Atalanta thought the decision to show Joakim Maehle a straight red card for his challenge on Sassuolo captain Domenico Berardi was extremely harsh.
The incident occurred in the opening half-hour and Maehle tried to recover from a heavy first touch by lunging onto the loose ball, catching Berardi on the shin.
While the studs were up and certainly landed on Berardi’s shin, the fact remains Maehle did get the ball, which then squirmed out of the way and he landed on Berardi with the follow-through.
The referee had originally only flashed a yellow card, but he was called for an On-Field Review by the VAR and changed his mind to make it a straight red card.
“It was an incident that should’ve been evaluated on the field, as the VAR is excessive,” said DAZN refereeing expert Luca Marelli.
“There are also other elements to be taken into consideration: it was not a voluntary foul, obviously, because he gets the ball and only then Berardi’s leg. It might seem like a straight red with a single frame image, but not when you see the video in full.
“There is no speed to the tackle, Maehle’s leg is bent and so there is less danger for Berardi. The on-field review call was unnecessary and the red card excessive.”
Most of the reaction from pundits and fans on social media was incredulous, considering it a very harsh decision, as Maehle after all did get the ball first.
The yellow card could be enough punishment for an imprudent tackle, but a straight red when the ball was so clearly won seems an exaggeration.
However, Sky Sport Italia’s refereeing expert and former official Gianpaolo Calvarese insisted the red card was the correct decision due to the point of impact and strength of the challenge.