Refereeing decisions are a popular topic in Italy. You could stop in any coffee bar on the peninsular to find a hotly-debated discussion over the subject paired with an espresso and a copy of La Gazzetta dello Sport. Fans of every team have a conspiracy theory of which side receives favourable calls the most often, but in truth the problem has been the same as every other league, with officials often making mistakes during the most high-profile matches.
The Italian Football Federation have sought to eradicate this element of human error, President Carlo Tavecchio having this summer announced plans to introduce VAR (Video Assistant Referees) for 2017/18. FIFA state that the technology can be used in four game-changing situations – goals, penalty decisions, direct red card incidents and mistaken identity – and after the opening two Serie A rounds the system has achieved a varying level of success.
The first VAR penalty was awarded for Cagliari against Juventus after Alex Sandro was adjudged to have trodden on the boot of Duje Cop after review. But the biggest controversy arrived when Torino were denied a match-winning goal due to striker Andrea Belotti being incorrectly ruled offside by officials.
“It was a double mistake,” Granata boss Sinisa Mihajlovic told the press afterwards. “The first was failing to spot that the pass to Belotti came from [opponent Mattia] Destro – which we all saw on the pitch, together with the other 19,000 people watching except him. The second was the whistle because it has been said that referees should wait for the action to finish so that the VAR can intervene.”
In the opening two rounds, Juventus have been on the receiving end of two VAR penalties awarded against them while being handed one in their favour as a result of the new technology. The latter was a handball incident that the referee could never have seen from his position on the pitch, a major plus point in favour of its implementation which will become an even greater positive once the problems have been ironed out.
📺 Lengthy VAR decision
⏰ Two minute delay
😐 Players unaware
Juve awarded controversial VAR penalty...
One of the main complaints so far has been the length of time taken to make the decision, and there is often a confusing few minutes for players, Coaches and supporters until a final call has been made. “When it comes to VAR it will take a little patience, Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri told Mediaset Premium after their victory on Saturday. “We all need a period to adapt. Just as we need to work on our routines to improve, so the referees work on their routines to make VAR quicker and more effective.”
Bianconeri captain Gianluigi Buffon was more vocal in his criticism, and called for less decisions to go to review, even if it meant there would be less penalties awarded as a result. “You told us that VAR would be used in clear-cut incidents where there were mistakes, but now you are even checking the replays for a trodden toe or a finger in an ear. It’s no longer football that way, it’s turning into water polo,” Buffon said.
“It takes too long, as I didn’t even celebrate when we were awarded a penalty, because six minutes had passed. Last season we had three penalties in our favour, but if it carries on like this, we’ll have 50. I’m happy with that as a Juventino, but it ruins the entertainment factor.”
If the veteran goalkeeper was complaining about too many incidents going to review, Roma were vocal about quite the opposite on Saturday evening. TV showed that Diego Perotti was clearly fouled inside the penalty area but – to the perplexity of all those who were watching – the referee never even consulted VAR.
“Daniele De Rossi went over, as captain, to ask why the referee wasn’t checking the VAR, Perotti told reporters after the match. “He replied that there was nothing in it.It was clearly a penalty, everyone saw it. They ended up giving a corner, but he never touched the ball.I hope someone will come out and explain why the penalty wasn’t given. I don’t understand why those watching the monitors didn’t see it. I don’t have much faith in VAR after this, because if we had scored that penalty, we’d have been 2-0 up and game over.”
In truth, there were always going to be teething problems with such a radical new officiating system. Of all the voices that are giving their opinions, it is that of Coach Allegri that speaks loudest. It is not about what is happening right now with the system, but the will of referees to improve and streamline the process that is most important. But whatever happens,decisions will continue to be discussed and debated in coffee shops and bars in every corner of Italy.
