Napoli President Launches Counter-Attack On Inter Milan Chief: “Out Of Place On VAR” | OneFootball

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has hit back at Inter Milan chief Beppe Marotta after Sunday’s controversial Serie A derby.

De Laurentiis issued a statement, as reported by FCInterNews, in response to Marotta’s recent assessment of Maurizio Mariani’s decision to award a penalty to Inter.

Mariani pointed to the spot in the 74th minute after Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s tackle on Denzel Dumfries.

Though the contact was thin, VAR refused to call the main referee to review the incident on the side-pitch monitor.

However, Hakan Calhanoglu failed to convert his first penalty in the Nerazzurri jersey after putting away all the previous 19.

Despite the game finishing 1-1, Napoli boss Antonio Conte lashed out at match officials in his post-match conference.

Therefore, Inter had no choice but to respond.

Marotta replied to Conte, saying the penalty was ‘unquestionable,’ but it didn’t go well with De Laurentiis.

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis Responds to Inter Milan Chief Beppe Marotta After Controversial Draw

“I read from Los Angeles some statements by Marotta which, in my opinion, are out of place,” the statement read.

“The penalty, according to the overwhelming majority of observers, was non-existent.

“But above all, Conte’s words were clear and are exactly what I think and have always said: VAR is a great resource to avoid refereeing errors.

“It makes no sense to say that it can intervene sometimes and not others.

“If there’s a refereeing error, the VAR officials must call the referee.

“Otherwise, you hinder the growth of football, and suspicions will grow.

“Furthermore, referees are already in direct contact with VAR.

“Why shouldn’t they receive indications from those who can see what happens on the pitch with the help of technology? Conte has expressed essential concepts, the same ones I have been advocating for years!

“It’s necessary to ensure that suspicions and doubts are not fueled. And respect, as Rocchi emphasized, must be mutual to avoid, as he said, igniting the league.

“It should also be noted that referees must be free from any psychological conditioning, which often exists between on-field referees and VAR referees.

“I believe it’s evident to everyone the need to refine the VAR regulations to prevent inconsistent decisions, which, I repeat, would only fuel the theory of doubt.

“Moreover, it’s well-known that on-field referees are often not in favor of interventions by VAR officials because corrections to their decisions diminish their autonomy and credibility.

“However, in the face of glaring incidents and obvious errors, VAR must intervene, at least by calling the referee to review the incident on the monitor.

“This is for the good of football.”