AIA confirms: De Bruyne-Vasquez contact assessed as low intensity

Following the Genoa-Napoli match, the Italian Referees Association (AIA) confirmed the correctness of the referee's decision regarding the contact between Kevin De Bruyne and Vasquez. Marco Di Bello, the match's referee, awarded the goal to the Belgian midfielder despite Genoa's protests.

Daniele Orsato, the referee's assistant referee, who was present in the stands, emphasized that the contact was deemed to be of low intensity, such that it did not compromise the opposing defender's position.

The AIA clarified that the contact did not constitute a clear and obvious error and therefore did not request VAR intervention, granting full autonomy to on-field decisions. This position reflects the approach adopted for the season, which calls for more restrictive use of technology in doubtful cases and greater trust in referees' judgments on the pitch.

Despite this, Genoa appears unwilling to close the matter. The Ligurian club is reportedly preparing a dossier to submit to Orsato, highlighting alleged negative precedents regarding Di Bello's refereeing in matches against Roma and Napoli last season, with the aim of challenging the referee's actions in this and other circumstances.