Inter pulled off a wild 3-2 comeback victory against Napoli on Saturday, but let’s be real, referee Simone Sozza had a rough night at the San Siro. His calls, or lack thereof, absolutely overshadowed what should have been a pure thriller, leaving Inter players fuming in a game they absolutely had to scrap for.
Seriously, What Was VAR Doing?
The biggest head-scratcher came early when Napoli’s Stanislav Lobotka seemed to handle the ball during a tussle with Nicolò Barella inside the penalty box. Everyone saw it, right? Except the referee, apparently, because play just kept going. No VAR intervention, nothing! And what happened next? Napoli zoomed down the field on a counter-attack, and Matteo Politano bagged their opener. You can practically hear the collective groan from Inter fans. DAZN referee expert Luca Marelli even admitted the footage was inconclusive, saying, “There are many doubts. It is impossible to tell for sure whether there was contact, even though his arm was extended. Looking at all the available footage, you simply cannot determine if he touches it with his hand or not.” That’s a lot of doubt for a call that led directly to a goal, isn’t it?
Another Controversial Call Keeps Inter’s Equalizer Alive
The officiating drama didn’t stop there. Late in the second half, in the 82nd minute, Marcus Thuram headed home Inter’s equalizer. But Napoli defender Amir Rrahmani was flat on the ground right in front of goalkeeper Alex Meret. Napoli wanted a foul, no doubt. Sozza, though, wasn’t buying it. He let the goal stand, judging that Rrahmani had gone down too softly, not because an Inter player fouled him. Talk about playing through the whistle, and then some.
Despite all the controversy, Cristian Chivu’s squad showed some serious guts. They clawed their way back from a two-goal deficit thanks to a clutch late double from captain Lautaro Martínez. Snatching three dramatic points in stoppage time like that? That’s the kind of gritty win that makes you forget about the dodgy calls, at least for a minute.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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