The penalty denied to Inter against Fiorentina sparked a heated debate among former referees, in particular Graziano Cesari, who defined Mariani's decision as "madness". The match, played on 26 October, saw the contact between Viery and Thuram at the center of the controversy: Viery would have spread his leg while Thuram's foot was suspended, according to Cesari, a situation which, according to the rules, should be considered a penalty kick.
In his speech, Cesari reiterated that Mariani would have "put the whistle in his mouth", indicating a penalty, but then did not blow the whistle. “This is a penalty kick because Viery widens his leg,” he explained, citing Orsato's warning which states that a foot anchored to the ground cannot be considered a penalty kick. "But look where the Fiorentina player has his foot... it's in the air, suspended. It rises and spreads, it's not anchored to the ground. This is a penalty kick," he added, underlining the discrepancy between the position of the foot and the referee's decision.
The context of the match was already tense: Inter was trying to consolidate its position in the standings, while Fiorentina, with a new captain Viery, aimed to exploit the motivation of a historic match. The denied penalty left Inter at a disadvantage, while Fiorentina was able to capitalize on the episode to maintain concentration.
Cesari's words resonated with fans and the media, who began to question the accuracy of refereeing decisions in Serie A. Referee Mariani, who officiated the match, did not comment publicly on the controversy, but his choice came under scrutiny from football authorities.
As for the future, Fiorentina seems ready to exploit the motivation of Viery, who said he was honored to wear the shirt on such an important day. Inter, however, will have to reconsider their defensive strategy and try to avoid further misunderstandings with the referee. With the season still underway, both teams will have to focus on the upcoming matches to recover points and maintain competitiveness in the standings.