It was a weekend full of referee controversies in Serie A, with Milan coach Paulo Fonseca calling modern football ‘a circus’ and Roma furious for not being awarded a spot kick while Italy’s top flight has the highest average of penalty kicks given in Europe’s top leagues.
The use of VAR is in the spotlight in Italy after a controversial weekend that saw some clubs openly challenge referee decisions.
Three penalty kicks – all not converted – were given in the last game of Round 7 between Fiorentina and Milan on Sunday. Fonseca’s Milan received two, but the Portuguese still complained after the final whistle: “I do not want to contribute to this circus,” he told DAZN.
“Everything is a penalty now, in our favour or against; this is not football when you give a penalty for the slightest touch. I don’t want to get into it.”
Controversial penalties and VAR chaos dominate Serie A weekend
Only a few hours earlier, Roma complained about a potential penalty they had been denied in a 1-1 draw against Monza. Giallorossi director Florent Ghisolfi made a rare TV appearance to demand “respect” and brand the referee’s decision “unacceptable.”
On the other hand, both goals in a 1-1 draw between Juventus and Cagliari in Sunday’s lunchtime match were scored from the spot and required VAR checks. Cagliari coach Davide Nicola questioned the Juventus penalty, saying that a player” naturally” needs to use his arms for the jump impulse, while pundits also questioned the use of VAR in such circumstances.
Controversial penalty kick and VAR decisions dominated the weekend, but a stat suggests that the video assistant referee is probably overused in Serie A.
Opta analyst Enrico Turcato, in fact, reports that 32 penalty kicks were given in the opening 70 Serie A games, an average of 0.46 per game.
It’s the highest in Europe’s top five leagues. La Liga has had 28 in 90 games, while the Premier only 12 in 70 matches.