The most serious error was made by VAR, which showed the referee a less significant contact (Freuler on Nkunku) instead of Lucumì`s clear penalty foul. FIGC President Gravina: “An evident error.”
Both officials have been criticized, but with a harsher assessment for the VAR official compared to the on-field referee. Michael Fabbri, who was operating VAR, will be sidelined for a couple of rounds, while a simple rotation is being considered for referee Matteo Marcenaro, though the final decision is still pending. What is certain is that Fabbri will need a period away from the VAR room in Lissone, which does not preclude the Ravenna-born referee from officiating a match on the field later. The key issue was the “short circuit” that occurred at San Siro towards the end of the match when the referee was shown one incident (the Freuler-Nkunku contact, where no penalty was given) instead of the one that clearly deserved a penalty: the push (also with leg contact) by Bologna defender Lucumì on Nkunku.
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Gravina`s Statement
In this regard, FIGC President Gabriele Gravina also shared his view. “This is an evident error,” stated the head of the Football Federation on `Radio Anch`io Sport,` “but when we talk about technology, we must move forward; there`s no going back. Technology has significantly reduced the percentage of errors; just look at cases where referees, without technology, are in doubt and explicitly seek confirmation.” In summary: Fabbri will be excluded from VAR duties for a few rounds, while Marcenaro might be benched for one round.
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