disposal to make decisions."
However, post-match analysis reveals a selective "amnesia": social media and fans unanimously recall the dubious penalty awarded to Inter last season against Napoli, for contact between Anguissa and Dumfries. On that occasion, the outcry from pundits and commentators, often accused of bias, was decidedly less vociferous.
The debate thus shifts from mere refereeing decisions to a broader accusation: the controversy is said to be "artificially fueled by the Northern press" and supported by pseudo-experts on television who "change their opinion on the same type of foul depending on the team that commits or suffers it."
Ultimately, aside from the slow-motion decisions, most of the chatter seems to fall back on the rhetoric of "losers" struggling to accept a clear defeat, suffered against a Napoli side that overpowered the opposition in the second half and an Inter side more intent on protesting than playing. Meanwhile, the championship drags on amidst the aftermath of controversies that increasingly call into question the consistency and impartiality of the Italian refereeing system.
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