The interview with Gianpaolo Calvarese, former Serie A referee, has reignited the debate on the penalty not awarded to Inter against Fiorentina. The episode occurred at the San Siro, when midfielder Viery hit defender Marcus Thuram, generating contact which, according to Calvarese, should have given rise to a penalty kick. Despite the controversy, the match ended in victory for Inter, who still got another penalty afterwards.
The contact between Viery and Thuram occurred at a crucial moment of the match. Mariani, the main referee, seemed ready to award the shot from the 11-metre line, but then changed his mind. Calvarese claims that Mariani's gesture of pointing to the spot and his subsequent change of heart may have been influenced by assistant Rossi, who had headed towards midfield. According to the former whistleblower, the decision not to whistle the penalty was a "compulsory conditional", probably dictated by the assistant.
During the second half, Thuram appears to almost fall immediately after the contact, but Calvarese underlines that the defender had the right to react. The player showed a clear tripping movement, which, according to the former referee, should have been considered a foul and therefore a penalty. Furthermore, Calvarese believes that the VAR, in particular the operator Fabbri, should have intervened to recommend an "OFR" (offside) and award the shot from the 11 meter line.
The match saw Inter win despite the refereeing error, thanks to another penalty awarded later. However, the episode raised doubts about the role of assistants and the effectiveness of VAR in making real-time decisions. Calvarese asked for a more careful review of the dynamics of the pitch and greater clarity in the criteria for assigning penalties.
For Inter, the victory remains important, but the memory of the penalty not awarded could influence the perception of fans and experts. Fiorentina, on the other hand, will have to reflect on how to manage contact situations in the future. With the season still ongoing, both teams prepare for their upcoming matches, where refereeing and VAR decisions will continue to be in the spotlight.