VAR controversy: Referees declare Inter goal unacceptable against Verona

The Referee’s Association chief, Andrea Gervasoni, acknowledged errors in recent Serie A matches. He admitted the winning goal for Inter against Verona should have been disallowed due to VAR oversight.

Chirag

January 8, 2024

Andrea Gervasoni, the head of the Referee’s Association, has acknowledged that the winning goal scored by Inter against Verona should not have stood, labelling it as ‘an error’ for VAR not stepping in.

In an interview with DAZN’s Open VAR segment, Gervasoni expressed dissatisfaction with the officiating in Serie A over the weekend. While the specific audio recordings from that time are pending analysis, Gervasoni conceded that the assessment of Inter’s 2-1 victory over Verona was a straightforward discussion.

“We will analyse it calmly, because we have to understand why there was no intervention. It was an error, that goal absolutely should’ve been disallowed.” Gervasoni stated.

He mentioned that they’ve listened to the audio and plan to discuss the situation with VAR official Nasca. Their aim is to comprehend whether Nasca interpreted it as a body check, considering Bastoni’s deliberate contact with the opponent player.

Several VAR errors have been noted this season, with Nasca also involved in another instance during Juventus’ 1-1 draw with Bologna, where he didn’t intervene after a clear foul by Samuel Iling Junior on Cyril Ngonge. Reports suggest Nasca might face suspension from Serie A duties and be demoted to Serie B for a few weeks.

This marks the second incident within a short span involving Inter and a pivotal goal, following the controversy surrounding Yann Bisseck’s apparent push on Kevin Strootman in the build-up to a goal in their 1-1 draw.

Additionally, Gervasoni admitted that it was ‘an error’ to disallow Sassuolo’s goal against Fiorentina due to Matheus Henrique’s offside position, clarifying that he wasn’t influencing play.