In the Numer1 podcast, analyst Giuseppe Cruciani expressed his opinion on the missed penalty in the Inter-Fiorentina match, in which Viery and Thuram approached each other in a contact zone. According to Cruciani, there is no injustice to highlight: the referee's decision was neither "clear nor clear", but simply a subjective choice.
The commentator underlined that, although the contact between the two players can be considered a foul, the referee has the possibility to interpret it differently. “It can happen that a penalty is not awarded,” Cruciani said, adding that “if you analyze the frames in slow motion, you find fouls in many other situations: a defender who puts his leg and touches the opponent is always considered a foul.” In this sense, the field referee has returned to the center of decisions, and errors can also occur this season.
The coach also compared the situation with other controversial penalty cases, such as the one awarded to Inter for the hands of Valdepenas. “There is no objectivity about the penalty awarded to Inter, therefore there is no objectivity about the previous one either,” said Cruciani. In other words, the evaluation of a foul depends on the perception of the referee on the field at that moment.
The podcast also mentioned that although the decision was not correct, it cannot be ruled out that the Viery‑Thuram contact was a foul. However, the referee could feel that there was no reason to award a penalty. Cruciani concluded that, although errors are present, decision management remains a matter of subjective interpretation. The next step for the teams will be to continue playing, trying to avoid further controversies and focusing on their performances on the pitch.