The defeat against Napoli stings, but Daniele De Rossi's anger is sparked by the incident that decided the match. After the match at Marassi, the Genoa coach didn't hide his bitterness over the penalty awarded to the Azzurri late on, which Hojlund converted. He believes it changed not only the result, but also the perception of today's football.
In front of the cameras, the Rossoblu coach openly questions the VAR intervention. "I don't know what to say anymore, in fact, we don't know what to say. This doesn't seem like a clear error to me that deserves a VAR call," he says dejectedly. Then he broadens the discussion: "The football we played no longer exists; it's a penalty that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. I don't know what sport I'm coaching anymore; we protest about everything now, and the referee on the pitch no longer exists." These words capture a profound unease with refereeing practices increasingly tied to technology.
De Rossi, however, doesn't stop at the controversy. He forcefully defends his team's performance, emphasizing the spirit with which Genoa faced a top team. "It takes a lot of character and heart, my boys have it, I have it. We have to bring it out," he says, emphasizing the team's attitude. Disappointment remains, especially for a finale that, in his opinion, doesn't reflect what we saw on the pitch: "I can't tell the boys to cheer up in the locker room anymore, but tomorrow I'll find the strength. Today we played a good match against a very strong team, we didn't deserve to end like that again."
His outburst also gave room for a broader reflection on mistakes and the nature of the game. "Mistakes are part of football, but you only encourage them if you play a certain way," he concluded, implying that his team will continue to seek results through play, even at the cost of exposing themselves to risks and, at times, unfavorable situations.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The defeat against Napoli is very disappointing, and the penalty awarded is unclear. I don't understand how VAR decided this. The team played well, but the result is unfair and hurts the players who worked hard.