Inter asked for a penalty against Fiorentina, but referee Mariani changed his mind during the match, leaving young MarcusThuram without the bet. After the match, coach AndreaStramaccioni explained his opinion on Dazn, defining Mariani's decision as "a mistake" and not a deliberate refereeing choice.
Stramaccioni underlined that, although Mariani pointed to the spot, the feeling is that VAR was then consulted. “We must consider this as a mistake by Mariani, not as a yardstick,” the coach said. "It's a double mistake, referee and VAR, but we must not turn it into a new yardstick. If we do, football would change the rules."
The coach then spoke about the young Lavelli, who has proven to be a promising talent. “Lavelli scored an avalanche of goals and, even though he had few minutes against Bologna, he was decisive: his entry moved the opponent's attack,” he observed. Stramaccioni added that Esposito was poorly served in the first half and that Chivu's tactical choice in the second changed the characteristics of the attack, reducing its effectiveness.
The episode raised questions about the role of VAR and the management of arbitrary decisions. Inter, who requested the penalty, are awaiting any clarifications from the arbitrary authorities. In the meantime, the club will continue to monitor the situation, while Fiorentina will have to reflect on the result and the decisions that influenced the match.