The match between Napoli and Roma, which ended in a 2-2 draw, sparked numerous controversies over the refereeing, especially due to the yellow cards and disputed penalties. Luca Marelli, DAZN analyst, explained the referee's decisions in detail, underlining that many of the disputes are the result of subjective interpretations and not decisive errors.
According to Marelli, the warning to Marin was correct: if the player had touched Wesley with the sole of his foot, the sanction would have been a red card. As for Gollini, the referee assessed a touch "to anticipate" De Bruyne with his hand in front of his chest. Even if the contact was made with the hand, the analyst claims that, if it had not occurred, the ball would still have been rejected by Gollini's body, so the red card was not necessary.
The draw arose from a protest by Napoli. The referee awarded a corner to Napoli despite an alleged contact between Malen and Di Lorenzo, but according to Marelli there was no real contact. Afterwards, Roma player Castro was judged to be in regular position, as was Balerdi, who scored one of the two goals for the Roma team. The analyst also explained that Roma's third goal, scored by Beukema, was disallowed because the player fell twice before equalising. Balerdi had a slight movement with his right arm, but it was not considered a touch on the chest, so there was not enough material to call the referee to the monitor.
Marelli concluded that although the refereeing had sparked much discussion, the decisions made were justified by the rules of football. The final result, 2-2, left both teams with valuable points, but also highlighted the need for greater clarity in the interpretations of sanctions and penalties. The next Serie A matches will offer the opportunity to see whether refereeing will evolve in a more consistent way with the expectations of clubs and fans.