Inter Coach Claudio Ranieri accused the referee of “ruining the game, as he got everything wrong. Our work was destroyed by these decisions.”
Inter Coach Claudio Ranieri accused the referee of “ruining the game, as he got everything wrong. Our work was destroyed by these decisions.”
The Nerazzurri were beaten 3-0 at San Siro by Napoli, but the turning point came before half-time when Joel Obi gave away a penalty and received a second yellow card for tripping Christian Maggio outside the box.
“Gianluca Rocchi was inadequate tonight, as Obi's first booking was non-existent and so was the penalty,” snapped Ranieri.
“He ruined a game that was becoming a fascinating encounter, as he got everything wrong that it was possible to get wrong.”
The Coach was also sent off for dissent when protesting these decisions during the half-time break.
“I didn't understand why I was sent off, as I said absolutely nothing offensive. My men got angry because when Marek Hamsik took the penalty, there were three players in the box. The rules exist and should be respected by everyone.
“Those who know me can say I don't like complaining, but tonight the game slipped from our grasp through no fault of our own.
“We are human and it's only normal to be irritable when penalised by the referee. I haven't complained much in 20 years, but I have some experience and can tell if a referee is having a bad day. He did not have control of the match.
“The lads gave their all and did not deserve to be punished this way. Our work was destroyed by these decisions. We were fired up and made some mistakes, but the defeat was not only our fault.”